The Week in Review: IoT

Investment
Microsoft this week said it will spend $5 billion over four years on Internet of Things programs in research, development, and partner enablement. The company previously spent $1.5 billion on developing IoT technology. The move could pay dividends for the Microsoft Azure cloud platform and lead to wider use of Azure Stack, which pairs Microsoft software with hardware from approved partners.

Implementation
Schlegel Villages of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, worked with Aruba Networks and Hewlett Packard Enterprise to develop sensor bracelets that seniors in their facilities can wear. The IoT devices alert the staff if a resident leaves the facility, which some seniors do in a confused state. The company is also implementing an eHealth system to replace paper charts at its care facilities.

Products/Services
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, United Microelectronics, Semiconductor Manufacturing International, Vanguard International Semiconductor, and Hua Hong Semiconductor are reportedly running their 8-inch wafer fabrication lines at full production capacity to keep up with demand for IoT chips. Industry sources say lead times for 8-inch wafer runs at the foundries have increased from eight weeks to 12 weeks or more.

RadioFlux demonstrated its Yoola Cup drinking device with interactive lighting at the recent Nightclub & Bar Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Yoola Cup is part of the company’s IoT Total Solution System. RadioFlux will show off its technologies next week at Startup Launchpad 2018, scheduled for April 9-10-11 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Deals
C3 IoT received a multi-year contract from 3M to provide artificial intelligence and IoT technologies. C3 will help 3M in implementing AI applications for predictive health care and supply chain analytics. It may also aid in customizing software-as-a-service applications for customer relationship management, fraud detection, inventory optimization, and predictive maintenance.

Commentary
Matt Green, a cryptographer and an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University’s Department of Computer Science, talks about the Mirai bot, the Heartbleed vulnerability, and other threats in this piece.

Chris Wilder, senior analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy, identifies companies that have emerged as leaders in the Industrial IoT ecosystem. They are Amazon Web Services, Cisco Systems, CyberHat, Dell Technologies, IBM, IFS AB, Inocybe Technologies, and Jabil.

You may not have heard about the Internet of Cows, but it is definitely a thing – an IoT thing, at that. Moocall has developed a calving sensor that can predict when a cow is about to give birth by monitoring the cow’s tail movements during labor. The sensor is used by 15,000 farmers. This feature discusses how IoT technologies are not only confined to the retail and technology industries; they’re making their way into agriculture, manufacturing, and other businesses.

Market Research
Frost & Sullivan forecasts the worldwide market for smart cities will be worth more than $2 trillion by 2025. As more people live in cities, smart-city technology will be enhanced by advanced driver-assistance systems, artificial intelligence, distributed energy generation, personalized health care, and robotics, the market research firm predicts.