HP has announced an Internet of Things platform and will be initially targeting mobile network operators and the energy sector.
While the company was not ready to announce any specific partnerships, a spokesperson said that smart cities such as Barcelona, Spain or Toyota City, Japan would be best suited to take advantage of the technology.
“It allows telecommunications companies and utilities companies come together through the enrichment of data,” said Jeff Edlund , chief technologist of communications media and solutions at HP.
He made reference to the HP Energy Management Pack, which is the first of several application packs coming to the IoT platform.
In addition to end-to-end mobile device remote management including device discovery, configuration and control of IoT traffic offered by the platform, this application pack would allow for management of SIM-based devices including smartphones and tablets, as well as non-SIM-based smart meter reading and home automation through sensors which Edlund said telecom and energy industries already deploy.
In addition to metering, the applications in conjunction with the platform also allow for dynamic updates of tariffs from the grid and real-time consumption measurement, energy management throughout the home, management of public lighting and electronic parking systems.
Through the platform, data collected would be sent to either HP’s own secure cloud for analysis or a company’s own data centre.
In addition to the telecom and energy sectors, HP also plans to target the automotive, manufacturing, water, gas and other industries.
While this solution is currently being sold direct by HP, Edlund says he could see it opening up to the channel in the future.
“There are currently more sensors out there than people realize, including a vast array that are starting to appear,” Edlund said. “What we’ve done is build a software-based database that maps the set of device capabilities. We are planning for smart cities as well as intelligent appliances.”
