Tech Giants Take the Stage to Discuss the Internet of Things

Microsoft’s Nick Parkeron stage at COMPUTEX in a keynote to discuss the company’s thoughts on the Internet of Things. (Image courtesy of COMPUTEX TAIPEI.)

COMPUTEX, a long-running annual information and communications technology (ICT) show hosted in Taiwan, recently came to a close. Of special interest to Internet of Things (IoT) engineers was the CPX Conference, an event in which industry leaders delivered keynotes discussing their plans and predictions for IoT technology.

Following are some highlights of the CPX Conference.

Cooperation Is the Key to IoT Success

One takeaway from the conference was given in a panel of ICT companies discussing the need for inter company cooperation in order to reach the IoT’s full potential. While this is a shift from the usual paradigm between companies in a competitive industry, the panel stressed that IoT solutions and technologies must cooperate across brands to fully capture the benefits of a connected ecosystem.

The idea of interoperability is not new, but it bears repeating. It’s clear that some companies already understand the importance of collaboration to meet the needs of consumers and businesses alike, while those that don’t may find themselves pushed out of the market entirely. Considering the CPX panel discussion, it seems that more and more ICT companies are realizing the need to work together.

Cisco Sees Smart Cities on the Horizon

Smart streetlights in the city of Hamburg, Germany, use sensors to turn off if there are no cars passing by, saving both energy and money. (Image courtesy of Cisco.)

Cisco’s CPX talk focused on the company’s partnership with the port city of Hamburg, Germany, and how the two are implementing IoT solutions to develop a sophisticated smart city.

These solutions include smart streetlights that turn on only when needed, real-time traffic monitoring to improve road conditions, public virtual kiosks to allow citizens to easily interact with government officials, environmental sensors to improve air quality and assist shipping vessels and more.

ARM Envisions IoT Health Care

ARM CEO Simon Segars’ keynote discussed the diverse industrial potential of the IoT, and showcased collaborations with Advantech and Delta Electronics. Besides the industrial advantages, Segars also pointed out the possibilities of the IoT in healthcare.

Health-care IoT applications already exist, but there remains a lot of potential yet to be unlocked. IoT technology can be used to aggregate and analyze patient data to facilitate diagnosis, predict future problems and notify caretakers of emergencies.

Microsoft Is Making Mixed Reality a Reality

The Microsoft HoloLens allows users to interact with high-definition holograms projected onto a real space. (Image courtesy of Microsoft.)

Microsoft’s keynote presented the possibilities of mixed, or augmented, reality, and the ability of users to interact with high-definition holograms within a real-world setting. Microsoft has been driving this vision with its HoloLens headset, powered by the Windows Holographic platform.

What’s more, Microsoft invited its hardware partners to develop virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) devices for the platform. Opening the platform to such partners as Intel, Qualcomm, AMD and more will help usher in Microsoft’s vision of a connected future in which users will work and communicate using VR and AR technology.

Microsoft provided a demonstration of this concept in the form of engineers using VR to collaborate on the design of a motorcycle.

Siemens Is Interested in Industry 4.0

Siemens Taiwan CEO Erdal Elver used his keynote to discuss the future of manufacturing. He addressed the idea of Industry 4.0, an industrial revolution that hopes to see IoT technology being fully utilized in so-called smart factories.

“Industry 4.0 enables communications between devices and between products and production facilities. It connects the virtual and real world,” said Elver, who sees the transformation to digital technologies, automation and virtual planning as critical for enterprises wanting to maximize productivity.

To learn more about the direction of connected devices, read: “Top 3 Internet of Things Trends Behind the Scenes at CES.”