Microsoft’s Internet of Things blog
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<title>Internet of Things</title>
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<link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot</link>
<description>Microsoft Internet of Things Blog</description>
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<title>Microsoft IoT Central broadens reach with simplicity of SaaS for enterprise-grade IoT</title>
<link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/12/05/microsoft-iot-central-broadens-reach-simplicity-saas-enterprise-grade-iot/</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 05 Dec 2017 13:45:16 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sam George]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Microsoft IoT]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Azure IoT Hub]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Azure IoT Hub Device Provisioning Service]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[device management]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Microsoft IoT Central]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/?p=25267</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>IoT is fast becoming a key strategy for companies of all sizes, as they strive to get closer to their customers and offer great product experiences—all while reducing operational expenditures. Until now, however, it’s been a major hurdle to gain the skills needed to build and manage connected solutions. This obstacle has been further compounded...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/12/05/microsoft-iot-central-broadens-reach-simplicity-saas-enterprise-grade-iot/">Microsoft IoT Central broadens reach with simplicity of SaaS for enterprise-grade IoT</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>IoT is fast becoming a key strategy for companies of all sizes, as they strive to get closer to their customers and offer great product experiences—all while reducing operational expenditures. Until now, however, it’s been a major hurdle to gain the skills needed to build and manage connected solutions. This obstacle has been further compounded by concerns about security, scalability, and difficulties finding an IoT solution that has built-in best practices gained from years of experience in the sector.</p>
<p>This is why today we are pleased to launch the public preview of <a href="http://www.microsoftiotcentral.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><u>Microsoft IoT Central</u></a> to address these barriers. Microsoft IoT Central is the first true highly scalable IoT software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution that offers built-in support for IoT best practices and world-class security along with the reliability, regional availability, and global scale of the Microsoft Azure cloud. Microsoft IoT Central allows companies worldwide to build production-grade IoT applications in hours—without having to manage all the necessary back-end infrastructure or learn new skills. In short, Microsoft IoT Central enables everyone to benefit from IoT.</p>
<h3>IoT Solutions without the hassle</h3>
<p>Microsoft IoT Central takes the hassle out of creating an IoT solution by eliminating the complexities of initial setup as well as the management burden and operational overhead of a typical IoT project. That means you can bring your connected product vision to life faster while staying focused on your customers and products. The end-to-end IoT SaaS solution equips you to harness the “digital feedback loop” to draw better insights from your data and convert them into intelligent actions that result in better products and experiences for your customers.</p>
<p>By reducing the time, skills, and investment required to develop a robust enterprise-grade IoT solution, Microsoft IoT Central also sets you up to quickly reap the powerful business benefits of IoT. You can get started quickly, connecting devices in seconds and moving from concept to production in hours. The complete IoT solution lets you seamlessly scale from a few to millions of connected devices as your IoT needs grow. Moreover, it removes guesswork thanks to simple and comprehensive pricing that makes it easier for you to plan your IoT investments and achieve your IoT goals.</p>
<p>On the security front, Microsoft IoT Central leverages industry-leading privacy standards and technologies to help ensure your data is only accessible to the right people in your organization. With IoT privacy features such as role-based access and integration with Azure Active Directory permissions, you stay in control of your information.</p>
<p>From years of working in the commercial space, we understand organizations’ need to take advantage of existing applications and data to glean richer insights, integrate business workflows, and take more effective actions. So, in the coming months, Microsoft IoT Central will also be able to integrate with customers’ existing business systems—such as Microsoft Dynamics 365, SAP, and Salesforce—to accelerate more proactive sales, service, and marketing.</p>
<p>Several customers have already started building solutions for their businesses with Microsoft IoT Central. Here’s what they have to say:</p>
<ul>
<li>“Small-scale IoT use cases are rare, even though they can have profound social impact. Why? Because each use case has unique needs that in turn require special sensor configurations and secure provisioning to the cloud before the solution can even be turned on. Arrow has simplified this process by bringing together Microsoft’s IoT Central platform and Libelium’s Plug & Sense IoT Toolkits, which help small, medium, and even large businesses get their IoT projects up and running sooner. Microsoft’s IoT Central solution helped us pilot in weeks, at minimal cost, a public school environmental monitoring solution that would have taken a year to develop from scratch. School and government officials can now monitor and improve the safety of public spaces without the cost and duration of typical IoT projects.” – <em>Jeff Reed, PhD, VP Microsoft Global Alliance at Arrow Electronics</em></li>
<li>“Mesh Systems is passionate about the work Microsoft is doing with the release of Microsoft IoT Central. We recognize how Microsoft IoT Central accelerates projects that need entry-level simplicity while also be extendable to meet more complex requirements. We value this level of SaaS offering from Microsoft because it allows us to focus on identifying and iterating on the application business transformation, which is critical across the IoT market.” –<em> Uri Kluk, CTO, Mesh Systems</em></li>
<li>“With Microsoft IoT Central and partner VISEO, we created and deployed IoT solutions quickly, securely, and at scale—with the reach and resources of the global Azure cloud platform. The solution we implemented enables us to collect telemetry data on thousands of our devices. We are now able to do predictive maintenance and ensure our firmware is always up to date—critical advantages in the health field. With this data, we are better able to serve our market and adapt our service to the needs of our customers.” – <em>Philippe Angotta, Director of Customer Relations, LPG </em></li>
<li>“Patterson Companies believes there is an opportunity to realize significant improvement in dental device fix/repair service-level outcomes for its customers via an IoT Remote Monitoring & Diagnostics solution. The OEMs that manufacture dental devices are actively implementing and enhancing their IoT capabilities to provide ongoing performance data from devices connected at the dental office. Microsoft IoT Central provides a highly configurable and intuitive solution to define the criteria needed to monitor and diagnose any variety of connected devices. This in turn equips Patterson service technicians with current and past performance data, allowing them to transition from a reactive stance to one that is proactive and results in higher levels of customer satisfaction.” – <em>Nate Hill, Principal Architect, Patterson Dental</em></li>
<li>“The Umbra Group is excited to work with Microsoft IoT Central and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations to monitor performance and health of our systems in ways we never have been able to do before. These new tools enable us to integrate commercial, supply chain, production, and product data from the time an order is placed all the way through to serving up insights for how and when to service a device. Umbra expects to see tremendous benefits during product development and testing by being able to see and act on real-time performance data regardless of location. Our customers will be thrilled to be able to have maintenance activities performed during scheduled machine down time instead of experiencing interruptions in service, since machine conditions will now be predictable.” – <em>David Manzanares, Vice President of Engineering, Umbra Group</em></li>
<li>“Digital transformation will drive mass-scale growth of the IoT market. Scalable, secure, reliable, and pay-per-use solutions are needed to handle these volumes efficiently. ICT Group has a strong focus on the Industrial IoT market, and Microsoft IoT Central offers us the ability to create insights and add real business value. ICT Group has been involved in the development of Microsoft IoT Central from the start. Microsoft IoT Central has enabled us to gather more valuable insights to inform how we manage our products with this digital feedback loop.” –<em> Aart Wegink, Director Digital Transformation, <a href="https://ict.eu/digital-transformation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ICT Group</a>, The Netherlands</em></li>
</ul>
<p>Microsoft is leading the way in IoT innovation, and we are committed to introducing new features at a rapid pace so customers can quickly and continually reap benefits and stay ahead of the game. As a true IoT SaaS solution, Microsoft IoT Central gives customers automatic access to new features as they’re released. It also frees customers from updating the underlying hardware.</p>
<h3>Azure IoT Hub Device Provisioning Service now available</h3>
<p>To further simplify IoT, we are also announcing the <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-iot-hub-device-provisioning-service-is-generally-available/"><u>availability of Azure IoT Hub Device Provisioning Service</u></a>. Azure IoT Hub Device Provisioning Service enables zero-touch device provisioning and configuration of millions of devices to Azure IoT Hub in a secure and scalable manner. Device Provisioning Service adds important capabilities that, together with Azure IoT Hub device management, help customers easily manage all stages of the IoT device lifecycle.</p>
<p>For a deeper look into the features of Microsoft IoT Central, check out the new <a href="http://www.microsoftiotcentral.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><u>Microsoft IoT Central website</u></a> and <a href="https://aka.ms/iotcentral-demo"><u>demo</u></a>, and start your <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/iot-central/get-started/"><u>free trial</u></a> today. Also, for a deeper dive be sure to see our blog post, “<a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/microsoft-iot-central-delivers-low-code-way-to-build-iot-solutions-fast/"><u>Microsoft IoT Central delivers low-code way to build IoT solutions fast</u></a>.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.InternetofYourThings.com"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-22980" src="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2018/03/ioytCTA_v4.png" alt="" width="250" height="50" /></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/12/05/microsoft-iot-central-broadens-reach-simplicity-saas-enterprise-grade-iot/">Microsoft IoT Central broadens reach with simplicity of SaaS for enterprise-grade IoT</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">25267</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>New Azure location-based service brings greater value to the enterprise</title>
<link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/11/28/new-azure-location-based-service-brings-greater-value-enterprise/</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 28 Nov 2017 20:00:59 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft IoT]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Microsoft IoT]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Azure LBS]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Cubic]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Esri]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[fathym]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Location based services]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[TomTom]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/?p=25219</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Look under the hood or dashboard of any commercial truck and you’ll find an array of sensors monitoring the performance of every on-board system, and sending telemetry data back to the manufacturer. Once captured by the Internet of Things (IoT), telemetry data holds tremendous value for scenarios beyond maintaining the vehicle and extending its lifespan....</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/11/28/new-azure-location-based-service-brings-greater-value-enterprise/">New Azure location-based service brings greater value to the enterprise</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Look under the hood or dashboard of any commercial truck and you’ll find an array of sensors monitoring the performance of every on-board system, and sending telemetry data back to the manufacturer.</p>
<p>Once captured by the Internet of Things (IoT), telemetry data holds tremendous value for scenarios beyond maintaining the vehicle and extending its lifespan. For example, with location-based data, fleet managers could more easily oversee the entire fleet of transportation assets, and manufacturing engineers could pinpoint the location of the next load of materials in the supply chain.</p>
<p>Yet despite the potential value of these and other scenarios, companies have been hard-pressed to innovate on location-based solutions on a scale that provides meaningful ROI. Which is why we’re releasing today Azure Location Based Services (LBS), a new IoT offering meant to change all that.</p>
<p><a href="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2017/11/Los-Angeles-Traffic.png"><img class="alignleft wp-image-25234 size-medium" src="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2017/11/Los-Angeles-Traffic-e1511820458479-300x255.png" alt="" width="300" height="255" /></a></p>
<p>Azure LBS is the first public cloud offering that provides location-based services at enterprise scale, opening the door to a wide range of smart city and IoT solutions that can consume mapping, search, routing, traffic and time zone data.</p>
<p>Adding further value is our partnership with TomTom, which is supplying mapping and traffic data from millions of devices around the world. We’re working with TomTom in 100 cities, with more on the way. And companies such as <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2016/12/15/bringing-geographic-context-to-iot-scenarios-with-tomtom-here-and-esri/">ESRI</a>, Cubic and <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2016/12/09/fathyms-iot-enabled-weathercloud-enhances-driver-safety-during-inclement-weather/">Fathym</a> are already on board to build solutions that leverage Azure LBS.</p>
<p>To learn more about today’s announcement, read Sam George’s post on the <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/?p=52550266" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Official Microsoft Blog</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/11/28/new-azure-location-based-service-brings-greater-value-enterprise/">New Azure location-based service brings greater value to the enterprise</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">25219</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>Cleaning up the Ganges River with help from IoT</title>
<link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/11/21/cleaning-ganges-river-help-iot/</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 21 Nov 2017 17:00:58 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jerry Lee - Microsoft's director of product marketing, Data Platform and IoT]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Microsoft IoT]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Azure IoT Hub]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Azure Streaming Analytics]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Central Pollution Control Board]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[CPCB]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Ganges]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[India]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[s::can]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[TechSpan]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/?p=25090</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Springing from the Himalayan mountains and flowing into the Bay of Bengal, the Ganges has been the holy river of India for centuries. Personified as the goddess Gaṅgā, the Ganges is worshiped by Hindus who celebrate lost relatives by immersing their ashes in its waters, and who believe that bathing in the river causes the...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/11/21/cleaning-ganges-river-help-iot/">Cleaning up the Ganges River with help from IoT</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Springing from the Himalayan mountains and flowing into the Bay of Bengal, the Ganges has been the holy river of India for centuries. Personified as the goddess Gaṅgā, the Ganges is worshiped by Hindus who celebrate lost relatives by immersing their ashes in its waters, and who believe that bathing in the river causes the remission of sins and liberation from the cycle of life and death.</p>
<p>Stretching across nearly 1,600 miles, the Ganges is also an economic powerhouse and a vital lifeline for the country. The river provides water to about 40 percent of India’s population in 11 states, serving an estimated 700 million people. It is home to at least 150 species of animals and marine life, irrigates more than 140 million acres of arable land in the basin alone, and supports as much as 54 percent of India’s gross domestic product.</p>
<p>But for decades the Ganges has been in peril. Cities and populations in its path have expanded dramatically, demanding more from the river while leaking a growing scourge of urban refuse into it. In daily use by citizens, the Ganges is polluted with all manner of contaminants — from plastic bottles to sewage to industrial waste and even human remains. Agricultural runoff is up as well, while more dams and an increasingly arid environment slow the river’s renewing flow of fresh water.</p>
<p>In an effort to turn the situation around, three years ago the Indian government created a new ministry with a charter to restore, manage and monitor the Ganges. The <a href="http://cpcb.nic.in/">Central Pollution Control Board</a> (CPCB) has been tasked with the huge challenge of not only cleaning up the ancient river, but also monitoring its water quality levels to enforce requirements for each Indian state along the waterway.</p>
<p>To combat pollution and restore balance to the Ganges, the CPCB has turned to IoT. As part of its Digital India initiative, the government has been working with Indian ISV <a href="http://www.techspaneng.com/">TechSpan Engineering</a> to implement a monitoring system built on the Azure IoT platform, using sensors provided by the Austrian firm <a href="http://www.s-can.at/en/">s::can</a>.</p>
<figure id="attachment_25108" style="max-width: 900px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="wp-image-25108 size-full" src="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2017/11/Polluted-Ganga.png" alt="" width="900" height="624" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"><em>Taking a look at the numbers behind the devastating pollution of the Ganga River. Image courtesy or World Bank Group.</em></figcaption></figure>
<p>TechSpan’s EnLite water quality monitoring application and HydroQ+ portal were customized for the project. Using the power of the cloud, IOT and big data, the solution taps into the robust s::can sensors already in use by the CPCB to provide measurements across 17 parameters — from chloride and fluoride levels to temperature and color.</p>
<p>To bring the full power of the cloud and Azure data-handling to the solution, TechSpan is using Azure IoT capabilities such as Azure Stream Analytics, in conjunction with SQL Server, table/blog storage integration and more.</p>
<p>The solution now includes 36 monitoring stations, spread across 2,500 kilometers and spanning four Indian states. Every 15 minutes, the stations send data to the Azure IoT Hub capturing live water quality measurements. In the coming weeks the board plans to roll out 24 more stations, with an eventual goal of 200.</p>
<p>The data is being used initially to enforce environmental policies that apply to Indian States with shores on the great river. The approach is solving a longstanding political problem around enforcement, where states have routinely blamed each other for pollution.</p>
<blockquote><p>Through the real-time information being captured, the CPCB can clearly see which areas of the river are experiencing the most pollution, as well as the types of pollution present at each monitoring station. States with water quality levels falling outside established thresholds can face hefty fines or other incentives to drive adherence to water quality regulations.</p></blockquote>
<p>Along the way, the Indian government is collecting a vast supply of data on pollution trends, sources, chemical compositions and more. And as the board continues to build out its data-gathering capabilities, the system’s accuracy and effectiveness can be improved — through analytics, machine learning and bot-based solutions — to boost the potential of achieving a long-term win in the fight against pollution, for the Ganges and beyond.</p>
<p>With that goal in mind, the Azure-based solution from TechSpan has been made available to s::can—the Austrian firm is beginning to offer the technology globally so other companies can benefit from the innovation happening along the ancient shores of the Ganges.</p>
<p>It’s all part of how the near limitless adaptations of IoT can be used to solve the world’s most complex challenges. Monitoring the health of a river ecosystem across hundreds of miles may have seemed like an impossible task just a few years ago, but today IoT is creating a practical way for nations to care for these irreplaceable resources.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.InternetofYourThings.com"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-22980" src="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2018/03/ioytCTA_v4.png" alt="" width="250" height="50" /></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/11/21/cleaning-ganges-river-help-iot/">Cleaning up the Ganges River with help from IoT</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">25090</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>Azure IoT Edge brings AI and advanced analytics capabilities to the edge</title>
<link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/11/15/azure-iot-edge-brings-ai-advanced-analytics-capabilities-edge/</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 15 Nov 2017 16:30:16 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft IoT]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Microsoft IoT]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Azure IoT Edge]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[data analytics]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[iot]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Machine learning]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sandvik Cormorant]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[schneider electric]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/?p=24934</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Remote locations. Rugged job sites. Spotty connectivity. In many industries, such conditions are a reality, making Internet of Things scenarios such as cloud analytics and real-time response more costly and unpredictable. Today Microsoft announced the public preview of Azure IoT Edge, a new service that deploys cloud intelligence to local IoT devices via containers. We...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/11/15/azure-iot-edge-brings-ai-advanced-analytics-capabilities-edge/">Azure IoT Edge brings AI and advanced analytics capabilities to the edge</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Remote locations. Rugged job sites. Spotty connectivity. In many industries, such conditions are a reality, making Internet of Things scenarios such as cloud analytics and real-time response more costly and unpredictable. Today Microsoft announced the public preview of Azure IoT Edge, a new service that deploys cloud intelligence to local IoT devices via containers.</p>
<p>We are also previewing new AI and advanced analytics tools that you can use at the edge, such as AI Toolkit for Azure IoT Edge, Azure Machine Learning, Azure Stream Analytics and Azure Functions. These tools will run on top of Azure IoT Edge, enabling real-time analytics and actions to happen closer to the source of the data. This is important for mission critical settings like hospitals or factories where a second delay could be detrimental.</p>
<p>At Microsoft Build in May, Microsoft’s director of Azure IoT, Sam George, demonstrated how Sandvik Cormorant — a Swedish manufacturer of industrial-grade, precision cutting tools — is using Azure IoT to help customers worldwide avoid catastrophic failures of its machinery, which exceeds $ 1 million in replacement costs.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2017/C9C001/player" width="575" height="323" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Here’s what Magnus Ekbäck, Sandvik’s vice president of business development, said at the time about the benefits of Azure IoT Edge:</p>
<p>“We are streaming data from manufacturing machines, industrial equipment, pipelines and other remote devices connected to the Industrial Internet of Things. This creates a massive glut of operational data, which can be difficult — and expensive — to manage. By running the data through an analytics algorithm at the edge, inside a corporate network with Azure IoT Edge, we can set parameters on what information is worth sending to a cloud or on-premises data store for later use — and what isn’t.”</p>
<p>Added support for AI, Machine Learning, Stream Analytics and Functions on edge devices means companies will now be able to generate even greater insights into the state of their business operations. Support for Azure IoT Edge modules and runtime will enable companies to rapidly deploy apps and streamline management across their entire network. And Microsoft will continue working across the tech industry to make Azure IoT Edge a secure Intelligent Edge offering on any platform.</p>
<blockquote><p>“Azure IoT Edge provided an easy way to package and deploy our machine learning applications. Traditionally, machine learning is something that has only run in the cloud, but for many IoT scenarios that isn’t good enough, because you want to run your application as close as possible to any events. Now we have the flexibility to run it in the cloud or at the edge — wherever we need it to be.” — Matt Boujonnier, analytics application architect for Schneider Electric</p></blockquote>
<p>To find out more about today’s announcement, read Sam George’s <a href="https://aka.ms/iot-connect-blog">blog</a>. To learn more about how to get started, register for our webinar <a href="https://info.microsoft.com/ww-landing-get-started-azure-iot-edge-live.html">Get started with Azure IoT Edge</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.InternetofYourThings.com"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-22980" src="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2018/03/ioytCTA_v4.png" alt="" width="250" height="50" /></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/11/15/azure-iot-edge-brings-ai-advanced-analytics-capabilities-edge/">Azure IoT Edge brings AI and advanced analytics capabilities to the edge</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">24934</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>BTT Uses Microsoft IoT to Detect Brain Disease</title>
<link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/11/08/btt-uses-microsoft-iot-detect-brain-disease/</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2017 17:00:42 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft IoT]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Microsoft IoT]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Azure IoT Hub]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[BTT]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[healthcare]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[stream analytics]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/?p=24964</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The impact of degenerative brain diseases are horrifying and enormous. In the U.S. alone, for instance, 5.3 million people suffer from some form of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, driving over $200 billion in healthcare expenses a year. Despite this, methods for detecting these illnesses can rely on subjective criteria and are often not...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/11/08/btt-uses-microsoft-iot-detect-brain-disease/">BTT Uses Microsoft IoT to Detect Brain Disease</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The impact of degenerative brain diseases are horrifying and enormous. In the U.S. alone, for instance, 5.3 million people suffer from some form of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, driving over $200 billion in healthcare expenses a year. Despite this, methods for detecting these illnesses can rely on subjective criteria and are often not effective until it is too late.</p>
<p>However, BTT Corp., an innovative medical technology company and leader in brain thermodynamics, knew it could develop a better solution using Microsoft Internet of Things (IoT) technology.</p>
<p>BTT developed a system that measures the brain’s thermodynamic signals, generating a massive amount of data that can be used to identify specific diseases. To process the information, the system uses Azure IoT Hub to ingest data from a device worn by the patient, and then Stream Analytics stores that data for further analysis. The goal is to train predictive models to find thermal patterns and recognize unique correlations, even in very early stages of a brain disorder.</p>
<p>Today, BTT is at the forefront of improving care for those suffering from some of the most challenging neurological diseases. To learn more about this groundbreaking work, check out the video below.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/Microsoft-Technical-Case-Studies/Brain-Project/player" width="575" height="323" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="http://www.InternetofYourThings.com"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-22980" src="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2018/03/ioytCTA_v4.png" alt="" width="250" height="50" /></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/11/08/btt-uses-microsoft-iot-detect-brain-disease/">BTT Uses Microsoft IoT to Detect Brain Disease</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">24964</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>Fall Creators Update delivers speed, security, and intelligence to Windows 10 IoT solutions</title>
<link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/11/02/fall-creators-update-delivers-speed-security-intelligence-windows-10-iot-solutions/</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Nov 2017 16:00:20 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rushmi Malaviarachchi, Partner Group Program Manager]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Microsoft IoT]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Fall Creators Update]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Windows 10 IoT]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/?p=24898</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Prototype to production. With you all the way. Whether you’re exploring a new product idea for a cloud-connected device or looking to transform an existing product line to enable intelligence at the edge, Windows 10 IoT is a trusted, secure platform which gives you the power to bring a new solution to market. With each...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/11/02/fall-creators-update-delivers-speed-security-intelligence-windows-10-iot-solutions/">Fall Creators Update delivers speed, security, and intelligence to Windows 10 IoT solutions</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3><strong>Prototype to production. With you all the way.</strong></h3>
<p>Whether you’re exploring a new product idea for a cloud-connected device or looking to transform an existing product line to enable intelligence at the edge, Windows 10 IoT is a trusted, secure platform which gives you the power to bring a new solution to market. With each release, we continue to bring new functionality and innovation to Windows 10 IoT and we’re excited to share what’s new in the Fall Creators Update.</p>
<h3><strong>Bringing the solution together</strong></h3>
<p>One of the most challenging aspects of any IoT project is bringing together all the pieces and technologies needed to make a full solution. Windows 10 IoT simplifies this process by providing a more complete platform to start from. Today we’re announcing new Windows 10 IoT features with the Fall Creators Update that will enable developers to increase their productivity and bring IoT solutions to market faster.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Richer .NET API surface for UWP apps.</strong> The set of managed types that can be used to <a href="https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/xaml/mt185501.aspx?f=255&mspperror=-2147217396">build Universal Windows Platform apps</a> using C# or Visual Basic has been augmented with thousands of additional APIs to make it compliant with .NET Standard 2.0. These additional <a href="https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/dotnet/2017/08/25/uwp-net-standard-2-0-preview/">APIs and tooling in the Fall Creators Update</a> make it much easier to port existing .NET code and libraries to UWP.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The Universal Windows Platform (UWP) is ideally suited for building apps with natural user interfaces. We’ve improved <strong>ink support on Windows 10 IoT Core</strong> so that you can now <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/windows/uwp/input-and-devices/pen-and-stylus-interactions">utilize DirectInk APIs</a> for highlighter, pencil, and vector-based ink. We’ve also added XAML ink controls for UWP, including InkCanvas and InkToolbar, which enable stencils like rulers and protractors. Multi-modal interactions such as simultaneous pen and touch are also now supported on compatible hardware.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/windows/configuration/lock-down-windows-10-to-specific-apps">Assigned Access</a> is a feature in Windows 10 IoT Enterprise that enables single-purpose devices like kiosks to provide users with a specific experience by restricting a user account to using a single Universal Windows app. With the Fall Creators Update, we’ve <strong>expanded Assigned Access support </strong>to <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/configuration/lock-down-windows-10-to-specific-apps">allow running multiple UWP and Win32 apps</a> in a locked-down experience that can be configured from the cloud.</li>
<li>We’ve <strong>updated language capabilities</strong> on Windows 10 IoT Core to <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/iot-core/develop-your-app/multilang">support the following languages</a>: Chinese (Simplified, China), English (United Kingdom), English (United States), French (France), French (Canada), Spanish (Spain, International Sort), Spanish (Mexico).</li>
<li>Rather than having to build custom out-of-band management solutions to handle device-specific troubleshooting, we’ve enabled <a href="https://technet.microsoft.com/library/cc736319(v=ws.10).aspx">Emergency Management Services</a> on Windows 10 IoT Core. This provides an alternate communication channel to a device for performing low level hardware checks and basic troubleshooting tasks without relying on the operating system.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Many IoT devices interact with other hardware devices or the physical world via standard buses like GPIO, I2C, SPI, and UART. We’ve enabled <strong>user mode bus access on Windows 10 IoT Enterprise</strong> through the <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/windows/uwp/devices-sensors/enable-usermode-access">Windows.Devices APIs</a>, just like on Windows 10 IoT Core.</li>
<li>On certain types of IoT devices such as point-of-sale solutions, <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/uwp/api/Windows.Devices.PointOfService">low-power line displays</a> are important for communicating essential information to customers. We’ve <strong>extended support for controlling customer facing 2×20 line displays</strong> by enabling customization of the cursor style, brightness, blink rate, and character sets. We’ve also added support for custom glyphs, transaction descriptors, and marquee mode for scrolling text.</li>
<li>To monitor and manage Windows 10 IoT devices, we have released our <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/windows/iot-core/manage-your-device/AzureIoTDM"><strong>Device Management (DM) client</strong></a> which connects to Azure IoT Hub to provide a cloud-based device management solution. The DM client leverages the Configuration Service Provider (CSP) infrastructure in Windows used by other device management solutions, so now you can manage that same rich set of policies from the cloud. Visit the <a href="https://github.com/ms-iot/iot-core-azure-dm-client/">Windows IoT DM Client site</a> on GitHub for more details.</li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>See what’s coming with preview scenarios</strong></h3>
<p>In the Fall Creators Update we’re also providing a preview of new Windows 10 IoT functionality that you can evaluate in development.</p>
<p>We will continue to invest in building robust security directly into the platform, as well as augmenting those built-in security features with intelligent security services in the cloud.</p>
<ul>
<li>We’ve enabled support for <strong>hosting</strong> <strong>Nano Server containers [Preview]</strong> at the edge on 64-bit editions of Windows 10 IoT Core and Enterprise. <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/virtualization/windowscontainers/about/index">Using containers</a>, applications and their data can be isolated from each other and quickly moved from development to production, or from the cloud to the edge. This can improve application security and reliability as well as accelerate deployment by integrating with popular DevOps toolchains.</li>
<li>Windows 10 IoT Core now offers support for <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/device-security/protect-high-value-assets-by-controlling-the-health-of-windows-10-based-devices"><strong>Windows Device Health Attestation [Preview]</strong></a>. This feature allows management systems to leverage a trusted service to verify the device’s health state for reporting or even for protecting access to remote resources.</li>
</ul>
<p>Continuing with the direction we <a href="https://blogs.windows.com/business/2017/05/11/windows-10-iot-ready-microsoft-build-2017/">announced at Build</a> earlier this year to make Windows 10 IoT the best platform for connecting to Azure IoT, we’re simplifying the integration between Windows 10 IoT and Azure IoT.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/campaigns/iot-edge/"><strong>Azure IoT Edge</strong></a><strong> on Windows 10 IoT [Preview]</strong> allows IoT solutions to orchestrate intelligence between the cloud and edge devices to ensure applications and services can act on IoT data wherever it makes the most sense. This program is currently in preview – <a href="https://info.microsoft.com/azure-iot-edge-updates.html">sign up</a> to receive the latest information on the preview program and visit the <a href="https://github.com/Azure/iot-edge">Azure IoT Edge</a> page on GitHub for technical information.</li>
<li>Using the <strong>Azure IoT Hub Device Provisioning Service [Preview]</strong>, Windows 10 IoT devices can be manufactured with a common image and configured to connect automatically at first boot to Azure IoT Hub to retrieve device-specific provisioning information. The <a href="https://blogs.windows.com/buildingapps/2017/10/05/windows-10-iot-enables-complete-iot-lifecycle/">Device Provisioning Service</a> is designed to support millions of devices, enabling the provisioning of large scale deployments in a secure and consistent manner and automating what historically has been a complex and time-consuming process.</li>
</ul>
<p>We’d love to hear how these preview features are working in your IoT solutions. Based on feedback and additional refinements, we’ll make these features production-ready in a future release.</p>
<h3><strong>Next Steps</strong></h3>
<p>Windows 10 IoT is committed to providing the best platform for building cloud-connected devices that bring intelligence to the edge. We will continue to enhance our platform with each Windows 10 update. To learn more about how to build IoT solutions using Windows 10 IoT and get more details about the Windows 10 IoT Fall Creators Update, please visit us at <a href="http://www.windowsondevices.com">http://www.windowsondevices.com</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.InternetofYourThings.com"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-22980" src="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2018/03/ioytCTA_v4.png" alt="" width="250" height="50" /></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/11/02/fall-creators-update-delivers-speed-security-intelligence-windows-10-iot-solutions/">Fall Creators Update delivers speed, security, and intelligence to Windows 10 IoT solutions</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">24898</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>Breaking down the IoT journey | Business: Transformed</title>
<link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/10/24/breaking-iot-journey-business-transformed/</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 24 Oct 2017 16:00:35 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft IoT]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Microsoft IoT]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[born in the cloud companies]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking Down the IoT Journey]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[IDC MarketScape]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Internet of Things]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/?p=24772</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The end goal of your IoT journey is to transform not just physically, but mentally. You’ve connected the appropriate devices and identified the data that will provide the greatest value in terms of ROI. Now it’s time to tap into that data and begin making it a part of how your business works. If you...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/10/24/breaking-iot-journey-business-transformed/">Breaking down the IoT journey | Business: Transformed</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The end goal of your IoT journey is to transform not just physically, but mentally. You’ve connected the appropriate devices and identified the data that will provide the greatest value in terms of ROI. Now it’s time to tap into that data and begin making it a part of how your business works. If you understand how information can change the way you do business, you’ve made it to the final stage of the IoT journey.</p>
<p>“Born in the cloud” companies such as Lyft and Airbnb started with a disruptive mindset. Their creative approach allows them to adapt more rapidly. Now is the time for your organization to fully embrace a data-driven mindset. Regardless of the age or industry of your company, you can transform its mindset by being open to change. A business that is set up to capture and analyze information is simply better at adapting and can move more quickly. Consider traditional industries – banks and airlines, for example – that are used to doing things in a certain way. That historical mindset is difficult to break. But without asking the tough questions and making the difficult decisions, enterprise companies get stuck in a rut of doing business a certain way. They get left behind.</p>
<p>You may be collecting more data than you know what to do with. Collect it anyway. You might not understand the use for some of the data you are storing. Save it anyway. That data has tremendous value. The ability to call up collected information and identify historical performance trends is invaluable, both in the time it saves and the knowledge it provides. Instead of starting from scratch, data gives you the tools to start smarter, make faster decisions, and ultimately increase your bottom line.</p>
<p>In fact, a recent Keystone Strategy study suggests that companies that transform to a data-driven mindset are able to:</p>
<ul>
<li>Harness real-time data to deliver highly personalized customer experiences</li>
<li>Optimize production runs based on forecasted demand</li>
<li>Predict and minimize downtime</li>
<li>Anticipate order fluctuations</li>
<li>Empower employees with access to BI and data vis tools</li>
<li>Keep pace with change</li>
</ul>
<p>Legacy companies that aren’t open to change become irrelevant in a digital-first world. But those that can embrace change and transform their mindsets with a fully connected infrastructure are more nimble, respond to customers more quickly, and improve their overall performance. Companies across a wide range of industries are adopting a digital mindset that allows them to explore new territories, experiment with new concepts, and deliver products and services to customers in new ways.</p>
<p>The connected landscape presents challenges, but it also creates opportunities. And with a data-driven strategy, your organization is in a position to better align business processes with the pace of technology and remain relevant well into the future.</p>
<p>Microsoft Azure IoT is focused on helping enterprise companies differentiate themselves in a digital-first landscape. <a href="https://info.microsoft.com/en-us-landing-idc-marketscape-worldwide-iot-platforms.html">Download an excerpt of the IDC MarketScape report</a> to learn more about the key players in IoT and how Microsoft can shorten your data journey.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.InternetofYourThings.com"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-22980" src="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2018/03/ioytCTA_v4.png" alt="" width="250" height="50" /></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/10/24/breaking-iot-journey-business-transformed/">Breaking down the IoT journey | Business: Transformed</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">24772</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>IoT watch helps hotel enhance services and iron out housekeeping logistics</title>
<link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/10/19/iot-watch-helps-hotel-enhance-services-iron-housekeeping-logistics/</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 19 Oct 2017 16:00:22 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft IoT]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Microsoft IoT]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[customer story]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[digital transformation]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Hospitality]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Microsoft Azure IoT]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Smart watch]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Trekstor]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Windows IoT Core]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/?p=24826</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>In the hospitality industry, guest service has always been the cornerstone of a successful property. Now, Germany’s Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts is using Microsoft IoT technologies to enhance hotel management and help staff deliver timely service and improve operational efficiencies. At the start of each shift, housekeeping employees strap on a smart watch powered by...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/10/19/iot-watch-helps-hotel-enhance-services-iron-housekeeping-logistics/">IoT watch helps hotel enhance services and iron out housekeeping logistics</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In the hospitality industry, guest service has always been the cornerstone of a successful property. Now, Germany’s Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts is using Microsoft IoT technologies to enhance hotel management and help staff deliver timely service and improve operational efficiencies.</p>
<p>At the start of each shift, housekeeping employees strap on a smart watch powered by <a href="https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/iot">Windows IoT Core</a> and Azure IoT. The IoT-enabled watch, manufactured by Microsoft partner <a href="http://www.trekstor.de/home-en.html">Trekstor</a>, uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to enable staff and managers to communicate by voice or text. It also runs a version of the hotel’s property-management solution that enables managers to trace and dispatch staff to fulfill guest needs in real time, as well as iron out the logistical challenges of daily housekeeping.</p>
<div class="video-container responsive-youtube oembed-container"><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='995' height='590' src='https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/F3mRDCTHBT0?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'></iframe></div>
<p>Synching communications among staff and managers is critical to optimizing a hotel’s back-of-house operations, delivering superior guest service, and ultimately helping ensure business success.</p>
<p>Read <a href="https://blogs.windows.com/business/2017/08/29/steigenberger-airport-hotel-transforms-back-of-house-operations-with-windows-10-iot-and-microsoft-azure-iot/#VxUzC08KDOjUJacd.97">the Windows for your Business blog post</a> to find out more about how Microsoft’s new wearable IoT solution can help hotels improve efficiencies and guest services. You can also learn more about how other hospitality companies are harnessing the power of the IoT with <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsforbusiness/industry-hospitality">Windows for Hospitality</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.InternetofYourThings.com"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-22980" src="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2018/03/ioytCTA_v4.png" alt="" width="250" height="50" /></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/10/19/iot-watch-helps-hotel-enhance-services-iron-housekeeping-logistics/">IoT watch helps hotel enhance services and iron out housekeeping logistics</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">24826</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>Breaking down the IoT journey | The ROI of IoT</title>
<link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/10/17/breaking-iot-journey-roi-iot/</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 17 Oct 2017 16:00:42 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft IoT]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Microsoft IoT]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking Down the IoT Journey]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[IDC MarketScape]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Internet of Things]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ROI]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/?p=24760</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The Internet of Things seeks to achieve two basic outcomes: to help you save money, and to help you make money. And the currency of IoT is data. With a digital-first mindset, you have discovered the business value of connected devices and identified those devices that offer the greatest potential. Now that those connected devices...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/10/17/breaking-iot-journey-roi-iot/">Breaking down the IoT journey | The ROI of IoT</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Internet of Things seeks to achieve two basic outcomes: to help you save money, and to help you make money. And the currency of IoT is data.</p>
<p>With a digital-first mindset, you have discovered the business value of connected devices and identified those devices that offer the greatest potential. Now that those connected devices are collecting data, the next step in your IoT journey is to think about how you can get the most value from that data.</p>
<p>Enterprises that store, secure, analyze, report on, and begin to take action on their data have the greatest opportunity to improve their business.</p>
<h3><strong>Begin with the end in mind</strong></h3>
<p>When tackling the question of ROI, it’s critical to begin with a clear end in mind. Understand what piece of the equation is under the microscope and take the time to set up the right commands to gain the most long-term value. Though the total value might not yet be realized, having an understanding of what you want to accomplish will help you focus on what data you need to gather. Choose one use case and look for potential problems and even unintended solutions in your data. Those “aha” moments can help you better identify challenges, tweak data and see all the possibilities that can help you build a strong model for ROI.</p>
<p>A Keystone study on data-driven enterprises shows that companies that thought through their data use cases – not just what data their collecting, but who can use it, how it’s stored, and how to make it available in real time rather than just reactively – are more profitable, more efficient and more engaged with their customers. Specifically, these data leaders realize an average</p>
<ul>
<li>$100 million higher margins</li>
<li>$34k in revenue per employee</li>
<li>just 1% higher IT spend</li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>Save Money</strong></h3>
<p>The data gleaned from connected devices will allow you to optimize performance, reduce risk, and use resources more efficiently. Consider a large enterprise with a dozen conference rooms shared among hundreds of employees. Teams can schedule meetings in these spaces in advance. But what happens when a meeting is cancelled, or ends early? A smart building can collect data on how employees are using each space, move machines away from low-use areas, create new facilities in locations where they are most needed, and conserve energy in the form of lights, air conditioning and heat when it’s not.</p>
<p>Connected devices provide data that can help you be smarter about how you use products and services, help you use resources more efficiently, and lower costs for a stronger bottom line.</p>
<h3><strong>Make money</strong></h3>
<p>Enterprises are discovering that the best way to build business is to offer value added services to the products they already sell. The data you gather from your connected devices can help you understand how customers interact with the items they purchased from you, and what value you can add on an ongoing basis. Car manufacturers build a single engine style, and are able to convert it, tuning up the power based on what customers want. Smart phones come with variable storage, appliances with tiers of service, and features can be turned on and off remotely to meet highly specific customer needs.</p>
<p>Understanding what services your enterprise can add that will offer additional value and encourage ongoing engagement with customers is a critical component to realizing the business value of IoT and how to make money from your data.</p>
<p><a href="https://info.microsoft.com/en-us-landing-idc-marketscape-worldwide-iot-platforms.html">Download an excerpt of the IDC MarketScape</a> report to learn more about key players in the market who may be able to help your organization captures and analyzes the data and increase your bottom line.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.InternetofYourThings.com"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-22980" src="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2018/03/ioytCTA_v4.png" alt="" width="250" height="50" /></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/10/17/breaking-iot-journey-roi-iot/">Breaking down the IoT journey | The ROI of IoT</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">24760</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>Breaking down the IoT journey | A holistic approach to IoT</title>
<link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/10/10/breaking-iot-journey-holistic-approach-iot/</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 10 Oct 2017 16:00:54 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft IoT]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Microsoft IoT]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking Down the IoT Journey]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[IDC MarketScape]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Internet of Things]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[IoT security]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/?p=24745</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The Internet of Things is more than the act of deploying modern tools or working in the cloud. Today’s “born in the cloud” companies are succeeding because they started with a transformational mindset. For mature companies in legacy industries such as banking and manufacturing, developing that mindset is not so simple. Change is hard. But...</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/10/10/breaking-iot-journey-holistic-approach-iot/">Breaking down the IoT journey | A holistic approach to IoT</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Internet of Things is more than the act of deploying modern tools or working in the cloud. Today’s “born in the cloud” companies are succeeding because they started with a transformational mindset. For mature companies in legacy industries such as banking and manufacturing, developing that mindset is not so simple.</p>
<p>Change is hard. But it is possible, and the rewards are great. In fact, a recent study by <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/firehose/2016/09/21/study-data-leaders-consistently-outperform-peers-in-core-business-metrics/">Keystone Strategy</a> shows that digital leaders realize significantly better gross margins, higher earnings, and higher net income than those lagging in their digital transformation.</p>
<p>If IoT is to have a tremendous impact on profit trajectory, it must be approached in the correct way. The main goal of IoT is to gather data that we can use to learn about a business and its customers. To manage the complexities of connected devices, we have to begin the journey with a security mindset.</p>
<h3><strong>A secure foundation</strong></h3>
<p>Security is not something that can be tackled once. It’s an ever-present challenge – a principal to be maintained. Starting an IoT journey without considering the who, what, when, and where can cause problems from the outset. The technical, virtual, and physical security of IoT must be the foundation of your strategy. Consider:</p>
<ul>
<li>Who needs the data?</li>
<li>When is it collected?</li>
<li>How is it stored?</li>
<li>How is it secured?</li>
<li>How can we make it accessible?</li>
<li>When, how, and where will the data be reviewed and reported on?</li>
</ul>
<p>A security mindset should define everything an organization does with regard to IoT. Taking a thoughtful, proactive approach can help to define the type of security your organization needs.</p>
<h3><strong>Solve for X</strong></h3>
<p>A holistic approach to IoT starts by connecting those devices that can get us closer to our data and provide valuable information. If a device can be connected, we need to understand what business intelligence we can glean from it and how to go about creating a plan to capture and distribute it.</p>
<p>Create a use case for each device to consider how the data will be made available to the right people, at the right time, in the right way. For example, a connected machine on a factory floor, should provide data to its operators that can help to keep it running and even predict future outcomes. A device that manufactures inventory might be connected to supply systems, field service reps, and sales people so that each department knows how much inventory is available, when inventory is running low, when to order additional components, and how long it might take to fill an order.</p>
<h3><strong>Location, Location, Location</strong></h3>
<p>The location of connected devices can have an impact on how data is collected. If the physical location of a device is outdoors, consider whether it needs to be protected from the elements once it’s connected. If it’s in a remote location, will you need to have physical access to it? If the device is in a public location, will it needed to be secured or hidden for any reason? And perhaps most importantly, does the location of a device create connectivity problems? In addition to knowing what data will be collected, understanding how it is being collected is an important part of a successful IoT strategy.</p>
<p>It’s common for organizations to consider the connection, the storage and the access of a device, but thinking of each of these things in silos is dangerous. A thoughtful, holistic approach to security will help to define the type of equipment to connect and deploy. The more devices you connect, the more you’ll need to manage at scale and for security and compliance.</p>
<p>As a leader in the IoT landscape, Microsoft addresses each of these challenges to get enterprises to their data faster. <a href="https://info.microsoft.com/en-us-landing-idc-marketscape-worldwide-iot-platforms.html">Download an excerpt of the IDC MarketScape report</a> for more information.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.InternetofYourThings.com"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-22980" src="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2018/03/ioytCTA_v4.png" alt="" width="250" height="50" /></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot/2017/10/10/breaking-iot-journey-holistic-approach-iot/">Breaking down the IoT journey | A holistic approach to IoT</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/iot">Internet of Things</a>.</p>
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