Matterport has announced that it has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) IoT Competency status. This designation underscores Matterport’s role and expertise in innovative Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, empowering customers to use AWS for IoT and achieve their cloud transformation goals. (more…)
July 12, 2024
Posted by: Magda Dabrowska
ENGIE Vianeo, the EV charging business of energy company ENGIE Group, announced on Tuesday a partnership with international communications enabler BICS to connect its charging stations to the Internet of Things (IoT). The solution will provide real-time data which allows for remote maintenance and enhanced decision-making. Partnering with BICS will deliver seamless connectivity, security and regulatory compliance to support ENGIE’s rapid European rollout plans.
As the EU aims to enhance the availability of EV stations, ENGIE Vianeo is upgrading its charger fleet by integrating real-time data for better analytics and more effective troubleshooting. Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular across Europe – new electric car registrations reached nearly 3.2 million in 2023, increasing by almost 20% from 2022. However, this is driving demand for more accessible charging infrastructure.
Last year, the EU approved a new law to add more chargers across its member states, with specific targets for 2025 and 2030. This legislation put specific emphasis on installing stations across main highways. In response to this demand, ENGIE launched its charging business, ENGIE Vianeo, last year.
By utilising BICS’ IoT connectivity portal ‘SIM for Things’, ENGIE is upgrading its EV charging estate into a network of IoT devices to improve efficiency, reliability, and user convenience. The solution supports remote maintenance and troubleshooting, analytics on station activity, and enables remote software and firmware updates. These are determining rating criteria recognized by the users. Previous iterations of the technology have used a ‘black box’ fitted to the stations, these would collect data but have to be physically collected and processed, while this new solution means real-time, remote data collection from the highway to ENGIE Vianeo’s European supervisory centre.
The real-time data provided by the solution will also improve customer experience, described by ENGIE Vianeo as a ‘key element of the transition to a lower-emission mobility model.’ Users will be able to see live information, via their phone app, on nearby charger availability or the charging status of their vehicle. Answering such a need to guarantee the best charging experience leads to a significant increase in attendance.
“The appetite for electric cars is growing across Western Europe,” Clémence Fischer, managing director at ENGIE Vianeo, said in a media statement. “We aim to meet this demand by rapidly expanding our number of charging stations. In France alone, we aim to have 12,000 charge points by the end of 2025. In Belgium, we expect to double the current number of charging stations to exceed 5,000 charge points by the same date.”
Fischer added “Managing such a large, dispersed estate presents challenges, so alongside BICS, we’re investing in technology to give us complete visibility over our infrastructure. This will help us improve the prompt response of our services and keep stations maintained and running reliably, so they’re always ready and available when customers need them.”
Due to the typical locations of charging stations, in built-up metropolitan areas or remote highways, mobile connectivity (as opposed to fixed fibre) is a must. BICS is making this simple for ENGIE Vianeo, providing the internet connection, the SIM cards to connect the charging stations, and its SIM for Things platform for easy setup and maintenance. While the initial rollout for these ‘connected chargers’ will focus on Belgium, they will later expand across Western Europe, including France, Italy and Spain. Around 50,000 devices are expected to be deployed as part of the collaboration.
“IoT technology augments businesses by enabling real-time visibility across their operations, from the management of moving parts within factories to devices distributed across the globe,” says Mikael Schachne, CRO Enterprise at BICS. “Enabling EV vehicles to access charging stations anywhere is essential as we look to achieve a more efficient and carbon-neutral mobility infrastructure. We are very pleased to partner with ENGIE Vianeo to accelerate their rollout, reducing the complexity with ‘plug-and-play’ SIM connectivity to rapidly and easily connect smart chargers across Europe.”
July 10, 2024
Posted by: Anna Ribeiro
Actelis Networks has announced that it has received an initial order, as part of a larger project, to provide a municipal utilities company in a major German city, with its hybrid-fibre networking solution. The order was placed by a local partner of Actelis in Germany. (more…)
July 1, 2024
Posted by: Magda Dabrowska
Schneider Electric is transforming its Digital Buildings business in Canada with the launch of the SMART Buildings Division. This evolution marks a move to deliver comprehensive solutions and services that support building owners and operators in achieving their decarbonisation and sustainability goals. (more…)
June 26, 2024
Posted by: Magda Dabrowska
Hewlett Packard Enterprise has announced the #1 U.S. consumer brand for almonds and almond milk, Blue Diamond Growers is continuing its 100-year tradition of quality, innovation and food safety by modernising its wireless networking infrastructure with an HPE Aruba Networking Wi-Fi 6E-enabled solution.
The deployment improves mobile and IoT device connectivity in support of the California-based cooperative’s three manufacturing facilities that processes approximately a billion pounds of almonds annually for domestic and worldwide consumption on behalf of its 3,000 grower-owners. Stretching across over 3.3 million square feet of manufacturing facilities, including 40 acres of outdoor crop receiving areas, the new Wi-Fi network also provides AI-powered intelligence that is speeding troubleshooting by 50%.
“Our enterprise has a rich history of using innovation to produce and market almond products,” said Ryan Funk, the IT infrastructure director for Blue Diamond Growers. “Today, we rely on mobile and IoT-enabled technologies for moving almonds that arrive fresh from the field through production quickly, efficiently and safely, which ultimately enables delivering the highest value to our grower-owners.”
As the domestic almond supply and production leader since its founding in 1910, Blue Diamond relies extensively upon Wi-Fi connectivity for receiving and tracking almonds and almond products throughout its manufacturing, storage and distribution processes.
From crop delivery areas through finished product shipment, Blue Diamond workers use a variety of mobile devices, including scanners, tablets and label printers, all of which feed data into the enterprise’s cloud-enabled ERP solution around the clock. IoT-enabled systems are also extensively deployed, such as for constantly monitoring temperatures across the industry’s largest refrigerated storage capacity to maintain quality and freshness, which require reliable, secure connectivity from APs acting as an IoT platform.
“For innovative global food producers that depend upon connectivity for bringing products to market, fast, reliable and secure networking infrastructure is essential for supplying consumers with high-quality, nutritious and flavorful products,” said Stuart Strickland, the wireless chief technology officer at HPE Aruba Networking. “Whether its mobilising employees across indoor production and R&D facilities or ensuring rapid and accurate crop receipts during 24/7 harvest seasons, high-performance intelligent Wi-Fi enables Blue Diamond Growers to fulfill its core mission: maximise grower returns and deliver the benefits of almonds to the world.”
With regulatory approvals in place, Blue Diamond was eager to act on their vision to move to Wi-Fi 6E APs. To answer their mobile and IoT data traffic demands, while minimising operating overhead, the company adopted an AI-powered wireless solution that includes HPE Aruba Networking Wi-Fi 6E Access Points (APs) for indoor facilities and ruggedised outdoor Wi-Fi 6 APs for exterior connectivity. The network is unified and managed with HPE Aruba Networking Central, which streamlines and simplifies administration.
According to Funk, the network intelligence supplied by HPE Aruba Networking Central is important for enabling company’s ultra-lean IT staff to manage multiple geographically-disbursed facilities. “Having a powerful, centralised and intuitive management tool that also supports manufacturing frameworks for NIST and ISO is essential,” he said. “In addition, with HPE Aruba Networking Central, we’re resolving Wi-Fi trouble calls 50% faster, reducing IT overhead while improving user experiences.”
Prior to its new Wi-Fi infrastructure, Blue Diamond began saving more than USD$250,000 annually vs Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) by adopting HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-WAN to gain a self-driving wide area network that serves as a foundation for zero trust and secure access service edge (SASE) cybersecurity. In addition, the company deployed HPE Aruba Networking Boost, for WAN optimisation.
Looking ahead, Blue Diamond expects its new networking infrastructure will continue powering company R&D efforts and business growth. “The combination of exceptional enterprise Wi-Fi and ongoing support we receive from HPE Aruba Networking enables us to envision operational and product innovations that were impossible before,” Funk said.
To learn more, visit HPE Aruba Networking.
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June 6, 2024
Posted by: Magda Dabrowska
Haier Europe, part of Haier Smart Home, has chosen Orange Business connectivity and IoT services to help innovate its sustainable solutions, while optimising resource consumption and extending the life of products. (more…)
June 4, 2024
Posted by: Magda Dabrowska
Afero announced that it has signed the Secure by Design pledge from the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), making it the first secure IoT platform company to do so. The move highlights the company’s dedication to delivering enterprise-grade security for IoT endpoints, including devices that may lack sufficient memory and processing power to support traditional operating systems.
The IoT Platform as a Service by Afero focuses on security, data privacy, simplicity, and user-friendliness throughout the end-to-end experience. These core principles are seamlessly integrated into the solution, empowering manufacturers and brands to safeguard their supply chain.
Afero’s technology is utilised in millions of devices spanning 150 product categories from over 50 manufacturers, including brands like Defiant, Hampton Bay, and EcoSmart.
“Our mission at Afero has always been to enable connected devices to be smart and secure,” said Joe Britt, CEO and co-founder of Afero. “By signing the CISA Secure by Design pledge, we are reinforcing our commitment to leading the IoT industry with robust security measures that extend all the way to the endpoint, even the most constrained devices. This pledge aligns perfectly with our core values and ongoing efforts to safeguard the IoT supply chain.”
The CISA Secure by Design pledge is a voluntary commitment to improve the security of enterprise software products and services, including on-premises software, cloud services, and software as a service (SaaS). While the pledge does not currently include physical products such as IoT devices and consumer products, Afero has been committed since its founding to extending this same secure-by-design philosophy down to physical products such as high-volume consumer devices.
“The surging demand for connected devices will make IoT security more critical than ever,” said Bret Jordan, the company’s chief security strategist. “Afero is at the forefront of securing this hyperconnected edge, ensuring every device, no matter how small, remains secure. As the first IoT platform player to sign the CISA pledge, we’re demonstrating Afero’s unwavering dedication to this cause.”
May 30, 2024
Posted by: Anna Ribeiro
Nexxiot has entered into a partnership with KS&C. This collaboration aims to enhance the freight transportation sector in Korea by accelerating the digitalisation of shipping containers, portss and vessels, thereby increasing operational efficiency and significantly improving the experiences of beneficial cargo owners. (more…)
May 29, 2024
Posted by: Magda Dabrowska
GEO Business – the geospatial event held in UK – has launched its programme ahead of the 2024 edition, taking place from 5-6 June at ExCeL London. The free-to-attend expo is designed for geospatial professionals who want to unlock the power of location intelligence. This year’s instalment is set to be the best yet, as GEO Business celebrates its tenth anniversary. (more…)
May 21, 2024
Posted by: Magda Dabrowska
Cornerstone partners with Signify to inflence street lighting with 5G and IoT connectivity. Cornerstone’s approach recognises the growing demand for digital connectivity in UK cities, and this partnership aims to provide an innovative solution to address this need by using existing infrastructure. By integrating Signify’s luminaire technology into lamp heads on streetlights, Cornerstone will build an Outdoor Neutral Host platform to enable connectivity in urban environments discreetly and efficiently, allowing communities access to public networks.
“This partnership is yet another example of our evolution towards neutral hosting and smart city solutions,” said Nick Spedding, a new business manager at Cornerstone. “We’re committed to bringing connectivity to urban and dense urban areas across the UK where currently connectivity is not in place or limited, enabling access to public networks is at everyone’s fingertips.”
Cornerstone’s role as a neutral host in this partnership underscores its commitment to enabling connectivity deployment across diverse urban landscapes. The first project under this partnership will be deployed across three cities, laying the foundation for future expansion and innovation in the field of smart city infrastructure.
“This collaboration with Cornerstone marks an exciting opportunity to converge the strengths of two industry leaders,” said Khalid Aziz, the SVP and managing director of the BrightSites Business Unit at Signify. “By harnessing the power of 5G and IoT through our street lighting solution, we are illuminating streets and paving the way for a more connected and sustainable future.”
With the project set to launch within the next 10 weeks, both companies are poised to lead the market in driving innovation and progress across the UK.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact Lydia McGurin at lydia.mcgurin@cornerstone.network.
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May 13, 2024
Posted by: Magda Dabrowska