Revue de presse IoT / Data du 19/02/2017

Revue de presse IoT / Data du 19/02/2017

Bonjour,

Voici la revue de presse IoT/data/energie du 19 février 2017.

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1. Why IoT is key to industrial energy efficiency2. How Technology Influences the Future of Energy Management3. Disruption at the Edge: IoT Transforming Energy Grids4. Arkados Partners with SparkFund to Offer Lighting-as-a-Service To Commercial

and Industrial Customers5. IoT And AI: Improving Customer Satisfaction6. Flutura raises US$7.5M Series A to provide industrial IoT to engineering, energy

firms7. IoT Tech Expo: Convergence of Tech, Business Model Innovation, Collaboration

and Smart Cities8. Sigfox to Transform Global Asset Tracking with Spot’it, a Low Cost GPS-free

Geolocation Service

Why IoT is key to industrial energyefficiencySource URL: http://www.iothub.com.au/news/why-iot-is-key-to-industrial-energy-efficiency-451263

Moving to a predictive operational model.As the world’s expendable energy resources deplete and the industrial sector is beingasked to deliver more to a growing population, energy efficiency has taken centre stage toensure the longevity of these energy resources, and according to one industry executive,the Internet of Things can play a crucial role.

“IoT is so important now, because although we’ve had some of its underlyingtechnologies for a long time, we haven’t really had the investment or the acceptance inthe industrial space to invest those technologies,” said Schneider Electric’s director of

process automation offer and business development for the Pacific region, Brad Yager.

He told IoT Hub that industrial companies were previously happy to perform their tasks“the old way”, but with society being more comfortable with ubiquitous connectivity intheir personal lives and the benefits it provides, industry is now more receptive toincorporating greater connectivity within their operations, in particular with respect toenergy usage and efficiency.

“People are now used to the concept of real-time information and how it derives benefitsin their own lives, and are now questioning why they can’t have a similar capability atwork,” he added.

“Energy is one of the biggest expenses of many industrial businesses, and the fact thatincreased connectivity can deliver benefits to that is not a desire anymore, it’s a necessity.

“With IoT, we can now integrate much more into just industrial process, and provideconnectivity both out of a business and coming back in to other peripheral systems suchas ERPs or CRMs.”

From visibility to action

Yager said that the shift from devices and systems that simply provide visibility to thosethat can derive and initiate actions has been the greatest influence in making IoT-drivenenergy efficiency for industrial businesses a viable option.

“The systems we have now allow for the data to come up and the actions to be fed backdown,” he said.

“The real benefit comes from moving from a reactive to a predictive operational model,and then ensuring that your architecture facilitates the ability to take action.

“One of the big trends there is in the openness of the architecture enabling it to interactwith different layers of the operation, and also in things like augmented reality applicationson mobile devices.”

Cost isn’t really a factor

Yager believes that industrial companies hold the mistaken belief that integrating IoT intotheir energy management operations is a costly exercise, for a simple reason.

“IoT doesn’t need to be ‘rip and replace’. You can see some futuristic architecture andthink you’d have to throw everything out and start again, but there are so many productsout there today that are already connectable,” he explained.

“If you bought an industrial controller from Schneider at any stage over the last twentyyears, for example, it can provide a high level of connectivity and enable an IoT benefittoday; you might just need to do a little bit of configuration.

“So the actual incremental cost can be very low to derive benefit. The big picture where abusiness might want to get to might be a long journey, but you can get some immediatebenefit just by simply bothering to connect that device and starting to action what yousee.”

[…]

How Technology Influences the Future ofEnergy ManagementSource URL: http://tech.co/technology-future-energy-management-2017-02By 2018,70 percent of utilities are predicted to launch major digital transformations inresponse to the challenges faced in their current business model. For utilities, vendors,and regulators, the challenge is not just to examine and optimize existing processes, butalso finding entirely new ways of conducting business in a digital grid across a vastnumber of areas and functions.

In 2015, the International Energy Agency said the U.S. would need to spend $2.1 trillionby 2035 on grid technologies and infrastructure to prepare for higher penetrations ofrenewables. For the most part, utilities are responding. The inner workings of utilityagencies may be an enigma for consumers, but many experts predict increasedtransparency.

“As distributed energy resources and consumer-driven investments continueto grow, enhanced grid transparency and the ease of access to distributionsystem information are both key to unlocking the full range of benefits ofthese resources,” said Sara Baldwin Auck, the Director of the IRECRegulatory Program.

Utility as a PlatformTo survive the digital age, utilities are realizing they must market themselves to consumersas something more than just a utility company. From mobile apps to gamification, manyutilities are partnering with third party vendors to help users track and control usage, paybills, report outages, and receive notifications.

“If utility companies can figure out how to become trusted energy advisorsand a convenient energy resource, they can increase their validity in themarket while helping customers better manage their consumption,” saysYoav Lurie, founder and CEO of Simple Energy, a utility as a platformcompany that aims to empower people to save energy.

Lurie believes the utility as a platform model is the way of the future for utilities looking toevolve. Utility as a platform uses behavioral science,big data analytics, and digitalmarketing techniques to change how people save energy and how utilities engagecustomers.

“Different utilities have different reasons for their energy efficiency anddemand response programs, from mandates to avoided capacity costs, butperhaps the biggest draw of the platform is how it changes the customerrelationship,” explains Lurie.

Utility Scale and Rooftop SolarConsumers are increasingly demanding access to clean energy. According to WindMade,one-quarter of the people in their global wind survey say they have the option of utilizingrenewable sources. In addition, 48 percent of respondents would like utilities to supplyrenewable options to them and 49 percent are willing to pay extra for that service.

One region facing a renewable energy conundrum is one of the last places many wouldconsider: Las Vegas. Yet in recent months, three of Nevada’s largest casinos – MGMResorts, Las Vegas Sands, and Wynn – have announced plans to buy and produce morerenewable energy.

“It is the perfect place to educate the public about renewables and thebenefits they provide,” said Cindy Ortega, MGM Resort’s SVP andSustainability Chief. “Las Vegas has 40 million visitors every year, so whatbetter place to start telling this story?”

However, it’s not without debate. We can expect to see the battle between casinos andNV Energy to continue if major consumers go off the grid because that results in adramatic increase in residential utility bills. Businesses are looking to go off the gridbecause they can procure renewable energy on the open market. “It’s also good forbusiness,” says Ortega, implying that resorts attract more consumers if they can boastenergy efficiency.

Meeting Consumer DemandsFrom mandates to avoided capacity costs, utilities have different reasons for their energyefficiency and demand response programs. But perhaps the biggest draw of the platformis how it changes the customer relationship.

Whileelectric utilitiesstill hold the prized customer relationship, they face growingdisruption from a number of energy service providers, such as third party-owned rooftopsolar leasing. Changing the utility-customer relationship on their own terms is crucial forutilities as electricity starts to emerge from behind the meter.

Thus, modernizing the grid means more thaninstallingnew lines, but creating a multi-faceted grid that is forward thinking and consumer-driven.

“Consumers are at the epicenter of today’s energy policy conversations, andthe energy choices we all make today are informing the investments,infrastructure plans, business models, and policy decisions of tomorrow,”said Auck.

Disruption at the Edge: IoT TransformingEnergy Grids

Source URL: http://blogs.intel.com/iot/2017/02/14/disruption-edge-iot-transforming-energy-grids/Digital disruption is here to stay. Much like the electronic revolution that led to PCs,mobile phones and smart devices, energy grids are on the verge of a major change.Consider the network of power plants, utilities and power lines comprising energy grids,for a moment. What you effectively have is the largest machine in the world — one that iscapable of delivering large amounts of data leading to transformational changes in theindustry and our daily lives.

That realization is why I was so excited by the innovations on display atDistribuTECH, thelargest annual electric power transmission and energy distribution conference andexhibition, where we showcased the solutions below. Read on to see how Internet ofThings (IoT) enables a more intelligent, reliable, and safe and secure grid while alsolowering costs for utilities, smart cities and other grid stakeholders. The future of energydoes indeed look bright.

Increasing Worker Mobility andCollaboration

Connected wearable technologies are minimizing the non-value-added movement ofpeople by providing relevant and actionable data to workers at the right time to avoidsafety hazards and improve efficiency. Connected worker wearables likeRecon JetProcapture and integrate real-time employee and environmental data that leads toactionable insights. This is ideal for real-time step-by-step maintenance and repairs to amore than 30-years-old deteriorating system.

Bringing Faster, Stronger Analytics toUtilities

As electric utility companies race against time to collect data from the grid, they need tounderstand which data is relevant, what to store, and what to ignore. SAS integratesstreaming data with predictive analytics and visualization to help generate useful insightsand improve decision-making.

Monitoring Across the Grid for EfficientEnergy Distribution

With the increase in variable distributed energy resources (DERs) — people andrenewable energy companies generating and feeding power back into the grid — it’s more

challenging for substations to deliver predictable steady-state voltage and current. Utilitycompanies rely on substation metering of secondary voltage and current transformercircuits to detect performance issues, which can be done with a SystemCORP and Intel-developed IEC 61850-compliant merging unit solution.

Improving Situational Awareness andPredictive Maintenance

IoT enables some of the most advanced technologies that provide situational awarenessof grid performance.Spirae, a leading provider of DERMS and Microgrid control, offersinnovative tools for integrating and actively managing DERs in terms of power, energyflow and ancillary services, maximizing their value to the grid and other parties. NationalInstruments delivers monitoring and predictive maintenance solutions for pumps andgeneration transformers that reduce risk and cost.

Accelerating Grid Solutions byConnecting Assets

IoT gateways are available to help accelerate the delivery of solutions in the energyindustry, particularly with respect to smart grid distribution management systems.Examples include devices from AAEON, Advantech, Dell and NEXCOM. A smart andconnected grid using IoT solutions could increase reliability and reduce power outagesthanks to smart meters located at DERs and sensors embedded into transmission lines.

Pursuing New Lines of Business ThroughIoT Technology PartnershipsWith the help of IoT technologies, utilities can more easily participate in new marketsegments. One example is the offering from Alarm.com that integrates all mission criticalsystems in the home into a single service. Another opportunity is to create smart buildingmanagement solutions for small and mid-size buildings using the Intel BuildingManagement Platform integrated with CANDI PowerTools.

This is a tremendously exciting time when we have an opportunity for transformationalimprovements to our current grid-control paradigm. In order to meet our planet’s growingenergy needs, utilities require a fundamental change in how to control an ever morecomplex system. We look forward to continuing to work together to help the energyindustry navigate the new technologies and diverse market sectors on the road ahead.

[…]

Arkados Partners with SparkFund toOffer Lighting-as-a-Service ToCommercial and Industrial CustomersSource URL: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/arkados-partners-sparkfund-offer-lighting-135944368.htmlNEWARK, N.J., Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arkados Group, Inc. (AKDS), aleading software developer and system integrator enabling Internet of Things (IoT)applications, announced today that it has partnered with SparkFund to offer commercialand industrial facilities managers and owners a unique subscription model for energyconservation services. Through the As-A-Service model, the large capital expenditureassociated with energy conservation measures, such as an LED lighting retrofit, isconverted into a no-money-down subscription service. The benefits of this model includea reduction in upfront costs, a reduction in operations and maintenance costs andprotection from obsolete materials. Additionally, the ArkticTM Energy Measurement andVerification (EM&V) platform by Arkados is embedded with this subscription model toprovide verification of energy savings with granular, real-time data gathering and provideinsights into additional ways to reduce energy consumption.

The introduction of the As-A-Service model is unique in that it revolutionizes howcustomers pay for energy conservation by eliminating the upfront cost associated withthese activities, provides for a single monthly payment that covers installation, repairs,monitoring and ongoing service. Within this model, the ArkticTM EM&V platform offerscustomers a state-of-the-art, advanced Internet of Things platform that leverages datagathering and analytics to further reduce energy consumption. When combined,customers enjoy reduced energy consumption and maintenance costs of as much as60%, as well as facility improvements from new and improved lighting, HVAC and othercritical systems and advanced building automation.

The Arktic™ EM&V is designed to enable the implementation of multiple types of sensors,such as temperature, humidity, light, energy and water consumption, motion andoccupancy, indoor air quality and noise, that can gather information throughout a buildingor complex. The application can provide for initial benchmarking to determine the uniquebuilding signature and be used for continuous monitoring to yield insights that may nototherwise be evident. The benefits of the Arktic™ EM&V, which is based on the principalsof the International Performance M&V Protocol, are energy cost reduction, improvementsin environmental conditions, increased sustainability, lowered operational andmaintenance costs and an extended useful life of lighting, HVAC and other systems.

Terrence DeFranco, Chief Executive Officer of Arkados Group, Inc., commented, “We areexcited about the partnership with SparkFund and believe that they are trulyrevolutionizing the entire energy efficiency industry with their unique Energy Efficiency As-A-Service model. In nearly every case, customers can experience all of the benefits ofthese efficiency improvements and automation with no upfront costs and use the savingsto offset the entire subscription fee and still net a cost reduction. The revolutionary

aspect of this partnership for Arkados is our ability to continue delivering new applicationsover time to our customers with this model, giving them flexibility, scalability andprotection from obsolescence as their needs evolve. These benefits will give Arkados agreat competitive advantage in the market and will help to drive improved financial resultsthrough the recurring revenue aspect of this model.”

“As-A-Service offers businesses an easy solution to access smart, connected systemswithout the risk or hassleofownership," said Pier LaFarge, SparkFund CEO and co-founder. "We're pleased to partner with the Arkados team and support them in bringingcommercial and industrial customers greater access to cutting-edge IoT devices.”

In aNovember 2015 press release, Gartner estimates that theInternet of Thingswill consistof 20.8 billion connected objects in use by 2020, up from 6.4 billion in 2016 and thatenterprise customers represent the largest spending on these devices. Another morerecent Gartner reportestimatesIoT deployment in commercial buildings is on track toreach just over 1 billion in 2018.

According to Goldman Sachs report from September, 2014, there are currently 12 billiondevices connected to the Internet of Things and the amount can surge to 28 billion by2020, largely driven by advances in cellular connectivity.

[…]

IoT And AI: Improving CustomerSatisfactionSource URL: http://www.forbes.com/sites/danielnewman/2017/02/14/iot-and-ai-improving-customer-satisfaction/True—the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) hold huge promise inhelping us better engage and satisfy our customers. But that promise still depends heavilyon our ability to process and act on the data we’re gathering in a way that is meaningfuland positive for our customer base. Research shows that within a few years,89% ofbusinesses will compete primarily on customer experience. Luckily, in the age of digitaltransformation, today’s start-ups have a whole new world of tools to help them create andmaintain the types of relationships their customers so badly want, and in record time.Below, I offer a few tips on incorporating effective, meaningful IoT, and AI intoyour overallbusiness strategy.

Welcome The Magic Of Big Data

Customer satisfaction gives a unifying purpose to your data. What’s more, companies nolonger have an excuse for their customers to be dissatisfied. As one writer put it, the daysof guessing about customer satisfaction are officially over. Big Data is like modern-dayDarwinism: companies can phase out ineffective product features, marketing campaigns,instructions—and even entire products—often, in real time. Your choice of eitherembracing or ignoring Big Data as part of your customer service strategy could mean thedifference between your company becoming the next Netflix—or the next Blockbuster.Even better, data allows your employees to put less energy into hunting for information,

and more time brainstorming on how to use it. The question is no longer, “Is thisworking?” Instead, it’s, “How can we make it work even better?”

Focus On Thoughtful Automation

If you’re overwhelmed by the amount of data available right now, you’re not alone. But thetruth is: Big Data is only getting bigger. As such, automation will—and must—play a hugerole in your customer service strategy. When used correctly, it will help you sort, process,and make sense of the massive amounts of data your customers are providing so you canrespond at the same pace they are moving—fast. Indeed, in today’s digital world,customers want help and answersnow. And the only way to be there now is to useautomation.

For those of you who haven’t quite cozied up to the idea of machine learning, chatbots,and artificial intelligence, rest assured: you can trust the results. Today’s technology isworking with startling accuracy—and isgetting better every day. Facebook’s DeepFacetechnology is now 97% accurate. IBM says its Watson technology is 2,400% “smarter”than it was six years ago. The emotional intelligence of today’s chatbots and voiceresponders is freakishly human. Seriously: It’s time to build a relationship of trust withyour tech.

Get Personal

Researchshows that within five years, consumers will manage 85% of relationships withan enterprise without interacting with a human. (Don’t mention that to your customerservice team.) Ironically, the “personalization” many customers so badly desire is beingmade possible by massive automation and Big Data. This is more than just personalizingyour drip campaigns and landing pages. This means proactively providing the informationyour customers want before they ask for it; answering questions before they ask them;knowing they’re unhappy—and fixing it—before they run to your competitor’s arms.

Understand Great Power Comes With Great Responsibility

For your IoT and AI efforts to be successful, you need to understand that theresponsibility to actually use the data you find rests entirely on you—not your customer.As companies around the world become increasingly responsive and complex, so do yourcustomers’ expectations. And your company needs to be prepared to fulfill them. Thatmeans your front-line service employees need to be well-versed not just in your products,but in any range of others your customers are using, from home automation systems tosoftware, apps, and customer service dashboards from a variety of industries—not justyour own.

Know That Relationship Is Still No. 1

While a company’s interaction used to be limited to point of sale—at least in the retailworld—now, the point of sale is just the beginning. That’s huge! By incorporatingemotional intelligence into chatbots and voice responders, we can help nurture and growthose relationships, without sacrificing the productivity of our human workforce. Andthose relationships do matter. Healthcare giant Humana found that as emotionalconnectivity scores improved, so did customer overall satisfaction. At the end of the day,relationships are still what our clients and buyers are starving for, and IoT and AI can helpus feed them.

Still, our customers are not the only ones who will benefit from a strong AI and IoTstrategy. Used correctly, the data you gather will help you create a clearer vision for youremployees, as well. Big Data can help you build a workplace that is organized, efficient,with purposeful, with clear and meaningful goals that can truly inspire your team. Noamount of big data or AI can replace that.

Flutura raises US$7.5M Series A toprovide industrial IoT to engineering,energy firmsSource URL: https://e27.co/flutura-raises-us7-5m-series-provide-industrial-iot-engineering-energy-firms-20170213/

Flutura’s platform Cerebra provides diagnostics andprognostics through machine learning and artificialintelligence to unlock new business value forengineering and energy customersFlutura Decision Sciences and Analytics, an Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT) companybased out of Bangalore, has secured US$7.5 million in Series A round of funding, led byVertex Ventures.

US-based VC firm Lumis Partners, besides existing investor and Big Data-focussed early-stage fund The Hive have also participated.

IIoT incorporates machine learning and Big Data technology, harnessing the sensor data,machine-to-machine (M2M) communication and automation technologies that haveexisted in industrial settings for years. The driving philosophy behind the IIoT is that smartmachines are better than humans at accurately, consistently capturing andcommunicating data.

Founded in 2012, Flutura provides mission critical insights to drive industrial outcomes,based on its capability to interpret machine signals from connected assets and connectedprocesses. The startup is catering to various industries, including oil and gas (to quantifysafety risk to ensure sustainable zero unsafe behaviours and conditions), utilities (toidentify root cause of AT&C losses, grid inefficiency and make it visible at the last mile),smart buildings (for better asset management leading to energy efficient buildings), andheavy industries (for asset optimisation and predictive maintenance to improveperformance and life of assets)..

Its flagship software platform, Cerebra, provides diagnostics and prognostics throughmachine learning and artificial intelligence to unlock new business value for engineeringand energy customers.

Krishnan Raman, CEO and Co-founder, Flutura, said: “We believe that the industrial

sector is at an inflection point where digitalisation is disrupting fundamentalprocess/product design, transforming business models. This investment round for us isnot just about money, but having experienced and strategic global partners like Vertexand Lumis bolster the existing team help us in our core focus industries of energy andengineering.”

With operations in Palo Alto, Houston, Tokyo and Bangalore, Flutura serves companieslike Henkel, Stewart and Stevenson and Sodexo. It has also established partnerships withthe likes of Intel and Hitachi for product and market access support.

Rohit Bhayana, Managing Partner and Co-founder, Lumis Partners, said, “Flutura, in ashort span since founding has accomplished a very mature solution-set for the IndustrialIoT space. The solution relevance is clearly visible, from the global traction it hasgarnered, and the value adding use cases it has powered. Lumis, as a firm focused on theintersect of Operating Technology & Manufacturing, is excited to be associated withFlutura in this fabulous journey.”

Flutura had earlier received a seed fund from The Hive, who is focused on the Big Dataand analytics space.

IoT Tech Expo: Convergence of Tech,Business Model Innovation, Collaborationand Smart CitiesSource URL: https://www.iottechexpo.com/2017/02/global/convergence-tech-business-model-innovation-collaboration-smart-cities/A year has passed since the last IoT Tech Expo in London, and it’s becoming even moreapparent that the Internet of Things (IoT) is growing fast. The sheer scale of this spacebecame immediately clear when stepping into the Olympia venue last week, withinnovation after innovation being showcased wherever you turn, from the exhibitors, tothe panels, to the presentations. There were, however, several big recurring themes thatkept cropping up, including business model innovation, convergence of tech, and smartcities.

Convergence of Technologies

Throughout the two day expo, the convergence of technologies was continuouslymentioned, and not for the first time, as a driver of innovation that’s also enablingtechnologies to reach their full potential. This is particularly clear in the convergence ofartificial intelligence (A.I) and IoT, with a good example being the Amazon Alexa, whichblends hardware, A.I, and voice control to create one of the most innovative products tocome out of the past year.

Max Amordeluso was there from Amazon speaking about the company’s belief that byintegrating artificial intelligence into products, it will then enable voice to become the nextmajor disruption in computing. It makes sense that it’s voice leading the charge, asspeech in the form of Voice User Interface (VUI) is the most natural, and will help enable

technology to become invisible and enter the realms of science fiction, where some of thebest inspiration for the next innovative technologies can come from. When thought aboutunder those terms, it’s not really surprising to learn that the inspiration for Alexa camefrom the Star Trek supercomputer.

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” – Arthur Clarke

Similarly, the next generation of connected cars and mobility panel stressed that we needto utilise A.I to create compelling experiences, and highlighted that by making the systemintelligent, the car itself as a platform can create. Think about this, for example: at themoment, taking a trip and having to find a parking space can be a stressful activity. Butwhat if your car could drop you off wherever you wanted, and then go and find a parkingspace on it’s own, potentially outside of the city? Or alternatively, if your car didn’t requireyou to do anything, how could we create an experience inside the vehicle that wouldenable us to use our time more productively, especially now when people are trying tocram more and more into every minute of the day?

“What valuable company is nobody building?” – Peter Thiel

Wearables is another area of IoT that is continuing to grow, with fitness devices still beingthe most popular wearable, and smartwatches coming in second. However, much of thediscussion around wearables is how there is yet to be a ‘killer app’ that takes the marketand provides the solution people don’t know they’re looking for. Does the answer lie in theconvergence of technology in smart fabrics, A.I, and voice control? Or is it simply thatwithin all areas of IoT, the best answers lie in the technology itself. Perhaps the next greatapp will be developed by a machine, not a person?

Collaboration and Partnerships

Collaborations and partnerships was discussed across the board at the IoT Tech Expo,with most speakers and panels mentioning the importance of collaboration andpartnerships in finding success in IoT projects, from automotives to smart cities.

A notable example in the automotive sector is the collaboration between Amazon andFord, where Ford has integrated the Alexa system to enable voice control as part of theirconnected car offering. However, partnerships are not exclusive to large companies.Start-ups and SME’s can provide a pivotal role in the co-creation of new products andservices, as the most important thing for any collaboration/partnership to work is ensuringpartners have complementary knowledge and skillsets. Think big, start small, and scalefast.

In terms of smart cities, strong partnerships and collaborations can really aid in thedevelopment of new technologies and ideas to deliver innovative solutions. An example ofthis is the Lighthouse Cities (part of Gustaf Landahl’s Grow Smarter project), comprised ofStockholm, Barcelona, and Cologne, who are part of a four year programme to identify,create, test, and roll-out a range of smart cities initiatives. There are already over 12example of live projects underway, including collaborations between industrial giants suchas IBM, but crucially also with smaller start-ups and technologists.

Business Model Innovation

How can you create revenue generating products by connecting dumb things to the

internet?

There’s been a lot of talk around connected devices and whether or not the majorityactually hold any value. Take L’Oreal and Kerastase’s new hairbrush, for example. Is thereany real need for a $200 hairbrush that can listen to your split ends and let you knowyou’re brushing your hair in the wrong way?

The question of being able to connect things to the internet, whilst also creating revenuegeneration products, was one posed to the “Monetisation – unlocking the revenue of IoT”panel. It’s an interesting question, as it leads to innovation that goes beyond the productand into the opportunity that IoT creates around developing new business models. TheInternet of Things is fundamentally about collecting data, and the business opportunitylies in identifying what data actually holds value, who would want that data, andconsequently building a business model around that.

Metromile and Progressive are two current examples of business model innovationalready being used in auto insurance, where they employ a pay-per-mile model enabledby IoT. They are both excellent examples of how IoT can enable us to create value andnew markets that have never existed before, but which benefit both business andconsumer.

On the flip side, during the ‘Using data to enhance sports performance panel’ a newbusiness model idea was touched on, wherein the person using the service may no longerhave to pay in the traditional manner, and instead ‘pay’ by giving away any data collected.An example where this model could potentially work well and benefit all involved is in thefitness world, where a gym goer could give away any biometric and fitness data collectedduring their session in return for use of fitness facilities. It’s a matter of identifying whovalues the data and building a business model around that.

There is a real opportunity here to be truly innovative around business models and unlocktheir hidden value, rather than defaulting to the same old structure that, whilst still workingfor now, has the potential to become quickly outdated as IoT steams ahead. We shouldtake an experimental approach as success in IoT is a journey with plenty of twists andturns (and getting lost along the way), where we can start collecting data, identify thevalue in the data, and act accordingly.

Smart Cities

“A lot of discussion happened around smart cities at the expo itself, with what appearedto be a focus on ‘green’ smart city initiatives.”

Smart cities is a big topic in IoT, with projects like Bristol is Open and MK:Smart in MiltonKeynes leading the way in the UK. A lot of discussion happened around smart cities at theexpo itself, with what appeared to be a focus on ‘green’ smart city initiatives. Our CEOMick Robins’ favourite idea was around the use of gamification to influence energy savingbehaviour amongst tenants in the city’s social housing.

For smart cities to work there is also a need for smart citizens. Karl-Filip Coenegrachts,the Chief Strategy Officer in Ghent, challenged the top-down, big corporate approach toaddressing the opportunities of smart cities, which then leads to platform wars where thecritical role of the citizen is either marginalized or ignored, emphasising the fact that the‘role of government is to join the dots’.

Ghent has instead developed a person centered approach, placing the Smart Citizen atthe heart of it’s Smart City strategy. Central to the strategy is a belief that Open Data andOpen API’s equals Open Government, which includes open citizen reporting, open 3Dmapping of the city (which has a dual purpose in being used for educational games, aswell as town planning), and citizens often show a preference for smart city solutions thatare more Low Tech than High (investment) Tech.

The IoT Tech Expo Global last week in London gave us all a lot to think about, and raisedseveral interesting questions, especially around the growth of IoT and where it’s going tomove in the future. Business model innovation and smart cities are two of the biggesttopics to come out of the conference for us, and we’ll be sharing a lot more of ourthoughts around the two throughout this year. With how fast the entire sector is moving, itwill be intriguing to see what’s changed come the Europe and North American Expo’slater on this year.

Sigfox to Transform Global AssetTracking with Spot’it, a Low Cost GPS-free Geolocation ServiceSource URL: https://iotbusinessnews.com/2017/02/16/47319-sigfox-transform-global-asset-tracking-spotit-low-cost-gps-free-geolocation-service/Sigfox introduces its first big data based service, built upon radio signal strengthanalysis and deep learning techniques.

Unlike traditionalIoT geolocation services, Spot’it does not require any additionalhardware, software or energy, making it the simplest and lowest cost IoT location serviceon the market.

With Spot’it, Sigfox anticipates new service opportunities from global asset-tracking togeo marketing and fraud management services.

Sigfox has announced a new “GPS-free” IoTgeolocation service which provides a highly economicalway of tracking large numbers of assets around theworld.Enabled by Sigfox’s global network, now spanning 31 countries, Spot’it is a new asset-tracking service which enables any existing Sigfox module to become a geolocationdevice, without the need to perform retrofit or hardware or software upgrades.

The key service benefits include:

Lowest-cost IoT location service: Spot’it does not require any additionalhardware or upgrade, and the device does not have to transmit more messages,meaning there is no impact on the solution operating cost for customers.Preserving low energy: Spot’it does not rely on energy intensive GPS technology,nor require additional processing or any more energy than what Sigfox-baseddevices already consume.Enabled through a planetary network: Spot’it is embedded in Sigfox’s globalnetwork footprint and represents the first global IoT geolocation offer. This allowsthe simplification of global supply chain management: once a device is registeredinto the Sigfox Cloud, the geolocation service is available in all territories where thenetwork is present.Unlike traditional GPS-tracking, Spot’it works booth indoor and outdoor.

Spot’it has been specifically designed to unlock tracking capabilities for asset-intensiveindustries in markets such as supply chain and logistics (tracking of pallets, containers,…), agriculture, retail, construction. AsSigfox’s communication modulesare as low as $2and require very little energy consumption with batteries lasting for up to two decades,the service makes it highly economical to track any object.

Traditionally, companies have tracked their assets in transit by either scanning at points ofcontact, or through GPS tracking. However, scanning at points of contact is often proneto error and loss in between touch points. Additionally, aside from the high cost of GPShardware, the energy intensive operation means there is a high maintenance costassociated in continually replacing batteries. As such, GPS tracking is reserved fortracking high value goods and is uneconomical for tracking mass freight or assets.

L. Jay, Sigfox CMO, said:

“Spot’it is not only set to transform the global freight industry, but weanticipate that new services will be developed. Imagine a new service whereshipping companies can be alerted when containers stray into regions thatthey aren’t supposed to be in. From fraud detection to new insurance andgeo-marketing business models, the possibilities are endless.”

Technical box: how Spot’it works?

Sigfox is rolling out the first global IoT network to listen to billions of objects broadcastingdata, without the need to establish and maintain network connections. This unique

approach in the world of wireless connectivity, where there is no signaling overhead, acompact and optimized protocol, and where objects are not attached to the network,drastically reduces energy consumption and costs.

In addition, Sigfox is a software based communications solution, where all the networkand computing complexity is managed in the Cloud, rather than on the devices. Thisenables Sigfox to constantly improve its network capacities, and offer a wide range ofnew services that can be made available to its worldwide fleet of connected devices, bysimple software upgrade.

Spot’it is the first big data based Sigfox service, based on a Cloud intelligence, combiningthe signal strength indicators and deep learning programs. Resulting from two years ofresearch and development, and thanks to the devices meta data available in the SigfoxCloud, this development enables Sigfox to offer a geolocation service that does notrequire any hardware or software upgrades, and has no impact on the energyconsumption.