10 Blockbuster Internet Of Things Products, Partnerships At IoT Solutions World Congress

New IoT Products And Platforms

Vendors gathered at the Internet of Things Solutions World Congress this week in Barcelona to show off their new connected products, security offerings and IoT platforms.

The conference occurred only a few days after a Distributed Denial of Service attack was launched through vulnerable connected devices, blocking off more than 1,200 websites across the U.S. and putting IoT security at the forefront of the IoT arena.

Beyond security, however, companies including ARM, Intel and others lifted the curtain on new chips, modules and partnerships.

Following are 10 new products and partnerships that caught our eye at IoT Solutions World Congress.

ARM Cortex-M33

Semiconductor design company ARM lifted the curtain on two embedded processors based on the ARMv8-M architecture, which it said "brings the secure foundation of ARM TrustZone to the most constrained IoT nodes."

One of these processors, the Cortex-M33, features configuration options such as a co-processor interface to enable tightly coupled custom processing while "retaining the benefits of a vibrant tools ecosystem," the Cambridge, U.K.-based company said. ARM boasts that its processor provides a 20 percent boost in performance compared with its existing Cortex-M3 and Cortex-M4 processors.

ARM Cortex-M23

ARM revealed a second processor during IoT Solutions World Congress, the Cortex-M23, which it said is designed to work seamlessly with the Cortex-M33.

The Cortex-M23, which is also based on the ARMv8-M architecture and features TrustZone technology, brings security to even the most constrained devices and is built for small, "energy-sipping" IoT and embedded products, according to the company.

The Cortex-M33 and Cortex-M23 leverage ARM's TrustZone technology, which is designed to secure data, firmware and peripherals while reducing the amount of code needed for secure embedded offerings.

ARM Cloud-Based SaaS Platform

ARM also said it is securing IoT device management with the launch of its first cloud-based Software-as-a-Service platform. The platform extends ARM's mbed IoT device platform to include mbed Cloud, its new standards platform for secure device management across IoT devices.

Through this platform, OEMs can simplify the connection, updating and securing of devices across complex networks, as well as enable faster scaling and time to market – so developers can use any device on any cloud.

As part of mbed Cloud, customers can use their IT infrastructure to connect and recognize their devices in a network, configure device virtualization, or add it securely to any cloud.

Intel's Atom E3900 Series

Intel debuted a new generation of Atom processors for Internet of Things applications, dubbed the E3900 series. The processors are built to support the rapid development and "growing complexity" of IoT businesses, and will be sold through the channel, according to Intel, Santa Clara, Calif.

Intel boasts that its new series packs more than 1.7 times the computing power compared with its previous generation.

The E3900 Series is also designed to enable faster memory speeds and memory bandwidth, providing the efficient processing capability needed for edge to cloud network computing, Intel said. The processors are built into a compact flip chip ball grid array (FCBGA) and feature 14-nanometer silicon technology, allowing them to deliver a range of IoT applications.

Microsoft Security Program For Azure

Microsoft rolled out a new Security Program for Azure IoT, which it touts as another layer of security over its platform.

The cloud-based program works from the ground up to examine business devices and assets to gateways, as well as communication to the cloud. It will also pair customers with third-party auditors who can come on-site to perform security audits. The company has a few auditors already on tap so far, including CyberX, Praetorian and Casaba Security.

"The whole goal here is to provide an additional layer of security for customers who use our enterprise-grade security, but are also building solutions on top of that and want to make sure they are secure," said Sam George, director of IoT at Microsoft, Redmond, Wash.

Microsoft Device Certification Program

Microsoft also launched an Azure IoT Certified Device Catalog, which helps partners work with customers to choose the best devices. This catalog extends the Microsoft Azure Certified IoT program, which certifies that devices are tested and verified to work with Azure IoT. The program tells customers how devices connect to the internet, which sensors they work with, and the industry protocols they are capable of processing. The program has certified 175 devices from 100 partners – ranging from prototypes to commercial.

"This is helpful for customers who want to find specific devices to meet all their needs," said Microsoft's George. "The catalog also provides searching capabilities."

Tech Data, Dell And Nexiona Launch MIIMETIQ Edge Platform

Tech Data teamed up with Dell, Round Rock, Texas, and Nexiona, Barcelona, on the launch of all-in-one Internet of Things development platform, called MIIMETIQ Edge. The platform enables systems integrators and service providers to jump-start their IoT projects.

The platform is available as an integrated offering with the Dell Edge Gateway 5000 series for rapid IoT framework development, from proof of concept to enterprise deployment.

This platform is part of Clearwater, Fla.-based Tech Data's SmartForce IoT lineup, which features a portfolio of end-to-end offerings for partners to understand the benefits of IoT.

HPE, PTC Partner For Availability Of Converged IoT Solutions

Palo Alto, Calif.-based Hewlett Packard Enterprise and PTC revealed at the show that they will collaborate to facilitate the availability of converged Internet of Things offerings.

These offerings will be based on PTC's ThingWorx software and HPE's Edgeline systems. The partnership will focus primarily on industrial use cases, and aims to develop pre-tested hardware and software platforms for customers to solve IoT data management problems and more efficiently make decisions based on sensor data.

The solutions will include sensors, edge compute, real-time edge analytics, machine learning and augmented reality, according to PTC, Needham, Mass.

National Instruments Pairs Up With SparkCognition, IBM For IoT Testbeds

National Instruments said it will partner with IBM, Armonk, N.Y., and SparkCognition, Austin, Texas, to collaborate on a condition monitoring and predictive maintenance testbed.

According to Austin-based National Instruments, the goal of this collaboration is to deliver "an unprecedented level of interoperability" among operational technology and IT.

National Instruments will pair its software platform with SparkCognition's cognitive analytics to help increase operational efficiencies and safety and decrease maintenance costs.

InterDigital's New Version Of oneMPOWER

Mobile technology research and development company InterDigital at IoT Solutions World Congress unveiled a new version of its IoT platform, oneMPOWER. This platform is based on the oneM2M standard that defines requirements, interoperability and interface specifications for technologies.

The updated version of the platform includes lightweight M2M device management with intuitive user interface, complex event processing and advanced security features.

"These advanced features are all key to a comprehensive and flexible IoT application enabling platform," said Wilmington, Del.-based InterDigital in a statement.