Introduction

AvaLAN Wireless is an industry leading developer and manufacturer of long range industrial wireless radios and cryptographic technology.  In 2014 the company was named one of the “50 Most Promising Internet of Things Companies” by CIO Review.  The company specializes in Cellular and unlicensed 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz radio bands, offering encrypted wireless data communications and Ethernet products.  The company provides strong and reliable wireless solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT). 

Wireless Solutions

• Access control
• Security
• Smart grid
• Remote control markets
• Industrial automation
• Remote sensing

Distributors

Products

• 900 MHz 
• 2.4 GHz
• 4.9 GHz
• 5.8 MHz
• Government
• Solar
• OEM Modules
• Antennas & Accessories

900 MHz

AvaLAN Wireless’s 900 MHz band is effective for non-line-of-sight wireless connections.  One of the benefits of lower frequency radio waves is that they tend to have an easier time penetrating obstacles.  The company offers a variety of 900 MHz products.

Industrial Ethernet

AvaLAN Wireless links allow users to build, point-to-point and point-to-multipoint wireless Ethernet connections.  These connections connect what are called “fringe” IP devices.  AvaLAN markets its products in this space as offering the ideal range, data rate, price, avoidance of interference, quality-of-service, security, as well as it being a simple plug and play deployment with minimal user programing needed. 

Introduction

Atmel Corporation (NASDAQ: ATML) is traditionally known for being a leader in designing and manufacturing advanced logic, capacitive touch solutions, microcontrollers, mixed-signal, and nonvolatile memory and radio frequency (RF) components.  As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues its growth, Atmel sees itself as one of the companies in the middle of this movement.  The company has been developing innovative technologies that enable Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication, as well as the industrial internet.

Atmel is involved in several aspects of IoT. Atmel enables makers and designers with all of the essential basic building blocks for IoT applications.  The company is involved in the following:

• Embedded Processing
• Security
• Sensing
• Communication
• Making Development Simple

Embedded Processing

Atmel’s AVR and ARM-based microcontrollers (MCUs) are focused on delivering an energy-efficient and strong performance combination. 

Security

Atmel’s CryptoAuthentication devices have protected hardware key storage, which offers an ideal way to ensure trusts with devices.  One of the benefits of Atmel’s security focus is that Atmel does all of the ultra-secure crypto-engineering.  The company delivers tiny protected hardware devices, which come with the tools that are necessary to add security into a digital system when needed. 

Sensing

Atmel has formed partnerships with market-leading sensor software providers and manufacturers in order to be able to offer a complete system solution, which runs on Atmel’s platform. 

Communication

Atmel utilizes a few different forms of wireless technologies in order to cover multiple in-demand wireless arenas to enable IoT communication.  The following are the different forms of wireless technology that the company uses:

• Bluetooth
• Wi-Fi
• 802.15.4 (Zigbee, 6LowPan)

Also, Atmel offers wireless solutions in System-On-Chip (SoC) and modules that are able to provide ideal solutions that designers are looking for when they have no prior wireless or RF experience and are seeking to add connectivity. 

Making Development Simple

One of the benefits of Atmel in regards to IoT, is that the company supplies a comprehensive development platform that has:

• Advanced features
• Debug integration
• Software ecosystem

All of Atmel’s products run in the same software ecosystem, which gives users the option to switch between different IDEs with ease.  This allows developers to create the design they are looking for quickly.

Introduction

Affinegy is a leader in connected device management, service management solutions and support for cable, hardware, and telecom providers.  The company has offices in Dallas, Poland, and its headquarters is located in Austin, Texas.  Melissa Simpler is the CEO and also co-founded the firm in 2003.  Over the last 12 years, Affinegy has focused on connected device management from things like pure Internet, broadband and Wi-Fi access, all the way to the connected home, which consists of entertainment, home automation, security.  Today its main focus is on all things possible 1with the IoT.  Affinegy’s main service is known as CHARIOT Connect.  There are three different parts to CHARIOT Connect.

CHARIOT Connect

CHARIOT Connect is a cloud service for the Internet of Things (IoT).  It works with AllSeen Alliance connected products as a services stack.  AllSeen Alliance is an open source consortium of more than 140 companies. Affinegy is a part of the consortium and also a founding member of AllSeen Alliance.  The three different parts of CHARIOT Connect are:

• CHARTIOT Mobile & Web
• CHARIOT Cloud
• CHARIOT Care

CHARIOT Mobile & Web

Enables customers to create their own custom user experiences through tapping into the power the CHARIOT Cloud.  Provides simple and secure IoT customer experiences.  This service can meet the demands of many different sized businesses.

CHARIOT Cloud

Turn-key hosted servers and embedded connects that can support a variety of different devices from anywhere. 

CHARIOT Care

Automated customer care support dashboard, tools and reporting. 

Key Functions of CHARIOT Connect

• Secure updates
• Simple privacy controls
• Status & usage reporting
• Automated customer support tools
• Simple onboarding of consumers, services, and devices
• Automated diagnostics & repairs
• Efficient remote access user experiences

Miscellaneous

On Wednesday, August 26, Affinegy was selected by GVTC Communications to support their home Wi-Fi offering for broadband subscribers.  GVTC is a provider of high-speed internet, digital cable television, phone and interactive home security monitoring devices. 

• CHARIOT Connect provides the installation, automated provisioning, self-care, device management, and remote care that GVTC needs in order to deliver a secure, simple, and quality service experience to its subscribers.
• CHARIOT is expected to help GVTC deliver this simple and secure service to subscribers, thus powering the IoT.
• Affinegy was selected by GVTC partly due to its innovative vision in the IoT market.

Introduction

2lemetry is a technology company that focuses on the Internet of Things (IoT).  Primarily, the company is a provider of a software-based, open enablement platform.  Co-founded by Kyle Roche (CEO) and Chris Chiaponne (CTO) in 2011, 2lemetry has developed an IoT platform that is called ThingFabric.  The company was a member of the AllSeen Alliance. In March 2015, 2lemetry was acquired by Amazon.  The AllSeen Alliance is a nonprofit consortium that works to enable and drive the adoption of Internet of Everything products, systems and services through an open source development framework.

Purpose of 2lemetry

• Helps its users make better sense of all the data that comes from connected devices in either a retail store or the workplace.
• Offers a cloud-based platform that serves as middleware for large networks of IoT devices.
• The platform is able to translate several protocols from the devices, set rules for messaging, as well  analyze the data traffic that is handled in order to deliver insights. 
• 2lemetry markets its solutions as ones that are able to work with different protocols or hardware platforms.
• The company also says that its platform is able to scale to millions of devices and automatically add new devices without hurting performance. 

ThingFabric Solutions

• Powerful data analysis
• Guaranteed data delivery
• Mission-critical insights
• Multipoint, multidimensional communication

Advantages of ThingFabric

• Universal – Can be used on any device. There is no specific manufacturer preference.
• Auto-Provisioning – Platform auto-provisions when new devices are connected or if new parameters are set.
• Dynamic Environment – ThingFabric Platform creates less complex device configuration or database design, according to 2lemetry.
• Scalable Solutions – Allows users to connect many devices, with no minimum or maximum number in mind. 
• Data Storage – Platform has the ability to store data indefinitely. Data from any time period is able to be accessed from anywhere. 
• Strong Performance – What is interesting about this IoT platform is that the number of nodes is increased on the network for the purpose of not having performance decline.
• Low Cost – 2lemetry offers different solutions and systems, but each is marketed as low-costing.
• Solid Security – Maintains a high level of security.

IoT Solutions

2lemetry Integrate

Extends the power and simplicity of the ThingFabric platform by easing integration with the user’s key enterprise databases or applications. 

• Saves time, by running within an hour (saves development time).
• Jumpstarts the ability to connect device data to databases or applications.
• Links with Salesforce and other platforms instantly.

2lemetry Incoming

Enables proximity and location sensing, facial recognition, as well as geo-fencing for people, places, and things.

• Facial recognition with real-life analytics that records and measures gender and age data that can be used for a variety of things.
• Proximity sensing that enables real-life engagement with customers.
• Combines a range of applications to meet many different needs.

Technology Partners

Miscellaneous

ABI Research said earlier this year that 2lemetry was one of the vendors that stood out amongst IoT platforms.  The acquisition from Amazon was quite secretive.  It is believed that the main driver behind Amazon’s acquisition was 2lemetry’s Incoming service.  The reason being is because Incoming assists companies interact with their customers by using data that is gathered from proximity beacons, facial recognition and geofencing.  Significant customers of 2lemetry prior to its acquisition by Amazon include Honeywell, which produces many IoT enabled devices for the smart home, Demeter energy group and First Mile, a provider of office recycling services.

Introduction

The AllSeen Alliance is a nonprofit consortium that works to enable and drive the adoption of Internet of Everything products, systems and services through an open source development framework. The consortium is looking to expand upon the Internet of Things (IoT) and help create more interaction and functionality amongst numerous brands and sectors, like healthcare, the connected home, automotive and enterprise, and education. 

Framework

The framework for the AllSeen Alliance is initially based on what is known as the AllJoyn open source project.  The AllJoyn open source project enables developers to create products, applications, and services that are able to communicate over different transport layers, such as power line, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi.  One of the benefits of this is that this is able to occur regardless of the operating system, manufacturer, and does not require internet access.  The AllSeen Alliance has in the past and will continue to make the software openly available for developers to download and run on platforms such as Linux and Linux-based iOS, Windows, and Android, including embedded variants. 

Reasons to Consider the AllSeen Alliance as a Leader in the IoT

• Open-source code
• Open to anyone
• “Designed for AllSeen”
• Works across several different platforms
• Security
• Commercial products ranging from LG HDTVs to LIFX smart light bulbs use AllJoyn
• 170 member companies that include some of the top companies in the world

Notable Member Companies

• Microsoft
• Philips
• Qualcomm
• Sony
• Affinegy
• AT&T
• Cisco
• IBM
• Many others

Mission of the AllSeen Alliance

AllSeen Alliance’s mission is “to enable widespread adoption and help accelerate the development and evolution of an interoperable peer connectivity and communications framework based on AllJoyn for devices and applications in the Internet of Everything.”

News

Recently, Arcelik Group, a leader in durable consumer goods, announced that it had joined the AllSeen Alliance as a premier member.  The AllSeen Alliance now has approximately 12 premier members that consist of:

• LG
• Canon
• Panasonic
• Philips
• Sharp
• Sony
• Electrolux
• Qeo
• Qualcomm Connected Experiences, Inc.
• Silicon Image