AT&T IoT network management on a single pane of glass. Plus: Caterpillar and Three UK get onboard.
AT&T has announced a new cloud-based platform for businesses to manage Internet of Things (IoT) devices across multiple mobile and satellite networks, operators, and regions.
Called Multi-Network Connect, the platform allows customers to manage devices over multiple access technologies such as 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, Low-Power Wide Area (LPWA), and satellite. The company said that organisations can configure the platform to work across various operator networks.
AT&T said that the platform supports the Globecomm Satellite IoT Platform and expects future enhancements to enable support for the Bridge Alliance Shared IoT Platform. It added that the platform would save both time and operational costs by managing all IoT-connected endpoints from a single portal – with one log-in and password.
End-to-end reports
The new system is a ‘single pane of glass’ solution, designed to generate end-point reports from all supported platforms and put them on one screen.
AT&T claimed the platform would help in decreasing time-to-market for customer business applications, and lower development cost through easy access to data from all supported platforms.
“Businesses are constantly deploying millions of connected devices around the world. Everything from asset trackers and connected vehicles to smart cities and industrial equipment,” said Chris Penrose, president of Internet of Things Solutions at AT&T.
“These customers come to us for help in managing their diverse portfolios. We built Multi-Network Connect to meet this need, with one interface to manage all IoT endpoints.”
AT&T Multi-Network Connect is currently in beta. Commercial deployment is expected in 2018.
Internet of Business says
As IoT devices, networks, and business use cases spread, it stands to reason that IoT management dashboards will be a key growth area in the short to medium term. Above all, the IoT is about data visibility, management, and insight, so applying that same logic to IoT device and network management is a no-brainer. We welcome AT&T’s early entrance to this new market.
Plus:
In related news, Caterpillar Inc. has announced that it is using AT&T’s Internet of Things (IoT) services to connect and manage its heavy machines around the globe. The new multi-year, global deal connects Caterpillar products to the AT&T 4G LTE network.
“The AT&T network combined with an AT&T Global SIM card and IoT management services helps Caterpillar, its dealers and customers, better track, manage, and deploy asset connectivity in more than 155 countries worldwide,” said the company in an announcement at Mobile World Congress (#MWC18) in Barcelona.
Plus
AT&T has agreed with Three Group to resell Three UK wireless services. Through this, AT&T will offer its global business customers in the UK localised contracting and billing for wireless voice, data, and SMS services, the company said today. The agreement forms part of AT&T’s ecosystem for Internet of Things (IoT) services, which will include fleet management, asset tracking and other consumer and industrial IoT solutions.
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