With the emergence of the Internet of Things (IOT), all industries are seeing a growth in wireless devices. As data are fed to cloud platforms for big data analytics and machine learning services, insights from predictive analytics will bring immense opportunities to businesses. Microsoft has introduced the Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT program so that IoT device and system integration partners could help their customers to more quickly link IoT devices to the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. The program has immediately attracted many to request to become members, and NEXCOM, Advantech, and ADLINK Technology are among the first to have received certification for their connectivity devices. Certified products greatly reduce the time and cost it takes to link devices to Microsoft Azure, which offers big data analytics and machine learning services. With analysis and predictions based on data collected through devices, their customers are provided with active, customized and predictable value-added services to achieve better business performance and further transform business model.
Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT helps businesses’ customers to get started with IoT applications more easily
Cloud computing is viewed as the technology with the highest global growth momentum. According to Gartner, revenue of world cloud services will grow from 46.4 billion USD up to 150.1 billion USD in the next four years. IDC predicts that by 2020, the IoT market in the Asia Pacific region will reach 583 billion USD. The IoT’s great commercial potential means that integration with cloud computing services has become a priority to all industries. Designed for businesses, Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT connects their devices quickly to the Azure platform, saving them all the trouble of connectivity device selection, the otherwise complicated and time-consuming process before data from devices could be fed to the cloud. The path to become a partner is straightforward, and the program supports a wide range of Operating Systems and development languages. Once certified, partners can link their technology to Azure IoT Suite and IoT Hub, where data generated by various devices are integrated for analysis. The information will allow their customers to make better decisions, or they could set up advanced automated management application and facilitate customers’ IT project deployment.
The program is two-fold. For a device to be Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT, it is first tested against Azure IoT SDK, which support multiple OS platforms, languages and features so that partners can follow an open and flexible way to get certified and provide value to their customers. Second, partners need to create a simple tutorial to teach customers how to link the device to Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. Once partners have their device certified, they can share the news to their customers through marketing notices, providing them with quick and easy access to the Azure platform and promote to more industrial customers.
“Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT program extends our promise to start with interoperable solutions from leading technology companies around the world,” said Roan Kang, Microsoft Greater China Region IoT Lead and Microsoft Taiwan General Manager of Marketing and Operations. “With trusted offerings and certified partners, Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT accelerates the deployment and integration of IoT even further.”
Tapping into the trend of big data predictive analytics, Microsoft and partners work together to offer customers easier-to-use IoT connectivity tools
Recognizing the size of the demand for and the development of cloud computing, Microsoft works with partners through Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT to provide their customers with easy-to-use access to connect certified IoT devices to the cloud. Joe Lin, General Manager of NEXCOM's IoT Automation Solutions Business Group said, “NEXCOM is dedicated to Industry 4.0 smart manufacturing solutions. Our Industrial Gateway NISE50C, equipped with Windows 10 IoT Core, has been Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT and is integrated with NEXCOM's IoT Studio and Microsoft Azure cloud services. With that, we will continue with the work on smart and predictive IoT solutions.” NEXCOM NISE50C is designed for a wide range of applications such as fan-less IoT controllers and signal gateways for automation, rail transit and digital signage.
Advantech also offers many device platforms that support Microsoft Azure IoT Suite, linking sensors, devices to cloud-computing analytics services and providing easy-to-use cloud-based IoT solutions. “To promote IoT industry’s development, Advantech works with Microsoft to build our WISE-PaaS software service, which integrates Advantech’s IoT software solutions and Microsoft’s Azure cloud services,” said Allan Yang, CTO of Advantech. “To accelerate clients’ IoT deployment, we’ve joined the Microsoft Azure IoT Certified program to ensure our IoT gateway UTX-3115, ARK-1123, ARK-2121, in-vehicle controller TREK-674, and automation controller UNO-1372 are pre-integrated with Azure cloud services. By doing so, we can provide clients with more comprehensive, end-to-cloud IoT integrated solutions.”
ADLINK Technology also keeps up with its work on cloud-connected devices that build dedicated IoT networks for its customers, including I/O modules, embedded modules, embedded systems based on industry standards, mobile computing, network infrastructure, and cloud-computing services. The company’s General Manager Zhengyi Yang said, “ADLINK Technology is devoted to the promotion of IoT. We work with Microsoft Azure cloud platform because it boasts powerful features and is the choice of companies among the global top 100. Having our Gateway MXE-202i certified to upload data to the Azure cloud platform is just the first step on the road to create more product-to-cloud IoT solutions that support Microsoft’s technology”.
Industries work with Microsoft to explore the new blue ocean of IoT-based predictive analytics
Customers who have their eye on growth or transformation cannot avoid connecting data to cloud computing. Complicated as they are, IOT projects take a long time to implement, but by choosing to work with Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT partners, customers can reduce their products’ time to market and ensure connectivity devices’ compatibility and availability. Benefits from cloud-based big data analytics and insights come easily and immediately while they provide even more clients or consumers with right and real-time services customized for their needs.
