European operators have made further inroads into the Internet of Things, with Deutsche Telekom unveiling a multi-IoT platform at its House of Clouds and Swisscom completing the first stage of its LoRa rollout.
Deutsche Telekom’s new offering brings together the likes of the cloud-based Microsoft’s Azure, Cisco’s Fog and Huawei’s IoT data platforms.
The platform, which is based at its “House of Clouds” cloud data centre in Biere, collects data from the range of sensors and connected machines and directs it to the preferred destination for processing.
Anette Bronder, Director of T-Systems’ Digital Division, said: “According to a study by PAC, we’ve only captured five percent of the potential of the IoT. This is due, among other factors, to the highly fragmented market, which requires users to manage many different specialist suppliers. We now offer a scalable, pan-industry platform, together with plug-and-play starter packages to help companies begin using the IoT.”
A starter package for predictive maintenance includes sensors for recording machine conditions, connectivity, use of the IoT platform and presentation of it on a web-based dashboard.
Deutsche Telekom said it will boost this with a data analytics service in the coming months.
Meanwhile, Swisscom has announced it has now covered 75 percent of the country’s population with a LoRa-based IoT network.
Companies already using the network include insurance company Mobiliar, whose FindMe tracker can be used to find the likes of keys, bicycles and luggage.
Migros is testing a platform that allocates meeting rooms on the basis of occupancy, rather than whether it is booked. Sensors also ensure lighting and ventilation is only used if the room is in use.
In total, more than 30 companies are hosting pilot projects on the network, which was first rolled out in March this year.
Jaap Vossen, Head of Product Management Mobile Business Services and IoT, explained: “When discussing the Internet of Things, many customers wonder whether it is really an issue for them. A few months later, they are launching their first networked products. With LPN they are able to significantly reduce the phasing-in period.”
The operator added it is on track to cover 80 percent of the population as well as cover all major cities by the end of the year.
It is also opening an Experience Centre in Zurich by the end of the year, where the hardware and technology will be on display.