The world’s second largest coffee shop company has teamed up with Eseye, a UK-based industrial IoT connectivity specialist, to equip its Costa Express coffee machines with real-time data collection and an end-to-end IoT service in order to better monitor the machines.

The coffee machines have been equipped with the Eseye AnyNet Secure multi-IMSI SIM, which connects to any available mobile network instantly, enabling the machines to communicate with backend systems when they are switched on. The SIM is also capable of providing health-monitoring, local time synchronisation, and data route information.

Costa will also make use of Eseye’s AnyNet Active Management service, which offers a multi-network Switching as a Service capability in order to ensure it delivers near 100 per cent connectivity uptime for the machines.

“Eseye’s fully redundant fault-tolerant network provides a managed connectivity service with a global footprint, whilst support for multiple cellular networks in each geographical region enables close to 100 per cent connectivity uptime,” said Paul Borrett, systems & data director at Costa. “This means that we can deploy connected devices and deliver premium quality drinks virtually anywhere in the world. A real advantage as the company is seeking to expand rapidly across international markets.”

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So, how will 5G transform enterprise IoT? Kumulos takes a look along with our friends at Oracle!

5G’s major innovations
Higher connection speed
At peak speed, 5G operates at 10Gbps. That’s 100 times the speed of current 4G networks, which top out at about 100Mbps. To put that into perspective, users will be able to download an entire HD movie in less than 10 seconds. A task that takes several minutes over a 4G connection.

Greater capacity
5G will allow for more high-demand devices to connect over a single network. Until the introduction of 5G, IoT networks couldn’t support such extensive connectivity. The ability to support more connections at a higher speed will help alleviate that strain, meaning more people can transmit data at the same time.

Lower latency
Latency, or ‘lag time’, is the amount of time that passes between when a device is commanded to perform a task and when it actually completes the command. On 4G networks, the average latency speed hovers between 40 and 50 milliseconds. Over 5G, latency speed will be cut down dramatically.

How 5G’s innovations will transform the IoT
Truly connected cities
By 2020, many experts have projected there to be close to 30 billion connected devices globally, with a majority being industrial connections, which are a critical component of smart cities. Experts don’t believe 4G networks have the capacity to manage truly connected cities. 5G networks, however, can support the enormous amount of data smart cities will generate.

Streamlined transportation
Although autonomous vehicles have been a buzzword for several years, these self-driving cars can’t operate efficiently over high-latency connections. They need real-time awareness that’s only attainable over a high-speed, low-latency network. 5G’s innovations could eventually allow for autonomous vehicles to safely interact with each other, traffic infrastructure, and even the roads themselves.

Enabled IoT devices
5G greatly improves what businesses can do with connected devices. This is because of the capabilities of 5G technology to support more simultaneous internet connections, require less energy from wireless radios, enable more IoT video applications, and mitigate problems associated with wireless latency.

According to Dr. Jeff Loucks, executive director at Deloitte’s Centre for Technology, Media, and Telecommunications:

“The promise of IoT has long been touted, but the difficulty of setting up low-latency wireless networks capable of linking sensors and connected devices has typically been a serious barrier to widespread adoption.

“Many of the most promising IoT use cases, such as industrial automation, asset tracking, smart city applications, autonomous vehicles, and remote surgery require ultra-low latency.”

Thus, the potential use cases within the enterprise could be limitless, particularly when it comes to creating cost-effective operational efficiencies and leveraging real-time data to future-proof the business. Currently, many enterprises use large-scale software solutions to track data and forecast trends, whose functionality could be enhanced with access to more enabled IoT devices than ever before.

Widespread connectivity
5G networks will be able to reach previously isolated areas, such as remote regions, rural landscapes, and underground tunnels (i.e., subways). Sensors could be placed in these locations to alert authorities of emergencies and to ensure people are safely connected. With its expansive network capabilities, 5G could also help close the “digital divide” between easily connected urban areas and rural towns.

Better mobile app development
Mobile app developers can use 5G technology to dramatically improve the user experience. For example, this speed afforded by a 5G download means users will experience shorter wait times for app downloads, irrespective of size. This can lead to fewer app-abandonment rates.

Another factor impacting user experience is the clarity of an app’s user interface. With 5G, users will see a marked increase in the quality and clarity of video and graphic in-app content over previous network generations. Just think of the benefits for rich push notifications!

With 5G, mobile app developers can take advantage of better coverage, speed, connectivity, and latency rates to integrate the latest technologies into their apps. Imagine a time when seamlessly incorporating augmented and virtual reality technology is a standard feature for apps. Within a 5G infrastructure, developers, consumers, and business leaders can bring that to fruition.

Developers will be creating superior mobile experiences, which means a focus on app performance will be paramount for apps to compete in a thriving marketplace. Forward-thinking business leaders will leverage digital tools for mobile app performance management in order to retain subscribers, garner in-depth insights into engagement and location metrics, and deploy rapid crash reporting and diagnostics.

As application technology becomes more complex, companies must maintain the necessary tools and infrastructure to drive better business outcomes.

Immense potential of 5G and IoT
The IoT’s potential is immense. With the onset of 5G, the IoT’s promise can finally deliver. The IoT enables enterprise organizations to reach their target consumer at a greater scale, while also optimising their internal processes and improving their bottom line. Business leaders can see the beginnings of this technology at work in connected cities, optimised transportation systems, broader device networks and connectivity, and cutting-edge app development.

5G networks will allow for growth across a wide range of business verticals in the near future, provided business leaders work to invest in the tools and processes needed to manage such a vast number of connected devices. That said, IoT-enabled devices, and the data associated with them, will prove to be a valuable asset for businesses going forward. If you would like to learn more about 5G check out the 5G section of Oracle blog.

Create superior mobile experiences using Kumulos
Kumulos Mobile App Performance Management platform comes with a comprehensive range of services covering the entire life cycle of the app. Its five integrated services include app store optimisation, analytics & reporting, backend hosting, crash reporting & endpoint monitoring and its award winning push notifications service, which received awards from Business of Apps, Mobile App Daily and The Tool.

It provides a management console that delivers comprehensive visibility on how the app is performing technically and commercially. It’s easy to setup and there’s no SDK required.

Start monitoring now by signing up for a free trial or book a demo. And, when you’re up and running with your free trial, make sure you download the free Kumulos Companion App to try out the push notifications for real.

The post 5G is coming: How will it transform enterprise IoT? appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

The speed at which mobile network providers are introducing 5G around the world means coverage is set to reach 45 per cent of the world’s population by 2024. However, this could leap to 65 per cent with spectrum sharing technology enabling 5G deployments on LTE frequency bands.

Among consumers, it’s predicted that North America will have the fastest uptake of 5G subscriptions, with 63 per cent of mobile subscriptions in the region being for 5G in five years’ time. North East Asia will follow with 47 per cent and Europe with 40 per cent.

“5G is definitely taking off and at a rapid pace. This reflects the service providers’ and consumers’ enthusiasm for the technology,” said Fredrik Jejdling, executive vice president and head of networks at Ericsson. “5G will have positive impact on people’s lives and businesses, realising gains beyond the IoT and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. However, the full benefits of 5G can only be reaped with the establishment of a solid ecosystem in which technology, regulatory, security, and industry partners all have a part to play.”

5G will also play a part in the rapidly increasingly amount of mobile data traffic – which grew 82 per cent year-on-year in Q1 2019. By 2024, it is expected to reach 131EB per month, with 35 per cent coming over 5G networks.

The next generation mobile network technology will also help drive cellular internet of things (IoT) connections up from the current 1bn to 4.1bn by the end of 2024.

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IoT connections increased by 70 per cent in 2018 to reach 1.2bn – a figure which is set to grow to 9bn by 2023. In 2018, 63 per cent of the global cellular IoT installed base was accounted for by China.

“China is deploying cellular IoT technology at a monumental scale,” said Tobias Ryberg, principal analyst and author of the report. “According to data from the Chinese mobile operators, the installed base in the country grew by 124 per cent year-on-year to reach 767m at the end of 2018. The country has now surpassed Europe and North America in terms of penetration rate with 54.7 IoT connections per 100 inhabitants.”

Berg Insight points to the Chinese government’s work to actively drive adoption as being the main reason behind the high adoption rates in the country which, like all major economies, has seen an acceptance of cellular IoT application through things like connected cars, fleet management, smart metering, and asset monitoring, alongside the emergence of other applications such as bike sharing.

Though cellular IoT adoption is high in China, it isn’t faring so well from a financial standpoint. The monthly average revenue per user (ARPU) for cellular IoT connectivity is just £0.19 in China, compared to £0.60 n Europe. Overall, global revenues from cellular IoT connectivity services increased 19 per cent in 2018 to reach £5.72bn, with the 10 largest players sharing around 80 per cent of that.

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The aim is to simplify the process of implementing IoT technology within vehicles and deliver safety, security, and entertainment solutions.

“This alliance with Vodafone Business is a natural extension of our existing relationship,” said Chris Penrose, president of Internet of Things solutions at AT&T. “We each have rich experience in connected vehicle technology. By working together, we can innovate faster and help our global customers bring connectivity, entertainment and telematics to more vehicles across our respective footprints.”

In particular, the duo will focus on 5G and autonomous vehicle technology, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) capabilities, in-vehicle entertainment, connected car applications and services, global service quality models, and connected car/smart cities intersection. At the same time, they will look to simplify the deployment process, improve operations, and make the network certification process easier.

“Our work with AT&T will benefit automotive manufacturers and their customers around the world as we simplify processes and provide a consistent experience to accelerate IoT adoption in this fast-moving market,” said Stefano Gastaut, IoT director at Vodafone Business. “As technology complexity increases, this is the right time to make technology adoption easier for the automotive industry to help them achieve their business outcomes. This is the goal of this alliance.”

In addition to teaming up with AT&T, Vodafone also penned an agreement with SoftBank-owned computer processing company Arm. The aim of that tie-up is to reduce the complexity and costs faced by organisations when implementing IoT solutions.

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According to an EY survey of 200 UK businesses, 40 per cent are concerned about 5G and its openness to cyberattacks with 37 per cent cautious over the security of IoT connectivity. Meanwhile, businesses are fearful that, despite 5G investment set to catch-up with IoT spend over the next two years, 5G isn’t quite yet ready. A little of 33 per cent of respondents said that 5G is too immature, while 32 per cent believes it lacks relevance to overall technology and business strategy.

“It’s not surprising that businesses are most concerned with the threat of cyberattacks. The introduction of 5G will help organisations unlock new growth opportunities, but this transition comes at a time when fears regarding data breaches and network security are especially pronounced,” said Adrian Baschnonga, global lead telecommunications analyst at EY.

“Our survey also shows that 5G has an image problem. The challenge for technology and service providers is to position 5G as much more than just a faster mobile connection, but instead a driver of strategic change and a critical enabler for a variety of new services.”

Despite business concerns, 50 per cent of them plan on investing in 5G technology over the next two years, while an initial nine per cent are already investing. On the other hand, 27 per cent of businesses surveyed have already adopted IoT technology with 33 per cent planning to invest over the next two years.

The general feeling is that suppliers need to do more to maximise the potential of 5G and IoT – 67 per cent saying that suppliers need to articulate a more coherent vision for both technologies. Furthermore, 31 per cent view best-in-class industry expertise as a factor informing their supplier strategy over the next two years, while 70 per cent of enterprises state they will prioritise companies that can deliver business outcomes as partners ahead of pure cost or technology benefits.

The post Vulnerabilities of 5G and IoT are a worry to businesses – report appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.3 per cent, annual shipments are expected to reach 9.9m in 2023. The installed base of wireless IoT devices in industrial automation reached 21.3m in 2018.

While wired networking solutions are still predominantly used for industrial communications between sensors, controllers and systems, wireless solutions have gained a strong foothold in a number of applications. Wireless solutions are used for wire replacement in parts of the plant that are hard to reach or uneconomical to connect through wired installations.

In factory automation, wireless solutions are widely used to control cranes and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in material handling applications. In process automation, wireless technologies are increasingly used to connect instruments, enabling plant operators to monitor and optimise processes in hazardous areas, while also ensuring worker safety.

Major providers of wired industrial network equipment also offer wireless solutions to enable customers to monitor and control devices wirelessly in parts of the plant that are normally not connected to the control room due to accessibility or wiring costs. These include Siemens, Cisco, Belden, Moxa and Phoenix Contact, which all offer comprehensive portfolios of industrial wireless devices such as routers, gateways and wireless access points along their wired solutions. Industrial wireless solutions are also offered by many mid and small-sized companies, which often specialise in specific product categories.

“Robust connectivity is critical to support industrial IoT use cases surrounding predictive maintenance and digital twins”, said Fredrik Stålbrand, IoT analyst at Berg Insight. He adds that, while reliability and security remain a challenge, wi-fi has emerged as the most widely-used wireless technology in industrial environments largely due to the wide availability of compatible hardware. There is also a growing trend among large industrial companies to deploy private 4G LTE networks instead of using wi-fi or wired solutions. “The introduction of 5G cellular technologies broadens the addressable market for wireless communications even furtherm as it allows for deployments in situations where requirements related to bandwidth, latency and capacity cannot be fulfilled today,” Stålbrand concludes.

There’s more information about the report here.

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The V-SOS Band by Vodafone enables consumers with mobility issues to continue living independently and get assistance in an emergency situation, using a built-in ‘V-Sim by Vodafone’ to send messages to up to four designated contacts. The device’s features include an SOS alert, fall detection, GPS location tracking, inactivity alert and care co-ordination, enabling contacts to call or message from within the V-SOS band to determine who will attend an emergency, and to highlight when it’s resolved.

The V-Kids Watch by Vodafone is a smartwatch designed for children that is connected to Vodafone’s mobile network, enabling parents to stay in contact with their child when they start to give them more independence. The device includes voice and emoji messaging to up to five designated contacts, an SOS alert, reminders and a number of pre-installed games.

An accompanying app enables parents to monitor their child’s location, establish safe zones like their home and their school, with alerts if they leave that area, and disable games and messaging at times when the child should be distraction-free.

“Our growing range of V for Vodafone products and services are enabling our customers to stay connected to everyone and everything that matters to them anytime and anywhere,” said Serpil Timuray, chief commercial and strategy officer for Vodafone Group. “The V-SOS Band by Vodafone and V-Kids Watch by Vodafone will enable consumers to enjoy greater independence while keeping them safe and secure by being in contact with their families when needed.”

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The adoption of voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant will be a key factor behind the growth of the smart home, with the introduction of routines from both Amazon and Google meaning that voice assistants will become the most convenient way to combine desired actions in a smart home, creating a more cohesive user experience and driving adoption of the technology.

According to Junipers analysis, Amazons loss-leading strategy, with hardware products tied to a comprehensive product and service ecosystem, has established a strong lead for the retailer in the smart home sector, with Juniper predicting that Google will remain a distant second in the space.

While Googles AI prowess, demonstrated by its recent advances showcased at this years Google I/O conference, is undoubtedly strong, it has a comparatively poor ecosystem, with Alexas monetised Skills creating an incentive for third-party vendors to take an Amazon-first approach.

“Current AI capabilities couple with routines means that Googles greater AI investment will not displace Amazons lead,” said Nick Maynard, author of the research. “To compete effectively, Google must enhance the quality of its ecosystem.”

The research, titled “Smart Homes: Vendor Analysis, Impact Assessments & Stategic Opportunities 2018-2023“, also forecasts that connected appliances will have greater integration with voice assistants over the course of the next five years, with shipments of connected appliances set to increase by 80 per cent year-on-year until 2023.

The growth will be further helped by dramatic falls in the average cost of connected appliances, set to fall by 52 per cent between 2018 and 2023.

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The two have signed a master services agreement for a global cellular connectivity solution that will cover Jaguar Land Rovers connected car passenger applications, with the first vehicles equipped with Transatels technology expected to be available to the market at the end of June.

A data plan for Jaguar Land Rover models will be available in the UK, Italy and Germany, with extensions with a selection of local and European plans available for selected lines. Transatel will provide the service, managing customer and retailer relations as well as providing support and ensuring the payment process for data bundles.

“Were excited to be launching our second European connected car project with such a prestigious and renowned company as Jaguar Land Rover, this time not for telematics, but for passenger applications,” said Philippe Vigneau, vice president of business development at Transatel. “Weve been evangelising the market for more than a year now, explaining to car OEMs worldwide how to avoid major lock-in risks and answering their concerns about security, among others. It seems the superiority of our platform and business model has now become apparent to some major players of the automotive industry.”

Transatels in-car infotainment offerings include internet browsing and navigation, and clients are able to seamlessly manage their accounts via the Selfcare application, accessible with any device using the cars wi-fi. Transatel also handles machine-to-machine connectivity within the EU for the FCA Group, covering brands like Fiat, Chrysler and Jeep, as well as powering the on-board wi-fi for aeroplane manufacturer Airbus.

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