Tech Companies Signal Important IoT Infrastructure Moves

Several influential high technology companies have recently announced new strategies and partnerships as they build out the foundations for the expanding Internet of Things (IoT). These moves are likely to have important implications for the energy sector as utilities and their customers adapt to and adopt emerging IoT technologies.

The recent announcements cover a range of IoT areas, including smart grid, security issues, industrial use cases, and payment management. Oracle and Huawei extended their cooperative smart grid efforts by signing a memorandum of understanding dubbed a power IoT ecosystem partnership. The new deal calls for both parties to promote and sell an end-to-end advanced metering infrastructure solution aimed at helping utilities improve customer experience, increase operational efficiency, save energy, and reduce emissions. For its part, Huawei will provide tools for managing smart meters, communications networks, and headend systems; Oracle will leverage its meter data management software, smart grid gateway, and related solutions for utilities.

Cybersecurity and the Industrial IoT

AT&T, IBM, and Nokia have formed a new alliance to beef up IoT security. The new group, IoT Cybersecurity Alliance, will not set standards, but will instead focus efforts on conducting research, educating consumers and businesses, and influencing standards bodies or policymakers. Symantec, Palo Alto Networks, and mobile security company Trustonic are also founding members of the alliance.

Meanwhile, Nokia, Qualcomm, and GE Digital announced the successful demonstration of a private LTE network aimed at the industrial IoT market, specifically targeting companies operating in remote locations or sites where connectivity can be difficult. This would be a good fit for some utilities or companies engaged in energy exploration. Live field trials of the private network are expected to continue throughout this year.

Nokia separately introduced its worldwide IoT network grid (WING) in a bid to boost the IoT market. The IoT grid as a service offering is aimed at enterprises seeking a one-stop-shop for IoT needs across multiple geographies.

Visa and IBM have established a new partnership that will utilize IBM’s Watson IoT platform for extending digital payments to wearables, connected cars, and other devices. The idea is to enable commerce from any connected thing. From a connected car perspective, this could be useful for EV owners who need to charge their vehicles and pay for the electricity in a more seamless way and from a variety of suppliers.

Signs of a Wider Trend

On their own, these moves might not amount to much. However, when seen as part of a larger IoT trend, they represent another milestone along the road toward a much more connected and automated world. For utilities and other stakeholders in the energy industry, it pays to stay abreast of these IoT moves, as many are likely to have an impact on both sides of the meter.