The Week in Review: IoT

Security
Mocana said it is working with Avnet, Infineon Technologies, Microsoft, and Xilinx to provide Industrial Internet of Things systems that meet cybersecurity standards. The systems utilize the Avnet UltraZed-EG system-on-module, Mocana’s security software running on the Xilinx Zynq Ultrascale+ MPSoc, and Infineon’s OPTIGA Trusted Platform Module 2.0 security chip. The Microsoft Azure cloud helps to tie it all together.

M&A
Broadcom this week made an unsolicited takeover bid for Qualcomm, valued at between $103 billion and $105 billion in cash and stock. Including the assumption of corporate and investor debt, the proposed transaction’s value is in the vicinity of $130 billion – by far, the largest ever deal in high technology, if completed. Broadcom asserted the combination would create a stronger supplier of communications chips. Qualcomm said in a statement that its board of directors would assess the offer. Moody’s Investors Service said the deal is credit negative for Qualcomm.

Meanwhile, Marvell Technology Group and Cavium are reportedly discussing a possible merger. Neither company would publicly comment on the rumor. Cavium this month reported posting revenue of nearly $252 million for the third quarter ended September 30, up almost 50% from revenue of $168.1 million a year earlier. It registered a net loss of $6.2 million for Q3, compared with a net loss of $11.1 million in the second quarter of this year.

Forecasts
Forrester Research has a new report out, Predictions 2018: IoT Moves from Experimentation to Business Scale. Gil Press summarizes the report’s conclusions for Forbes.com. Some takes: Builders of industrial IoT platforms will exit the infrastructure-as-a-service business; IoT platform offerings will begin to specialize in design and operate scenarios; a developer drive to the edge will precipitate IoT platform consolidation; IoT will be at the center of broader and more damaging cyberattacks. Go here to get the report.

Unisys predicts the IoT and other connected technologies, such as intelligent scanners, will improve operational efficiencies in health care and life sciences, enhance supply chain visibility, and provide better patient care.

Products
Silicon Labs brought out multiprotocol software for its Wireless Gecko system-on-a-chip devices and modules, enabling Bluetooth Low Energy and Zigbee connectivity on a single SoC. The multiprotocol technology is aimed at applications in smart buildings, smart homes, and smart lighting. It makes use of optimized wireless protocol stacks and an advanced radio scheduler running on the Micrium real-time operating system. A software development kit is available in the company’s Simplicity Studio.

Parasoft has introduced the newest release of Parasoft C/C++test, the static analysis and unit testing tool for C and C++ software, and Parasoft DTP, its reporting and analytics tool, to help developers of embedded IoT applications. The new software supports Wind River GCC 4.8.x, IAR for ARM 8.11.x, and Microsoft Visual C++ 14.1x, according to the company, which also debuted its MISRA Compliance Pack, supporting the Motor Industry Software Reliability Association’s guidelines.

Deals
Penteon and hiSky SCS are partnering on Industrial IoT offerings for enterprises and heavy industry, pairing Penteon’s industrial remote sensing platforms with hiSky’s portable satellite terminals. Penteon is implementing its terrestrial low-power wide-area network across North America for smart city and smart industry applications.

Market Research
Oracle reports LTE diameter signaling traffic growth is being propelled by IoT-enabled devices, smartphones, connected cars, LTE broadcast technology, voice-over-LTE communications, and signaling associated with policy management for more sophisticated data plans and applications.

Bsquare issued its first annual IIoT Maturity Study, looking at IoT adoption in manufacturing, oil and gas, and transportation. The study says 86% of industrial organizations are adopting IoT technology, 84% see IoT as very or extremely effective, and 95% believe that IoT has a significant or tremendous impact on their industry. Most IIoT investments are in connectivity (78%) and data visualization (83%), the study finds, while just 48% are doing advanced analytics on their data and 28% are automating the application of insights from their analytics.

Conferences
The IDTechEx Show! is next week in Silicon Valley, taking place Wednesday and Thursday, November 15-16, at the Santa Clara Convention Center. The show takes in nine conferences, including Internet of Things Applications, Sensors USA, Electric Vehicles, and Wearable USA, along with a common exhibition for all nine focus areas.

Green Hills Software and its INTEGRITY Security Services subsidiary will demonstrate, exhibit, and present at the Embedded Technology/IoT Technology conference in Yokohama, Japan, on November 15-17. The companies are addressing automotive electronics and secure IoT devices at the conference.

Recognition
Hilscher Gesellschaft für Systemautomation mbH received the 2017 Global Frost & Sullivan Award for Enabling Technology Leadership for its netIOT offerings in IoT information retrieval and real-time control.