The Intelligent Edge: Navigating the Transformative IIoT Landscape with Renee Garcia (Part 2)
The Intelligent Edge blog series continues with its eighth installment, bringing bring back Product Line Manager, Renee Garcia. In our previous blog, Renee spoke with us regarding the adaptation and transformation within the industry and how she’s experienced it throughout her career. In this installment, our conversation carries on as Renee provides additional insight on the benefits of edge computing versus solely the cloud, the impact of IIoT and FreeWave on the industry and the advice she’d give her younger self. FreeWave: As discussed last time, there’s a lot of digital transformation contributing to the IIoT. How has networking evolved to significantly impact the industry? Renee Garcia: It’s safe to say the cloud isn’t fast enough for crucial IIoT data to be transmitted efficiently. There’s a delay; it inherently has points in which things can break down. The issue with the cloud is its day-to-day latency. It’s always a tradeoff between the balance of power and data frequency. By the time a company gets their crucial data that may, for example, present an anomaly, the alarm to signal it may be delayed due to transmission frequency or system latency. Our model is to bring process awareness to customers as quickly as possible using edge computing instead of solely relying on the cloud. FreeWave: Where specifically does edge computing fit into this? Renee: We believe if you have mission-critical infrastructure, you have to have redundancy. There is always the potential for failure if you use just one method – like the cloud – for transmitting data. That’s why the edge is exciting – it allows access to data in real time, at the local level. The benefit of being able to do analytics locally has a significant impact because you can make changes quickly and prevent dangerous events from occurring. FreeWave: What’s been the most rewarding experience of working in the industry so far? What has been most beneficial to the industry? Renee: I’ve enjoyed talking to customers and listening to their stories about where they’re thinking of applying our technology. I like to think of FreeWave as a technology enabler; it’s enlightening from the perspective of creating a roadmap for their business. Listening to customers talk about what we offer, what we could offer and what they want to achieve can get philosophical at times. For example, I was in a discussion with an OEM looking at bringing edge computing to agriculture. The conversation ventured into population growth and the pressures on the world’s food production system. Will this evolve into something cool for the world? Probably. This is just one example of conversations that are exciting to me. We provide the platform for these conversations to evolve and grow into something real. FreeWave: After working in the industry and knowing what you do now, what advice would you give your younger self? Renee: My career has been more organic than I originally planned; I expected it to be more structured. My advice to my younger self would be to keep your eyes open, look for opportunities, consider new technologies and analyze the impact they’ll have on your life. There’s no need to worry about following a prescribed path. Learn what excites and motivates you and let that guide you to your future. Know that everyone is different; very inherent to personality and individual, remember to look internally. _________________________________ Enjoy learning about what our line of talented experts have to say? Stay tuned for the next Intelligent Edge conversation! In the meantime, catch up on all the blogs in our series here.
The Intelligent Edge: Navigating the Transformative IIoT Landscape with Renee Garcia (Part 1)
Today’s world is undergoing rapid digital transformation, from the technologies that shape it, business practices and strategies shifting in response and the workforce adapting to stay up-to-date. It’s nearly impossible to predict what’s next for the IoT and IIoT industries. It’s up to the businesses shaping the landscape to know how and when to adapt through innovative technologies and processes. It’s also up to individuals in the field to recognize the value of developing diverse skill sets. For the seventh blog in our series “The Intelligent Edge,” we sat down with Product Line Manager Renee Garcia to discuss her expertise with this adaptation and transformation, all of which she’s experienced through her roles in industry and academia. FreeWave: Tell us a little about your background. How did you end up doing what you do today? Renee Garcia: I started out as a mechanical engineer working in medical designs and diagnostics and learned what it took to develop and deploy products in regulated environments. I was really in the weeds addressing technical problems, but quickly realized I wanted a role with a broader impact on the world – one that I could directly participate in. So, I went back to school full time and got my MBA, concentrating on product management. My first job following that was down the road in Loveland with a water sensor manufacturer. After 10 years, I decided to try something a little bit different, so I joined the University of Colorado Boulder’s Office of Industry Collaboration, where I focused on connecting technology and biotech businesses with the school. I eventually decided I missed industry and being involved in product development. I’ve been with FreeWave since last August. FreeWave: Across your past roles, what’s been one of the most interesting changes you’ve seen in the IoT industry? Renee: At that water sensor manufacturer, I supported a wastewater flow meter that was deployed into collection systems. Wireless IoT technologies were adopted early in this space to consolidate data across the wastewater system. During my five years supporting that product, I saw the IoT revolution make a large impact on capabilities that were brought to the market due to the increased prevalence of cellular communications and cloud-based software. It was fantastic from a product development standpoint to be a part of this transition showing how technology is impacting the IoT. FreeWave: What about your time at CU Boulder? What drew you to the collaboration between universities and businesses? Renee: CU Boulder had formed a new office to better bridge industry and the university. They were looking for program managers with product development experience who could speak both languages. I was very interested in helping fulfill that mission and to improve the industry-university relationship. It’s a two-way relationship; you have masters and PhD-level experts from the school and specialists from a company like FreeWave that can teach each other something new. FreeWave: How exactly can that benefit each party? Renee: Future engineers need to think outside their discipline and not follow some kind of prescribed path. Having students work with businesses grounds a lot of the theoretical classes they take and prepares them for real-world applications. So, when it comes time for them to graduate, students have already developed different skill sets and are familiar with how the industry works. From the business perspective, it’s all about having students interact with a company’s technology. It’s great to see excitement and validation around it, like we saw with our hardware during our time at CU Boulder’s hackathon, HackCU. We received wonderful, instant feedback from this new generation of developers, scientists and engineers. Think of it this way – a beta test typically takes a month at minimum. Feedback during HackCU took only 24 hours. _____ Interested in more insights from Renee? Stay tuned for our continued conversation in the next Intelligent Edge blog!
9 Critical Reasons to add Wireless Thief Hatch Management
A thief hatch is a closeable lid at the top of a low-pressure holding tank for hydrocarbons such as oil or condensate, or water. It allows access for measurement, however, if left open it can allow hydrocarbon vapors to escape into the atmosphere as fugitive emissions. Hydrocarbon tanks are almost always Class 1 Div 1 hazardous locations. If your thief hatch pops open from overpressure conditions, or if an operator accidentally leaves it open, you could be in violation of strict air pollution compliance rules on fugitive emissions. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Regulation 7, Section XII, “Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Oil and Gas Operations”, requires facilities to control venting of natural gas from many oil and gas emission sources. The CDPHE has determined that improperly secured thief hatches, visible emissions from a flare, and audible emissions from a thief hatch or pressure relief device (PRV) are violations of Regulation No. 7. Many of the 23 oil producing states (including Ohio, Utah, Wyoming) are looking at the CDPHE rulebook as a possible blueprint for their state rules. The minimum fine by CDPHE for an open thief hatch, visible emissions from a flare or audible emissions from a thief hatch or PRV is $15,000/day. The duration of each fugitive emission violation is assumed to be at least one day unless evidence gathered by the CDPHE and/or provided by the source proves otherwise. The USEPA’s new regulations affecting methane (CH4) and VOC emissions from the oil and gas sector became effective August 3, 2016. Updates to NSPS OOOO list storage thief hatches as one of the fugitive emission leak components that will be periodically checked for leaks using optical gas imaging (OGI). Thief hatches are usually easy to see and make easy pickings for regulatory compliance inspectors. Inspectors will often check thief hatches first, and use them as indicators of other violations for a site. Open thief hatch detection is a powerful tool to minimize fugitive emissions. Most solutions on the market to detect an open thief hatch are wired and expensive to install and integrate into an existing SCADA system. FreeWave delivers an inexpensive and easy to deploy Class 1 Div 1 wireless solution for Thief Hatch Monitoring with the WC30i-AXIS Angle Sensor. FreeWave’s new WC30i-AXIS Wireless Angle Sensor is a solid-state inclinometer that measures the opening angle of a Thief Hatch and reports as closed, cracked or open. It links wirelessly to the WC45i Gateway, which communicates to the PLC or SCADA system with Modbus communication protocol. Together with the WC45i Gateway, the WAVECONTACT system is easily and quickly deployed to implement industrial automation where wired installations are cost prohibitive. The WAVECONTACT System has been designed for deployment in Class 1 Div 1 locations. Contact Sales to Learn More
The Intelligent Edge: Bringing Transparency to the Factory with Lee Jaderborg (Part 2)
We’re back with our sixth installment of The Intelligent Edge, continuing our conversation with manufacturing engineering manager and quality manager, Lee Jaderborg. Didn’t get a chance to read Part 1? Catch up here! In our previous post, we connected with Lee to discuss his work on the ZumIQ application environment and the purpose of intelligent monitoring. In Part 2, he continues the ZumIQ conversation on its applications, and noting what’s next for FreeWave and the IIoT industry. FreeWave: You previously told us about how ZumIQ can help capture data and translate it visually. Why is this important? Lee Jaderborg: This gives a view of the manufacturing floor you can’t get by looking down the production line. It determines the collective state and efficiency of each part in the system. We’ve been trying this out on a few of our SMT, or pick-and-place, machines. We looked at the historical data on the machines’ part usage to see what parts and reels could be adjusted or replaced for increased efficiency and production capacity. We had perceptions, but didn’t have any data points for how much change this would result in. And it’s difficult to act on a perception because you don’t know how accurate you are. We realized by taking an in-depth look at the data output throughout the day, the machines weren’t running to their full potential. By changing the way SMTs operated, we saw a 10% increase in initial capacity, but without the data we wouldn’t have reached the benefits. FreeWave: What’s the “perfect storm” situation in which ZumIQ’s capabilities could be utilized fully? Lee: It could apply to any place where things go wrong and have a severe impact on people. Nuclear power plants, wastewater treatment plants and the water supply coming out of that, oil and gas refineries. Especially for oil and gas, you need sensors to detect leaks. You see disasters caused by natural gas and find out there was no sensor to detect a methane leak. Companies need to introduce networks of sensors that can relay data to an app environment like ZumIQ to monitor and track things like leak pressures, so in case something goes wrong, it can send out alerts and auto shutdown systems before anything bad happens. FreeWave: What excites you about the future of FreeWave Lee: There’s a lot of opportunity and paths we can take with our new products we’re developing. We have a lot of work ahead of us, especially as we look to upgrade our networks and existing technology to adapt to the future of IIoT. It’s exciting because we’ll be working on our newest innovations alongside our legacy products and seeing where gaps may exist. That’s the biggest puzzle to solve – we’re dealing with technology with new capabilities and parts, like radio-frequency identification on chips, compared to older technology which in some instances required tuning to get the correct signal. FreeWave: What about the Industrial Internet of Things as a whole? Lee: I think the promise of sensors and the data they transmit is exciting. If you think about it, there’s a piece of equipment in every place in the world – highways, oil and gas, utilities, etc. – that’s measuring something. A lot of major companies are starting to head in the direction of wanting to get data sooner than later to be analyzed and acted upon. Increasingly bringing intelligence to the edge of the network lets you decide and modify in real time; it lets you make important decisions. FreeWave: Any final words of wisdom? Lee: Our operations director likes to say, “Just because something’s the way it is doesn’t mean that’s the way it should be”. I think that can be highly applied not only in business and technology, but also in one’s personal life. You have to continue learning and innovating or else you’ll fall behind. ______ Interested in what our other experts have to say? Read the first, second, third and fourth installments of The Intelligent Edge. We’ll be back later this month with more insights and interviews with our team!
The Intelligent Edge: Bringing Transparency to the Factory with Lee Jaderborg (Part 1)
“Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort” – John Ruskin. This rings true in the world of IIoT. For Lee Jaderborg, who wears several hats at FreeWave, from engineering, to quality management and process development, the concept of intelligence-driven quality is what inspired him to learn everything he’s accomplished in his 40-year career, as well as what he’s brought to the future of the factory floor. In our fifth installment of “The Intelligent Edge,” we connected with Lee to discuss his work on the ZumIQ application environment and the purpose of intelligent monitoring. FreeWave: Lee, tell us about your role at FreeWave. Lee Jaderborg: Sure! I don’t have one specific job; I wear five hats. Coming up on my fourth year at FreeWave this April, I’m the manufacturing engineering manager, quality manager, sustaining mechanical support, and I oversee process development and design for new products. I also write SQL for our databases. I manage the procedures for a Printed Circuit Board assembly and Surface Mount Technology (SMT) manufacturing line, ensuring the entire process flows through production to the backdoor to ship. I also handle statistical process control and root cause analysis throughout the manufacturing process, all while monitoring for major operational KPIs. FreeWave: Was IIoT operations always your focus? Lee: No, I began college at age 17 as a drama major. Everything I’ve learned about engineering and management since then has been self-taught. During and after college, I worked in various engineering-type jobs, like designing tools to fabricate jet engine exhausts and helping build Colorado’s Eisenhower Tunnel. Along the way, I became exposed to SQL and got a master’s certificate in 6Sigma for project management. Continuous learning has helped advance me to where I am now. FreeWave: What are you currently working on? Lee: Optimizing FreeWave’s ZumIQ for better data visualizations on the manufacturing floor – a major focus at last year’s annual IMPACT Manufacturing Summit. A panel, which included the director of manufacturing for Rolls Royce, discussed transitioning their workforce to better accommodate millennials, who learn better with visual feedback. So, they put an IO on a light stack – like a stoplight that tells you whether a machine is ready – to give a real-time view of various data points. FreeWave: How exactly would they capture that data? Lee: This is where something like ZumIQ comes in – you need to tie into analog signals to continuously record this data. You do this by having the light stack’s sensor communicate its status to an app programmable device, whose data is then collected by the ZumIQ app environment. ZumIQ gathers and tracks data over time to determine both real-time status and historical trends. This gives a view of the manufacturing floor you can’t get by physically looking down the production line. It determines the collective state and efficiency of each part in the system. Interested in more insights by Lee? We’re continuing the conversation for the next Intelligent Edge blog.
Applying Automation to Save our Water Systems
Each day, billions of people and organizations around the world face some type of water or wastewater issue. From industrial and agricultural enterprises to consumers, a consistent supply of quality water is crucial. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2017 Infrastructure Report Card, many of these issues are due to aging infrastructure with an annual $82 billion gap in U.S. water and wastewater system infrastructure investment alone. To help combat this, many of the more than 30,000 rural water/wastewater districts in North America are facing new state and local government regulations. The standards require some level of automation be incorporated to validate the integrity and security of water systems and infrastructure data. On Feb. 14 at 4pm MT, our Chief Marketing Officer, Scott Allen, will be speaking in-depth about this topic at the Colorado Rural Water Association’s (CRWA) 37th annual conference and expo. His session, “Connecting it All: Intelligent Edge Remote Networks,” dives into some of the challenges people face with their water and wastewater systems – like broken or frozen pipes – along with security concerns that automation at the edge can quickly identify and remediate. Where automation can be applied Approaches to water and wastewater management are generally divided into two basic focus areas: quality and quantity. Quality is the integrity of the water supply. You may remember the 2014 Flint, Michigan water crisis, which to this day is still dealing with high levels of lead in the city’s drinking water due to insufficient water treatment. In addition to environmental hazards, security breaches, like tampering with water quality test results, are a major concern in hiding evidence of contaminated wells. Quantity is the amount of water being processed for reclamation, agriculture, recreation, industrial and other uses. Due to the aging water system infrastructure, leaks, shortages and even overflowing tanks create the potential for households and cities to be without access to running water. To maintain and secure a pristine and consistent water supply, wireless automation tools and technology can help gain an accurate representation of water conditions, such as temperature, turbidity, salinity, pH and flow. From there, a wireless data network is needed to automatically transmit the collected data and flag any existing or projected problem areas. It can also help immediately report any security breaches, increase equipment and worker efficiency, automatically react to malfunctions and perform control actions, among other benefits. The power of automation: a case study Take for instance the introduction of automation and wireless by the St. George Water Services Department, part of the Washington County Water Conservancy District in Washington County, Utah. To effectively and efficiently manage and optimize the complete water cycle for 82,000 people living in the city of St. George, Utah, the department needed to collect reliable and accurate data from across more than 100 linear miles. By introducing a radio network to transmit sensor data from across their district, the St. George Water Services Department can now employ an automated SCADA system. This provides clear visibility into the performance of their utility- and solar-powered devices, while also simplifying the process to secure separate systems. To learn more about how the city of St. George accomplished this feat, read our case study here! While awareness around what public water and infrastructure issues need to be fixed are known by water and wastewater associations, many are still figuring out how to address it. If you plan on attending the CRWA conference this week, drop by to watch Scott’s session to learn more about why the introduction of automation and SCADA technologies that are crucial to a clean and fully-functioning water supply, and how radio networks enable these technologies. Hope to see you there!
Injecting Agility and Automation at the Well Pad
Small-to-medium-sized oil and gas companies understand what it takes to be agile. They must survive and thrive in an industry led by giant producers. While no recipe to success is the same, the smaller players need to maximize production while simultaneously keeping costs down if they want to compete in the market. By adopting technology solutions that will make them agile and effective, these organizations can secure fast and significant ROI, while meeting production and operations demands. However, technology selection in a constantly changing landscape is murky at best. Take an operations manager at a small oil and gas company, for example. They are likely tasked with ensuring that operations are running smoothly at the wellhead while delivering critical data back to the business office in real time. It seems simple enough, but the operator is probably facing constant pressure to provide insights into their production sites and new solutions for operational efficiencies. At the same time, the IT team wants monitoring at the well pad 24/7/365, and they want to access that data whenever they please from anywhere. Perhaps, they have attempted to tack on several different technology solutions to help provide said data – but the new demands require a more sophisticated approach. The pressure is on to find a way to optimize data collection, monitoring and control of the assets in the field (including the communications network) or the company won’t be able to compete with the “always on” oil and gas producers. The good news is that there is hope. There are programmable wireless communication solutions for the well pad that are available today. With a little research, it is possible to find a rugged, easy to use solution that will deliver massive ROI. What Does Well Pad Automation Look Like? In modern oil and gas operations, well pad automation builds analytics and intelligence into the wellhead environment. This takes a step beyond traditional communications because it enables intelligent applications and programmability that establish an advanced operating environment. Automation can also present the opportunity for predictive analytics, remote command and control, new protocol translations, and modern cloud-based services at the wellhead. Automation helps an operator streamline their job and provides the IT decision makers with data that helps them understand daily operations. Automation technology makes this possible by powering data transmission, improving data quality and enabling intelligent data analysis. The oil and gas company then has the power to make informed decisions that drive higher production outputs, with ROI often achieved in a matter of months, along with substantially lower CAPEX. Bringing an Automated Monitoring System All Under One Roof The financial and business benefits of industrial automation are clear, however selecting technology solutions can be challenging. Operations managers need a wireless communication solution that can support next generation of well pad automation needs. The solution must include a combination of data monitoring, logic execution and data visualization. This is especially beneficial at the well pad sites that are remote and isolated. The big advantage today is that these decision makers are no longer limited to disparate technology solutions: Wi-Fi Automated Monitoring Systems establish Wi-Fi at the wellhead to enable voice, video, sensor data access and perimeter security. They can also leverage Wi-Fi for rapid maintenance across the wellhead, saving maintenance staff hours of time. Instead of driving to the remote wellhead, they are now troubleshooting issues from a truck or office. Wi-Fi also supports the collection of information from RFID devices and wearable devices designed to protect workers in the field. FHSS When the Wi-Fi is bridged with a Radio Frequency (RF) solution, particularly Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) technology, the data can then be collected from tank farms, PLCs, and sensors on the well and within the well. The wireless intelligence that is located on the devices in the sensor network, enables local execution on the RF devices, which supports data storage or data collection and analysis. Through cloud-based services, the data can be published globally, allowing mobile access from virtually anywhere. Additionally, an automated monitoring system may enable wireless telemetry in hazardous environments through modular wireless I/O solutions that leverage sensors to monitor specific points along the wellhead. Programmability With built in programmability on top of Wi-Fi and RF technology, the automated monitoring system is not only optimizes today’s operations, but it prepares the organization for the future as industries shift towards digital technology and total connectivity. For example, an engineer can write a simple application using open source technologies like Node-RED and Python that will display a dashboard of real-time data from the well pad as it collects information from sensors. The organization could also automate tank-level monitoring by developing or leveraging a third-party application to monitor water levels in the remote tanks from the cloud – which would then be accessible anywhere with a wireless internet connection. Benefits that Stretch Beyond ROI Automation at the well pad not only leads to ROI through wireless automated monitoring and control, but it has the power to transform operations and streamline production. When a small-to-medium-sized oil and gas producer leverages automation, they can make highly intelligent decisions through the technology features that enable enhanced monitoring, logic execution and visualization. They can also leverage these solutions to create a more secure operating environment and communications network. These solutions note only benefit the operators today, but they prepare them for future technology needs.
Top Tips for the New Drone Owner
Recent headlines demonstrate how drones can support public safety and government operations. The Los Angeles Fire Department, for example, used drones for the first time in the Skirball fire that wreaked havoc on Southern California earlier this month. The drones offered real-time situational awareness – allowing responders to see what was happening and change their tactics to avoid hazards. Across the world in Dubai, police are using drones to monitor traffic. Drones truly have made a worldwide impact – and these are just a couple of examples. In addition to providing a critical safety role, the commercial drone market is growing. In the midst of the holiday season, drones make for fun gifts for the aerial hobbyist. While drones are sure to provide hours of entertainment, new drone owners should be aware that there are some basic guidelines, offered by the FAA, that will ensure safe operation. As you peruse the lists of the best drones to buy, make sure to look into the safety guidelines as well. Here are some of the basic rules and regulations that the new drone owner must follow: You Must Register Your Drone The drone registration requirements have been revived. If your drone weighs between .55 pounds and 55 pounds, it must be registered. According to a recent article in Time magazine: “A relative footnote in the National Defense Authorization Act, which was signed into law today, the new regulation requires that drone owners register their unmanned aerial vehicles before taking to the skies. You can register your new drone on the FAA’s drone Unmanned Aircraft System website.” Know Before You Fly Here are a few safety tips (and requirements!) to review before you fly your new drone – straight from the FAA’s website: Fly your drone at or below 400 feet Keep your drone within your line of sight Respect privacy Never fly near other aircraft, especially near airports Never fly over groups of people, public events, or stadiums full of people Never fly near emergencies such as fires or hurricane recovery efforts Never fly under the influence of drugs or alcohol No Drone Zones Did you know that the FAA has a list of locations where drones are forbidden? The FAA recently announced an expanded list of restricted locations, mostly laboratories, where drones cannot fly within 400 feet. When you go out for a day of fun, make sure you’re not close to any of these locations: Hanford Site, Franklin County, WA Pantex Site, Panhandle, TX Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC Y-12 National Security Site, Oak Ridge, TN Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN Still unclear on drone requirements? The FAA offers excellent resources: https://www.faa.gov/uas/. If you’re lucky enough to get a new drone this holiday season – enjoy and be safe!
2018 Analyst IIoT Predictions
Each year we like to go inside FreeWave and ask our team what the Industrial IoT forecast looks like for the upcoming year. Throughout 2017 we were hard at work developing some of our industry-leading Edge intelligence and industrial Wi-Fi products, so this year, instead of looking inward, we decided to take a peek around the world at 2018 IIoT predictions from some of the leading experts. Network World Based off a Forrester report, three immediate trends spring to the forefront: specialization, security, and Edge infrastructure. Taking a bird’s eye view, as the market proliferates, many Industrial IoT providers will no longer need to be a one-size-fits-all solution, instead being able to double down on proprietary technology that has a highly specific and specialized purpose. Edge Infrastructure, already one of the hottest sectors of IoT, will possibly determine the future of big data and predictive analytics, in turn driving machine learning and beyond. And then, of course, there is the security element. As the domains of Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) converge, the traditionally more vulnerable standards and practices of OT will take on more of an IT flavor, incorporating more hardened cybersecurity elements as IT managers (with security ALWAYS on their minds) take on more prominent roles in industrial operations and implement the next generation of IoT-ready devices and systems. IDC In early November, IDC put together a list of 10 predictions for IIoT covering myriad facets of the industry, including: As much as a 25 percent increase in security spending 10 percent growth in IoT sensors on Blockchain distributed ledgers In three years more than $1 trillion of enterprise IoT project investments will be built on net new technology spending These are interesting predictions and fall in line with the general trend of the industry over the last five years. But there was one prediction that caught our eye: “By 2020, IT spend on Edge Infrastructure will reach up to 18 percent of the total spend on IoT Infrastructure, driven by deployments of converged IT/OT systems that reduce the time to value of data collected from their connected devices.” Essentially, IDC is predicting that in two years Edge intelligence will use nearly 20 percent of the industry’s total IoT spend. This Edge intelligence will be driven by IT/OT convergence that enables faster data transmission via Fog Computing, enabling predictive analytics and real-time data monitoring. This is a significant note, as many companies are focused almost exclusively on figuring out how to transmit data from the Edge in usable packets. Maciej Kranz, vice president of strategic innovation at Cisco Kranz wrote the book on IoT (literally, check it out: Building the Internet of Things), and he tends to view it from more of a business standpoint. However, as more companies attempt to jump into the IoT fray, taking a strong – and long – business perspective could be the difference between success and failure. In his ten predictions, Kranz finds similar footing with many analysts and thought leaders (paraphrasing): IoT will become the key security domain as organizations ‘finally begin to take IoT security seriously.’ IoT will revolutionize data analytics as technology shifts to dynamic or real-time analytics and streaming data using AI and machine learning The focus of IoT will move from driving efficiency to creating new business value as companies use IoT to create new value propositions: in manufacturing mass customization, and more mass personalization. To us, however, the most interesting prediction offered up by Kranz has to do with standardization: “We will see an industry-wide, accelerated move to open standards, open architectures and interoperability.” At FreeWave, we have been huge proponents of opening up architectures to make the creation of IIoT software applications easier and more accessible to critical industries. Currently, many IIoT software needs require sophisticated and complex development chops. But, with the rise of NODE Red – and with the growth of language agnostic hardware – development and interoperability opportunities are opening up for everyone. 2018 could be a watershed year for the Industrial IoT. We highlighted three analyst and thought leader predictions here, but many carried the same tenor: security, analytics and proliferation will drive the growth of the industry over the next few years. We’d love to hear from the community as well: what predictions do you have for IIoT in 2018?
Nine Perfect Gifts to Get the App Developer in Your Life
Buying gifts for anyone is a struggle, but buying gifts for someone who loves technology can be even more of a challenge. As connected homes, vehicles and Smart gadgets take the world by storm – there are many options at a variety of price points. This year, go for gold and get something they will really enjoy. We have just the list to get you started. Without further delay, from the outrageous to the useful, here are nine gifts that any app developer will enjoy! Intel Compute Stick A full-fledged Windows 10 computer, the size of a USB stick, that you can plug into any HDMI display like a TV or monitor, is sure to please the special app developer in your life. They can carry it around in their pocket or on their keychain and they’ll always have a PC handy. Gunnar Computer Glasses Work, emails, social media, or games consume a lot of our time. Studies show that it only takes a few hours in front of a screen to cause computer vision syndrome or digital eye strain. Engineered to eliminate eye strain and block blue light because people, on average, are spending 8-10 hours a day on their digital devices. Gunnar is the only patented computer eyewear recommended by doctors to protect and enhance your vision – the perfect option for the practical gift giver. Pixelated Hand Shaped Mouse Looking for something a little less serious? This gift is sure to make a splash at the office! This quirky pixel mouse replicated the ‘pointer’ cursor type most commonly seen when you hover over a link on a web page. Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Cooks, and Good Food This fantastic book, written by Jeff Potter, offers some of the science behind cooking and answers burning questions such as, “how quickly will a pizza cook in a 500-degree oven?” It’s orientated towards anyone with a technical approach to life, so is more likely to suit a developer than a designer. IROLLER: A Reusable Liquid Free Touchscreen Cleaner for Smartphones and Tablets We are SURE every developer has this problem and, no surprise, we have the low-cost answer. Just roll this little stick over the touchscreen of your smartphone or tablet and instantly remove fingerprints, smudges, and smears. Your screen will look better, and you can stop spending money on wipes and sprays. LED Fiber Optic Men’s Jacket Yes, it’s incredible: This lightweight jacket includes 3/4 miles of fiber optic cables and LEDs! It’s the coolest jacket we’ve ever seen, and if your developer has to go to a conference or company party, this will be the must-pack item. Switch between four colors and keep it on for eight hours on a single charge! Solar Phone Charger As long as the sun is around (so another 5 billion years) you’ll never run out of battery for your phone again. This high-tech charger works anywhere and is the perfect useful tech gadget for your Developers next epic adventure. All of these gifts are fantastic but if you want to get your special app developer something a little more meaningful, and by meaningful we mean home-made, try hitting up a thrift store or a yard sale for any spare computer parts. Making Items like floppy disk coasters or keyboard key paper clips/push-pins are sure to be a hit but not to your wallet. No matter the size of your budget, we hope this gives you some fun and useful ideas for the app developer or techie in your life!
