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Monthly Archives: September 2015

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Decoding How IoT Works: Cloud & Mobility

Category : Embedded Blog

This is part 2 of our series on decoding the components of the IoT ecosystem/set-up. The data flow starts when sensors fetch raw data from your devices and send it to the IoT gateway, as explained in Decoding how IoT works : Sensor Networks and IoT Gateways. Here is what happens next.

From the gateway, this data is sent to the cloud, where it’s made actionable, and finally to your mobile or desktop.

Cloud-based services and solutions

The cloud is an amazing thing—besides storing data, it’s where sense is derived from all this information, which can be then put to use, and you can give commands from web dashboard. How does all of this happen, and how can you make it work for you? Embitel’s experienced engineers explain.

sensor network

Software engineer Omprakash Punumalli terms the cloud as the ‘brain’ of IoT. “Communication can happen (with some restrictions) without the gateway, but all data processing happens because of the cloud.” Raw data is transmitted to the cloud through MQTT protocol, on which machine learning algorithms and other big data analysis is performed, and information is derived.

What time are the lights switched on every day, at what temperature is the AC set regularly, how many hours has your appliance run, how much longer before the device is due for servicing—these are some of the useful pieces of actionable information the cloud can derive from the data, and make predictions for you.

This information is then transmitted to the mobile app or web dashboard using RESTful APIs and JSON query. “An adept engineer can apply the right algorithms or even write new ones to help you make the best use of the data in cloud, best suited to your needs,” says Om.

Smart solutions on mobile

Mayank Joshi specializes in working on mobile applications for IoT. “The app is not only a platform for the end-users to connect with, control and monitor the devices, but it is also the only touch-point to perform tasks like sending push notifications to users, and implementing location and proximity specific features like beacons,” explains Mayank.

Embitel’s team has succeeded in designing apps that have a universal look and feel across different devices (mobiles and tablets) and versions of the devices. The apps support a variety of features.

One can group events to run in tandem, such as turning off the lights at 5am, while turning on the hot water, opening the blinds and playing soft music—all aligned to, say, ‘good morning’ mode. One can equip them with beacon technology, so if you’re a garment retailer, your customer (who has your app on his phone) is alerted about the new discounts in the store when he comes within a specified proximity. If the cloud has gathered data on the run time of your appliance, the app will display a warning as the end of its life draws near. So while the primary role of the app is represent information, the kind of information it disseminates and the timely push notifications it can provide make all the difference.

Know more about Embitel’s IoT and mobility offerings for home automation and ecommerce

If you have any query/feedback, connect with us at sales@embitel.com to set-up a conversation!

Follow us on LinkedIn for more technology updates


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Magento implementation for Alosra Select: Bahrain’s Leading Retailer

Alosra Supermarket is one of Bahrain’s most quality-driven premium retailers. Alosra has been able to build a brand that is trusted by customers thanks to consistent quality delivery of a wide range of local and international products for over 30 years. It was also the first supermarket in the country to implement IMS.

Alosra collaborated with Embitel Technologies for Magento Ecommerce Platform implementation and Mobile App design and development.

Business Challenge:

The existing Magento setup of Alosra was not technically sound and therefore it wasn’t suited to or integrated with various business functions.

As the existing setup was designed on older version of Magento, it led to problems of slower response time and buggy features with repercussions of unpleasant customer experience.

Ecommerce Solution:

  • Existing platform audit and analysis of features
  • Platform takeover, health check, code optimization & upgrade to latest stable enterprise version
  • Present usability suggestions for design, followed by Implementation of new design theme
  • One-time development project to overcome all bottlenecks and for enhancements
  • A dedicated team for continuous enhancements and support
  • Mobile App development for better conversion and usability
Embitel Impact:
  • Responsive design
  • Store pick-up shipping method successfully implemented
  • ERP integrated till store level
  • Display of new products & feature products
  • Order Edit option at backend without cancelling

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hybris Commerce Suite: Speed-to-Market with hybris Android App SDK

Wiki says an App is ‘a self-contained program or piece of software designed to fulfill a particular purpose:’

Thanks to the innovative human mind and its quest to make a technology driven better tomorrow, we now have apps to fulfill purposes ranging from grocery shopping to personal wealth management and banking!

As consumers, we’re fascinated by well-designed Apps and their intuitive UI that simplifies the way we shop or bank. But the experience of designing and developing a Software App is equally exciting and involves a lot of creativity and exceptional problem-solving abilities.

To help you understand this journey of App Development in detail, here are some insights from Puneet Ahuja, Software Engineer, Embitel Technologies.

Puneet has been a part of the team that has been designing and developing Ecommerce Apps for various brands of one of India’s leading retail conglomerates.

These Native Android Apps are designed using hybris Android SDK as the ecommerce web-stores of this customer have been developed by Embitel on hybris platform to implement Omnichannel Capabilities.

“Though a well-defined and simplified UI with user friendly navigations is critical, it is the responsiveness of your app that is key to ensure customer loyalty,” says Puneet. “This responsiveness depends on the speed of interaction with the backend (database), and hybris platform is most powerful in this aspect.”

According to him, working with Android SDK of hybris Commerce Suite 5.2 ensured that App Development time was reduced substantially and hence enabled the customer to go live ahead of time!

The available components of the hybris Android SDK and associated APIs made customization of the following common features simpler and faster:

  • Login Page and its backend
  • Product free search feature
  • PLP (Product Listing Pages)
  • Category Pages
  • PDP (Product Description Pages)
  • Add to Cart feature

This allowed the development team to spend more time and efforts on achieving a seamless UX!

“For a B2C app, a well-designed Home Page is also critical. Easy access to the Top Sellers, Promotional Deals and various categories of products ensures the buyer hits that divine Add-to-cart button,” says Puneet.

So, is there a certain process that a developer follows to bring that piece of code (an app) to life? Well, there is a whole software engineering science (and art) behind this. But to briefly describe the entire process, following are the critical components of this process:

  • After brainstorming and defining the purpose of the App, Visual Designs (VDs) and Backend are designed
  • As per the VDs, native codes are written to create tones of UI files
  • These UI files are connected to the back-end using RESTful APIs to implement various App features

If you have any query/feedback, connect with us at sales@embitel.com to set-up a conversation!

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Embitel Technologies selected as Top 10 companies to present IoT solutions at Oil and Gas CleanTech Challenge in Colorado, USA

Category : Press

 

IoT services

Embitel Technologies Inc., is honored to have been selected as a Top 10 presenting companies at the second annual Oil and Gas Cleantech Challenge (OGCC) 2015, sponsored by the Colorado Cleantech Industries Association (CCIA).

In partnership with Noble Energy, Encana and ConocoPhillips, CCIA identified significant technology needs of Oil and Natural Gas companies, focused on efficient, safe and clean energy management

A call for innovative technology solutions was distributed across US and several clean technology companies were evaluated based on their ability to demonstrate proven and value-added applications of IoT in the Oil & Gas sector.

Embitel Technologies showcased their IoT solutions, under the category ‘The Internet of Things/Digital Oilfield’, on September 2, 2015 at the Governor’s Mansion in downtown Denver, Colorado. Under this category, the participating companies were expected to demonstrate proven and value-add applications of IoT in the Oil & Gas sector.

“Embitel was selected to showcase IoT applications based on our ability to bring cross-industry experience and technology to the Oil & Gas eco-system,” says Lyle Shuey, Embitel’s VP of Product Engineering Services for the Americas. Lyle shared Embitel’s expertise in sensor networks, IoT gateways, cloud communications, and user interfaces, and how these technologies can deliver valuable and timely information to key decision makers. Shuey also stated, “Embitel’s IoT gateway technology can integrate different sensor protocols into single IoT Gateway communication standard, enabling multiple sensor platforms to communicate through the IoT network.”

Sponsor Company ConocoPhillips stated that the return on investment for IoT technology has been clearly quantified within the Oil & Gas eco-system. Integrating various sensor technologies into a common IoT gateway is a key enabling factor for successful IoT implementation.

Learn more about the Oil & Gas Cleantech Challenge, its partners, and the presenting companies at Oil and Gas Cleantech Challenge 2015, a Product Innovation Showcase.(url – http://coloradocleantech.com/oilgaschallenge/)

About Embitel Technologies:

“Delivered with Passion” – an experience which our customers & partners have shared with us for more than 8 years of business collaboration & success.Embitel is a Product Engineering Services company with certified and highly efficient quality and offshore/onsite project management and delivery processes.We have been collaborating with our global clients and partners to make their products, systems and processes IoT enabled.

IoT services

Details about our IoT services portfolio:

  • Sensor networks: Hands-on experience with ZigBee, ModBus, Profinet, Bluetooth and Wifi technologies. Active member of EnOcean Alliance
  • Custom IoT Gateway solutions: Custom IoT Gateway solutions to enable compatibility between sensor networks and end-user devices
  • Cloud: Design, development and integration of cloud based SaaS. Data Analytics to facilitate proactive decision making
  • Mobile Apps and UX: Deliver ‘delight’ to your end-users with our intuitive UI/UX. Support for a wide range of platforms/devices

For more details, please refer to this link – IoT Service Offerings

 


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End to End IoT Solutions: Connected Devices Through Gateways and the Internet

If you haven’t been living under a rock, you would be familiar with the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT is the technological advancement that is set to bring about a major change in our day-to-day lives. End to end IoT solutions include devices fitted with sensors, IoT cloud platform, user interfaces and sometimes, IoT gateways that provide a host of additional benefits.

IoT solutions are not just limited to domestic and commercial applications; the extensive benefits these offer in Industry 4.0 are set to revolutionize the efficiency of manufacturing technologies and processes. With IoT cited as the next big thing for enterprises and industries, businesses are actively investing in the setup of full-stack IoT platforms.

Understanding an IoT Solution

IoT is a network of things, which may be your phone, tablet, lighting system in your house, or your home appliances; all connected and interacting with each other. In an industrial set up, IoT can establish connectivity between machines, devices and user interface systems on the factory floor.

Effective connectivity between IoT enabled devices and the Cloud platform is provided by IoT gateways. The internet is the backbone of IoT connectivity solutions, as this forms the medium for data to flow seamlessly from one end of the network to the other.

Use Cases of IoT

  • Smart grid and smart metering solutions

  • Gone are the days when power company employees used to come to your houses to take note of the meter readings and consequently generate a bill based on your consumption. Not only was this process time consuming, but also inaccurate at times.

    Smart grid and smart metering solutions are a step towards reducing manual work and providing accurate information to the consumers. With a smart metering IoT solution you can accurately monitor your power consumption on a daily basis on web portals. At the same time, no manual work is required for taking these readings.

    These smart meters send real-time information to IoT gateways that forward this data to the cloud, and subsequently to web portals from where users can access it. With the integration of payment gateways on web portals, even bill payment can be done in seconds.

  • IoT enabled home automation systems

  • Home automation systems were meant for high-end audiences and have traditionally cost a fortune. But IoT has made this a reality for the common man through affordable solutions.

    In an IoT enabled home automation system, all your appliances would be connected to the internet using an IoT gateway. Typically, you would be able to use a device, like a phone, to control all such appliances. Let’s just say we want to turn on the air conditioner; this can be done through the phone which relays the “switch-on” command through the internet to the IoT gateway and finally to the air conditioner.

  • Asset tracking solutions

  • Today, it’s possible to know the real-time location of the item you purchased online. The logistics industry has leveraged the power of IoT solutions to open new horizons of customer interaction.

    The industry relies on a robust IoT platform solution to bring data to customers on their fingertips. It is no more a roadblock. It’s safe to say that with IoT enabled solutions it’s now feasible to track real-time locations of assets, and that too on any device with a browser and an internet connection.

  • Predictive maintenance

  • This is one of the most notable use cases of IoT in industrial applications. Through the use of sensors and data analytics, it is possible to determine the operational efficiency of a device and predict failure of the device even before it actually happens.

    The failure warnings can be monitored by managers and service/maintenance timelines are charted out before any problems surface. Predictive maintenance brings about a significant reduction in operational expenses, and equipment monitoring is turned into an automated process.

  • Vehicle automation

  • Smart vehicles are no longer a figment of our imagination. With connected digital instrument clusters ruling the automotive market, vehicle automation is an inherent part of the mobility industry.

    Connected vehicles communicate with cloud servers using IoT gateways that are backed by 3G or 4G Internet connectivity. Vehicle communication can also be established with end-user applications through Bluetooth tethering over protocols like CAN, LIN, FlexRay, Ethernet, etc.

These are just a few examples of the potential that IoT based solutions hold.

From these use cases you would have noticed that the IoT gateway plays an important role in end to end IoT solutions. The efficiency of the network is mainly governed by the IoT gateway devices.

Critical Aspects of an IoT Gateway

IoT gateway is an important element to consider when it comes to designing full stack IoT solutions. IoT gateways are more than just bridges that transmit data; they form the backbone of any IoT solution, and several features make this capability possible:

  • Data logger

  • Gateway devices are capable of logging the data collected from multiple IoT enabled devices. This becomes an integral feature when it comes to developing countries where internet connections are not very fluid.

  • Flexible connectivity solutions

  • The beauty of IoT connectivity solutions is the inclusiveness of heterogeneous devices that can become part of the network.

    IoT gateways come with a variety of interfaces like LoRaWAN, NBIoT, Bluetooth, GPRS and Wi-Fi, to name a few. So, whatever may be the interface, we can always align our gateway to these devices to provide a robust IoT connectivity solution.

  • Over-the-air (OTA) updates

  • It is an absolute necessity nowadays that IoT devices should incorporate over-the-air firmware updates. It is not possible for vendors to physically install updates in each device since these might be deployed at different geographical locations.

    Over-the-air updates provide a flexible solution to this problem from the perspective of the consumer as well as the vendor. Updates are frequent and easy to install with IoT gateways that are provided with OTA firmware update feature.

  • Robust design to handle harsh environmental conditions

  • IoT gateway devices may be deployed in varying conditions depending on the particular application sector for which they are targeted. These gateways are hence, designed to withstand harsh environmental conditions like rain and high temperature the summer, for long periods of time.

  • Flexible data on cloud

  • An IoT gateway’s primary work is to relay data from IoT enabled devices to the cloud. If you consider it this way, it acts as a packet forwarder. Gateways offer flexible data formats and protocols like MQTT that can be used to forward data to cloud platforms in whatever protocol or format they need.

Features like licensing and data security make IoT gateway devices ready for many real-world applications.

A Brief Look at IoT Gateway Security

With more and more IoT enabled devices being connected to the internet, the possibilities of the network becoming vulnerable to cyber crimes are on the rise. The last thing you want is hackers getting into the system and taking control.

Thankfully, there’s no need to worry. IoT gateway devices are meant to provide a secure channel for data exchange that is not susceptible to hacking.

Gateway solutions offer security features like end-to-end encrypted data packets, device registration, and cryptograph level security. While these are generally followed practices when it comes to securing IoT gateways, technologies like TLS/SSL encryption and AES cipher suites are witnessing widespread adoption.

Additionally, experts suggest using true end-to-end application layer security through which messages are encrypted such that only unique recipients are able to decrypt them.

Another sleek technique that can be used is secure on-boarding which involves imprinting a device being enrolled in an IoT solution with a cryptographic key generated by the IoT management service.

Wrapping It Up

IoT offers viable solutions for various domains like defense, agriculture, home automation and industrial manufacturing. People might be under the impression that there is more hype than reality in the capabilities of IoT, but the truth is far from that.

Despite these facts, it may be highly difficult to predict by when IoT will become a reality on a larger commercial scale. The solutions will need to evolve on a daily basis, learning and adapting to cyber threats. An important element to consider while choosing an IoT solution is the gateway, as this will be vital to efficiency and security.


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The Internet of Things: Building solutions from scratch – an Embitel architect’s account

Category : Embedded Blog

Software engineer Omprakash Punumalli, Mobility & Cloud Solutions, Embitel Technologies, is very excited about the work he and his teammates have been doing in IoT.

Read on to know about what the team has developed, why challenges are good and what excites him.

 

What are you currently working on?

We are building our capabilities in IoT and big data analytics. After trials with various protocols and technologies and diligent evaluations, we have attained expertise in various technologies such as Zigbee, the EH (energy harvesting) based EnOcean protocol, and more, through socket programming.

We started with the goal of developing a robust backend that is compatible and can communicate with different platforms and IoT gateway solutions, and we’ve succeeded in doing that.

We worked on designing better cloud solutions to control and monitor smart devices from anywhere, anytime, using web dashboard or mobile application. So, to communicate, your iPhone is no longer dependant only on iOS, and if you have a Samsung mobile, it doesn’t depend only on its own protocols.

 

What about big data analytics? What are you doing there?

We are equipping the devices to act automatically on the basis of data collected on the cloud. Patterns are detected in this data and consumer behavior is predicted. For this, we have designed machine-learning algorithms.

There’s an interesting story here. When we were testing out these systems, we made a trial setup in one of our conference rooms. After about a month of setting a pattern for using the lights and blinds of the room, the algorithm kicked in one day. Even though I didn’t do anything, that morning, at the same time that I’d been doing it manually every day, the lights went off in the room and blinds shut themselves—all this while the top management was having a meeting in there! My boss came out looked at me knowingly, but when I explained about the automation, he was impressed.

So are you working on IoT and automation in homes only?

Actually, we’ve made great progress in IoT for commerce using beacon technology. Geofencing applications for Android and iOS, proximity detection, motion sensors that are mobile—these are some of the things that we can deliver for IoT in commerce. It’s very exciting to work on these, and then succeed after all the hurdles we face.

What kind of challenges have you faced in the process? And have you managed to overcome them all?

The approach always has been to keep trying every option – every technology, every protocol – till we get it right.

If we find one way of doing things is not working, we discard it quickly and try the next. For instance, we found push notification concepts did not work efficiently in transmitting messages from the mobile app to the IoT gateway.

There was a delay in transmission, and sometimes they would fail altogether. So we decided to use MQTT, an IBM-approved protocol, and we discovered it was the best option. Today, we are equipped to deliver a high-quality solution to customers.

Facing challenges makes the process even more exciting, and you feel great when you see your efforts succeeding. It’s been a fantastic learning experience, and the thought that my work will impact innumerable end users in different parts of the world is exhilarating.

Know more about Embitel’s IoT and mobility offerings for home automation and ecommerce

If you have any query/feedback, connect with us at sales@embitel.com to set-up a conversation!

Follow us on LinkedIn for more technology updates