The Internet of Things (IoT) is booming. Research released by Gartner suggests that the number of connected things will grow by 30% to 6.4 billion in the next 12 months – at a rate of 5.5 million per day. If there was any doubt that IoT is merely a product of overblown hype and speculation, this is certainly changing. 2016 is the year that IoT means business, writes Mike Laven, the chief executive of Currency Cloud. (more…)
June 23, 2016
Posted by: George Malim
Everyone is talking about the Internet of Things. Connected devices are gaining momentum in homes, businesses and public service infrastructure. These devices are not only creating new possibilities for how we work and communicate but fundamentally transforming every aspect of life, from automated drug administration devices to traffic lights and air sensors in buildings, writes Paul German, the vice president EMEA of Certes Networks. (more…)
May 27, 2016
Posted by: George Malim
The largest ant colonies in the world contain over 300 million individuals and cover areas that are several kilometres wide. Ants mostly rely on tactile and chemical means of communication to keep these huge systems in order. Luckily, as humans, we have additional tools at our disposal to make our homes and cities more efficient, more organised and, to put it simply, better places to live in. (more…)
May 13, 2016
Posted by: George Malim
IIoT is already having a significant impact on industrial performance in two primary areas: asset performance management and operator efficiency, writes Dave Sutton, a product marketing manager at Schneider Electric, in the second part of his blog on Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things. (more…)
February 12, 2016
Posted by: George Malim
The evolution of smart, connected and autonomous products is reshaping the manufacturing industry and its ecosystem. The convergence of operational technology and information technology is opening a completely new axis, and a large one at that, for creating path breaking innovations and opportunities in the manufacturing ecosystem. (more…)
October 29, 2015
Posted by: Sudip Singh
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
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
pSemi Corporation has announced that it, alongside its parent company Murata, has expanded its role to “Participant” level with The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), an international community of more than 675 technology companies committed to open standards for the Internet of Things (IoT). In addition, Peter Bacon, the director of systems engineering at pSemi, was recently appointed to the Zigbee Working Group, a subcommittee of CSA that is dedicated to defining standards for the wireless technology designed for low-power devices that need to communicate with each other over short distances.
CSA’s mission is to create standards, tools and platforms that make all connected devices work together to enhance end users’ day-to-day experiences. Its members, which include LG, Samsung, NXP, and others, work collaboratively to develop IoT technology standards, offer certification programmes and promote the benefits of open, global standards for a wide range of connected technology solutions, including Matter, Aliro, Zigbee, and others.
pSemi’s increased role with CSA aligns with the company’s expanded IoT product offerings as it recently announced the PE562212—its smallest PA-LNA-SW IoT front-end module (FEM). PE562212 is an ultra-compact multi-protocol 2.4 GHz FEM that enables a variety of connectivity options for IoT devices and is designed in adherence to the IEEE 802.15.4 Zigbee requirements to support the CSA-led Matter protocols, an industry framework that focuses on simplifying connected experiences.
“Murata has been a proud member of CSA for more than a decade, and at pSemi, we are thrilled to expand our involvement to ‘Participant’ level this year, particularly as we expand our IoT offerings,” said Bacon. “Our increased participation underscores our commitment to the connectivity market and willingness to collaborate with the entire ecosystem to advance the industry. I look forward to working closely with my peers and colleagues to address some of the most pressing issues the connectivity industry is facing and to play a part in defining standards that will accelerate the adoption of IoT products.”
pSemi will also participate in the upcoming CSA Alliance Member Meeting in Washington, DC on June 25, 2024. For more information about pSemi and its connectivity solutions please visit www.psemi.com. For more information about CSA, its mission and current initiatives, please visit www.csa-iot.org.
Comment on this article below or via X: @IoTGN
June 17, 2024
Posted by: Magda Dabrowska
pSemi Corporation has announced that it, alongside its parent company Murata, has expanded its role to “Participant” level with The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), an international community of more than 675 technology companies committed to open standards for the Internet of Things (IoT). In addition, Peter Bacon, director of systems engineering at pSemi, was recently appointed to the Zigbee Working Group, a subcommittee of CSA that is dedicated to defining standards for the wireless technology designed for low-power devices that need to communicate with each other over short distances.
CSA’s mission is to create standards, tools and platforms that make all connected devices work together to enhance end users’ day-to-day experiences. Its members, which include LG, Samsung, NXP, and others, work collaboratively to develop IoT technology standards, offer certification programmes, and promote the benefits of open, global standards for a wide range of connected technology solutions, including Matter, Aliro, Zigbee and others.
pSemi’s increased role with CSA aligns with the company’s expanded IoT product offerings as it recently announced the PE562212—its smallest PA-LNA-SW IoT front-end module (FEM). PE562212 is an ultra-compact multi-protocol 2.4 GHz FEM that enables a variety of connectivity options for IoT devices and is designed in adherence to the IEEE 802.15.4 Zigbee requirements to support the CSA-led Matter protocols, an industry framework that focuses on simplifying connected experiences.
“Murata has been a proud member of CSA for more than a decade, and at pSemi, we are thrilled to expand our involvement to ‘Participant’ level this year, particularly as we expand our IoT offerings,” said Bacon. “Our increased participation underscores our commitment to the connectivity market and willingness to collaborate with the entire ecosystem to advance the industry. I look forward to working closely with my peers and colleagues to address some of the most pressing issues the connectivity industry is facing and to play a part in defining standards that will accelerate the adoption of IoT products.”
pSemi will also participate in the upcoming CSA Alliance Member Meeting in Washington, DC on June 25, 2024. For more information about pSemi and its connectivity solutions please visit www.psemi.com. For more information about CSA, its mission, and current initiatives, please visit www.csa-iot.org.
Comment on this article below or via X: @IoTGN
June 14, 2024
Posted by: Magda Dabrowska
IGEL has announced that it aims to deliver a secure and engaging digital experience on commercial displays from LG Business Solutions. This expanded collaboration with LG Electronics – beyond the popular LG thin-client devices powered by the IGEL OS – marks IGEL’s entry into the operational technology (OT) and Internet of Things (IoT) segments. (more…)
June 5, 2024
Posted by: Magda Dabrowska