Intel Unveils New IoT Platform Enabling Development and Expansion of Diverse Smart & Connected 'Things'

Intel has launched a new Intel IoT Platform reference architecture and a suite of hardware and software products as part of its efforts to provide the most comprehensive product lineup for the Internet of Things (IoT) sector.

This platform includes two reference architectures, as well as a product portfolio from Intel and the ecosystem to meet the new opportunities of IoT. The product portfolio includes Intel Quark™ processors for IoT, Wind River’s comprehensive cloud suite and easy-to-use free operating system, and new analytics capabilities, enabling the creation of smarter and more connected IoT solutions from devices to the cloud.

Doug Davis, Senior Vice President of Intel’s IoT Group, said, “Intel is currently further solidifying its position in the IoT field and will continue to provide a comprehensive lineup of IoT products that create new opportunities through collaboration with a strong ecosystem. With the new Intel Quark processor for IoT and Wind River’s free cloud-based OS for microcontrollers (MCUs), customers can more easily expand their IoT reach from things to the cloud.”

Intel is collaborating with companies across various sectors for the proof-of-concept (POC), testing, and implementation of its new IoT platform. In the case of Levi Strauss & Co., they conducted a POC of the Intel IoT platform with Intel regarding inventory management at three of their stores. Through this POC, Levi's stores were able to manage inventory more efficiently by identifying real-time in-store inventory status, such as checking for out-of-stock items, thereby enabling them to provide the products customers want without delay.

Easy IoT that reduces complexity

Intel's new IoT platform reference architecture focuses on supporting Intel's extensive ecosystem to more conveniently develop, secure, and integrate smart devices. This platform reduces complexity and enables smart devices to connect more securely and share trusted data with the cloud. This makes it possible to launch innovative products to market more quickly. SAP is the first company to announce new IoT solutions based on the Intel IoT platform, and the company plans to develop end-to-end IoT enterprise solutions by leveraging the SAP HANA Cloud Platform and the Intel platform.

Intel has added new products to its Quark processor lineup, which consists of low-power silicon for IoT. The Intel Quark™ SE SoC and Intel Quark™ microcontrollers D1000 and D2000 provide powerful processing performance on an envelope focused on power efficiency.

This product family is an ideal package for IoT, offering an extended endurance temperature range (from -45 degrees to +85 degrees) for special environments and a long product lifespan for safe use. The Intel Quark SE SoC for IoT features an integrated sensor hub and provides real-time insights from complex sensor data to the IoT edge through pattern matching technology.

Building IoT Systems in Smart Buildings Using Intel's New Quark SoC

Yanzi, a smart building manufacturer, is developing Yanzi Plug and Yanzi Motion using Intel's new Quark SoC to collect data on all aspects of office buildings, ranging from space utilization to daylight usage. As an energy monitoring sensor, Yanzi Plug optimizes energy usage based on smart building space utilization and predictable maintenance, while providing analytics at the edge. This helps reduce operating costs and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) when deploying IoT systems in smart buildings.

Honeywell demonstrated a prototype of its connected worker solution utilizing Intel Quark technology. This solution enables monitoring of the work environment of mission-critical workers, such as first responders, industrial workers, and firefighters, using industrial wearables. In particular, by integrating data from multiple workers, dangerous situations can be predicted, and man-downs or equipment failures that could threaten worker safety or cause downtime can be prevented in advance.

The Intel Quark Microcontroller D1000 was launched today, and the Intel Quark Microcontroller D2000 is scheduled for release later this year. The Intel Quark SE SoC for IoT is planned for release in the first half of 2016.

Free software spanning from devices to the cloud

Wind River's new OS provides the capability to start application development within 10 minutes, enabling manufacturers and commercial developers to develop IoT applications and devices more conveniently and quickly. As a core part of the Intel IoT Platform, this OS includes a cloud-based, free multi-architecture operating system, Wind River Rocket and Wind River Pulsar Linux, and a cloud suite of Software as a Service (SaaS) products.

This solution, spanning things to the cloud, enables a diverse range of individuals—from individual developers to commercial manufacturers—who wish to participate in the new opportunities of IoT to develop IoT solutions. It also provides customers with direction for product commercialization. With this launch, Wind River has not only further increased its influence in the cloud sector but has also expanded its OS domain into the MCU field.

The value of IoT is realized when new insights are discovered from the massive amount of data produced by smart and connected objects. Accordingly, Intel has included the Trusted Analytics Platform (TAP) as a key component of its new IoT platform. TAP generates actionable data and can be integrated into end-to-end IoT solutions. Designed for developers and data scientists, TAP is an ideal platform across industries such as healthcare, retail, and industrial, and integrates with the Intel IoT Platform Reference Architecture for data management, protocol extraction, workload allocation, and computing.

Levi's is currently using TAP to gain real-time inventory insights. By increasing the accuracy of data collection through this, Levi's has been able to provide an enhanced in-store experience to consumers. Additionally, Honeywell has utilized TAP in its connected worker solutions for industrial safety to improve real-time decision-making capabilities.