Akamai Technologies has revealed its plan to help manufacturers integrate IoT devices with existing IT infrastructure.
Content delivery company Akamai’s IoT strategy centres on its Akamai Intelligent Platform, which will be used to support data transfer to and from connected devices worldwide.
Company executives claim that, by using this platform, manufacturers can avoid the capital expenditure and ongoing operational cost required to build out a global network capable of securely supporting millions of devices. They added that remote software downloads and data capture reduce the costs associated with ‘truck rolls’ and/or service center visits.
Read more: Huawei IoT strategy fuses platform, connections, ecosystem
Over the air
The company’s initial offering is through an IoT initiative it describes as an “Over the Air (OTA)” solution, specifically designed to meet the demands of automobile manufacturers’ and automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers’ (OEMs) connected vehicle initiatives.
Akamai said that this technology offers the ability to deliver firmware, navigation and infotainment updates to connected vehicles over Wi-Fi or cellular, eliminating the need for costly physical visits to automotive service centers.
This includes edge IP-binding to enable updates from a configurable set of IP addresses in order to adhere to the data-locality rules and to comply with agreements that automakers may have with their chosen telecom partners; secure delivery of updates using a flexible SSL/TLS program that also supports customers using their own client certificates; and, advanced dashboards for tracking delivery of updates to each vehicle, enabling car manufacturers to monitor campaign progress and confirm downloads.
The technology is already being used by Harman (now part of Samsung). Vice president and general manager Oren Betzaleli of Harman Connected Services said that cars nowadays can be thought of as a moving computer, with software controlling telematics, safety and security, and even embedded entertainment.
Read more: Octo Telematics invests $40 million in IoT insurance platform
Regular updates
“All of those computer systems require regular updates to make sure they’re operating as they should. Working with Akamai gives us the confidence that we’re delivering the best-connected car experience to our customers, and ultimately our customers’ drivers,” he said.
“For nearly 20 years, we’ve helped our customers improve access to, and performance of, millions upon millions of websites,” explained Ash Kulkarni, senior vice president and general manager, web performance and security at Akamai.
“Akamai pioneered cloud-based security for websites, applications and the transmission of data via the Web. Now, we’re taking that experience and expertise and giving our customers the power to securely exchange data with any connected device, anywhere across the globe.”
Coming soon: Our IoT Build events, taking place in London in November 2017 and San Francisco in March 2018 are a great opportunity for attendees to explore the platforms, architectures, applications and connectivity that comprise the IoT ecosystem.
