Creator: connecting the Internet of Things one device at a time
2008 marked the year when the number of internet connected devices overtook the world’s population; right now, a few households are generating more web traffic that the entire Internet just six years ago.
No matter the exact scale, the Internet of Things has the potential to change not just the way we interact with all consumer electronics products around us but also how they communicate between each other. In addition, the emergence of IoT is creating a fast growing market around connectivity IP primed for disruption.
What we will connect to the Internet of Things
Recent advancements in design and manufacturing technologies have allowed us to create extremely energy-efficient computing platforms. This means billions of networked sensors, gateways, mobile devices, data centers and other classes of devices will be integrated into a variety of complex, fast and flexible networks.
It won’t be just traditional markets like the connected home that will benefit from this connectivity revolution. Start-ups in Portugal are using smart sensors to monitor blueberry production so the farmers can improve the irrigation distribution system. This allows them to improve productivity, minimize losses and run a more efficient operation. More examples and use cases can be found in healthcare, industrial automation, security or smart energy.
However, for IoT to make it onto a global stage, companies need to provide the right combination of efficient hardware solutions, flexible software platforms, and an open ecosystem.
How Imagination can help you
There is therefore a growing need for a turnkey package that would give product developers the answer to providing tightly integrated connectivity solutions with ready-made baseline and value-added internet services and cloud portal technologies.
Imagination is one of the few companies that have a full set of underlying technologies and platforms needed to make connected smart systems happen, including optimized processor IP for IoT, a software framework for connecting devices to the cloud and accessible Creator development kits.
On the hardware side, we have a comprehensive offering backed by a forward thinking roadmap that tries to address all aspects surrounding embedded systems within the cloud. One great example is the connected processor platform which brings together 32-bit MIPS M-class computing and low-power Ensigma Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity in an optimal package compatible with leading process nodes. Everything has been carefully preconfigured to meet the demands for a flexible, complete and cost-effective solution that reduces time to market .
When it comes to the software required to connect devices to the Internet, it can be a lot of work – potentially a disproportionate amount for some business models. This is why we’ve created the Creator IoT framework, a consistent and comprehensive infrastructure enabling devices to connect to the cloud.
For example, the Creator Device Server enables the next wave of ubiquitous connectivity in all manner of embedded products across consumer, industrial and enterprise segments. Pioneers in smart homes can equip gadgets with 6LoWPAN, Bluetooth Smart or low-power Wi-Fi connectivity and transmit these readings over the internet using Creator Device Server. Among other things, these devices can read out and reply to e-mails, automatically adjust the heating based on weather forecasts, control the music playback using gesture or voice recognition, or report security threats around the home.
Finally, IoT would be nothing without development kits and tools. Our Creator program provides a complete range of scalable hardware platforms for developers large and small. The Creator Ci20 and Creator Ci40 dev boards are ideal for prototyping and deploying connected products without requiring the incredibly broad range of engineering, commercial know-how and resources usually only found in the biggest industry players.
For more information on our hardware and software products for IoT and the associated technologies behind them, follow us on Twitter and keep coming back to our blog.