The Week in Review: IoT

Networks
The Netherlands and South Korea are both laying claim to installing the first nationwide Internet of Things networks in the world. In the Netherlands, KPN has connected the country with a low-power, wide-area network optimized for IoT. SK Telecom is serving Korea with coast-to-coast IoT coverage, and the Korean carrier plans to spend up to $86.8 million through the end of 2017 on upgrading the IoT infrastructure.

Sigfox reports its IoT network is being launched in Mexico. IoTNet Mexico will be the Sigfox network operator in the country, partnering with WND. Machina Research estimates that the capital, Mexico City, will account for one-third of all low-power, wide-area network connections in the Mexican market.

Deals
Cypress Semiconductor concluded its $550 million acquisition of Broadcom’s Wireless Internet of Things business unit. The assets involved include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and ZigBee communications technology, and the WICED software development kit. Stephen DiFranco, who was general manager of Broadcom IoT, has joined Cypress as senior vice president of the IoT business unit.

Acuity Brands has acquired DGLogik, a developer of software for managing energy use and improving facility performance through IoT technology. Financial terms weren’t revealed. Acuity Chairman, President and CEO Vernon Nagel said in a statement, “We believe DGLogik`s expertise in the development of technologies focused on advanced data aggregation, association, and visualization creates an exciting opportunity to accelerate the expansion of Acuity Brands` portfolio of holistic IoT solutions.”

Connected Vehicles
NXP Semiconductors is collaborating with Tongji University, SAIC, Cohda Wireless, and other parties as part of the Shanghai Intelligent and Connected Vehicle Demonstration Program, road-testing intelligent connected vehicles through the NXP-Tongji University Joint Lab. NXP and Cohda will supply secure vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications technology for the program.

Design Competitions
Cadence Design Systems this week announced the Tensilica Design Contest, a worldwide competition in processor optimization. The academic community is invited to participate, especially those universities that are involved in the Tensilica University Program. “The Tensilica Design Contest highlights the critical need for high-performance and low-power processors for vision, deep learning and other DSP applications used in mobile, automotive and internet of things (IoT) applications,” said Chris Rowen, chief technology officer of Cadence’s IP Group.

Market Research
MarketsandMarkets forecasts the IoT security market will increase at a compound annual growth rate of 36.1% over five years, from $7.9 billion this year to $36.95 billion by 2021. Identity access management and cloud security are high-growth areas of the IoT security market, the firm says in its new report.

Products
Micron Technology this week introduced embedded single-level cell NAND flash memory devices for IoT and automotive applications. The memory chips represent the company’s second-generation serial peripheral interface NAND and fifth-generation parallel SLC NAND. Gartner predicts the IoT endpoint hardware and services market will be worth $3.5 trillion by 2020.