December 22, 2014
Volume XLX, Issue 10
Major Industry Webcast to Explore IoT Phenomenon
 The Distributed Computing Industry Association (DCIA) welcomes DCINFO readers to join in the production of the upcoming "DCIA's Internet of Things (IoT) Marathon" webcast from January 6th through 9th during the 2015 International CES.
IoT has become the distributed computing industry's largest and most far-reaching trend that, within a few short years from now, promises to automate nearly all fields of human endeavor.
CES delegates involved with connected consumer devices, wearables, machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions, radio-frequency identification devices (RFID), remote monitoring and maintenance solutions, micro-sensors, trusted computing, smart environment architectures, and related examples of the emerging IoT phenomenon are encouraged to participate.
Industry analysts and observers are also invited to provide their perspectives and insights.
Detailed information about HD-video segment recording for DCIA's IoT Marathon will be available at the DCIA Exhibit Booth in the South Hall of the Convention Center.
DCIA's major four-day webcast will showcase industry-leading developments in smart objects for fitness and healthcare; programmable homes and energy management; media entertainment and social networking solutions; geolocation services and vehicular automation; retail, public space and manufacturing environments; and power consumption, cybersecurity, and interoperability.
If you'd like to contribute a segment or participate in another way, please contact DCIA CEO Marty Lafferty at your earliest convenience.
The Internet of Things: A Digital Revolution Worth Trillions
Excerpted from Report by Julian David
 The UK government's chief scientific advisor has released his long-awaited review of the Internet of things (IoT), which was commissioned by the Prime Minister earlier this year.
Sir Mark Walport's review is comprehensive and authoritative. It provides welcome recommendations on how the UK can seize an opportunity worth trillions of pounds. The report has three particularly laudable qualities:
First, its focus on how practical applications of IoT can deliver benefits to key areas such as energy, healthcare, agriculture, transport, and buildings. By doing this, the review avoids all the cliches usually associated with IoT - connected fridges, etc. - in favor of focusing on the revolutionary improvements it can deliver for major aspects of our day-to-day lives.
We hear great detail, for example, on how IoT can enhance aspects of NHS service delivery, as well as how it can help transform our country's energy and transport infrastructure. This is a welcome shift in the IoT narrative and one that must persist if we want to see implementation of IoT at scale across the UK.
Second, the report rightly stresses that this is an area where the UK boasts a comparative advantage. Our blossoming tech start-up sector is brimming with expertise in many of the areas that make up the IoT. We are world leading in machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions, chip design, and data analytics to name just three areas. Read more...
Internet Grows to 280 Million Domain Names
Excerpted from The Link Paper Report
 VeriSign, a global leader in domain names and Internet security, announced four million domain names were added to the Internet in the second quarter of 2014, bringing the total number of registered domain names to 280 million worldwide across all top-level domains as of June 30, 2014, according to the latest Domain Name Industry Brief.
The increase of four million domain names globally equates to a growth rate of 1.4 percent over the first quarter of 2014. Worldwide registrations have grown by 18.6 million, or 7.2 percent, year over year.
The .com and .net TLDs experienced aggregate growth in the second quarter of 2014, reaching a combined total of approximately 128.9 million domain names in the adjusted zone for .com and .net. This represents a 3.7 percent increase year over year. As of June 30, 2014, the base of registered names in .com equaled 113.7 million names, while .net equaled 15.2 million names.
New .com and .net registrations totaled 8.5 million during the second quarter of 2014. In the second quarter of 2013, new .com and .net registrations totaled 8.7 million.
As more people and "things" are going online, the world will become even more connected through the Internet, sharing information and data that has the potential to transform the way we live and work. Read more...
Report from CEO Marty Lafferty
 The Distributed Computing Industry Association (DCIA) joins fellow technology sector trade organizations, leading computer scientists, and advocacy groups, as well as Amazon, AT&T, Cisco, Rackspace, Salesforce, Verizon, and other leading cloud computing companies in supporting Microsoft in its litigation over the US government's attempt to compel the company to divulge customer data stored on a server in Ireland.
The case currently before a federal appeals court in New York involves a decision by Microsoft to defy a domestic search warrant seeking emails stored in a Microsoft data center in Dublin.
If Microsoft's defiance is not upheld, a dangerous precedent could be set that would heighten privacy concerns among customers conducting business in the cloud everywhere.
The opening brief filed by Microsoft says, "Imagine this scenario: officers of the local Stadtpolizei investigating a suspected leak to the press descend on Deutsche Bank headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany."
"They serve a warrant to seize a bundle of private letters that a New York Times reporter is storing in a safe deposit box at a Deutsche Bank USA branch in Manhattan."
"The bank complies by ordering the New York branch manager to open the reporter's box with a master key, rummage through it, and fax the private letters to the Stadtpolizei..."
"…No way would that response satisfy the US Government: the letters the reporter placed in a safe deposit box in Manhattan are her private correspondence, not the bank's business records..."
"...This case presents a digital version of the same scenario, but the shoe is on the other foot."
A ruling against Microsoft in this case clearly would harm international agreements and business practices, undermining cooperation and threatening the privacy of organizations and individuals worldwide.
National governments could use an adverse outcome to evade international law, asserting unilateral jurisdiction to reach into data centers outside their borders to obtain personal communications.
Cloud companies doing business outside their own nations' boundaries would be hurt by increasing suspicions that their customers' data could be easily accessed by foreign or domestic governments.
This week marked a milestone in this case: even Microsoft's competitors, including Apple, have now become the company's allies in its legal conflict.
If you are concerned about privacy, please join us in supporting Microsoft in this case. Share wisely, and take care.
Laws that Govern Personal Information in the Cloud
Excerpted from Computerworld Report by John Eustice
 While the technological world increasingly renders geography meaningless, no one appears to have informed lawmakers of this fact. Data can move easily and seamlessly from Uruguay to Spain to the United States, but in doing so, three separate data privacy and protection regimes are implicated.
As more companies, individuals, and even governments place their data in the cloud, both customers and providers of cloud computing services must become acutely aware of the burgeoning laws and regulations restricting the collection, storage, disclosure, and movement of certain categories of information.
In most instances, data privacy statutes are enacted to protect the personal information of each country's citizens. These laws generally govern the ability of entities and individuals to "process" (i.e., collect, preserve, organize, store, use, etc.) the data of others, and they apply when information is stored, collected, processed, or communicated to or from the country.
Given the ubiquitous nature of mobile devices being used for business purposes, a Mexican citizen working in Canada whose communications are stored by a cloud computing services provider located in the United States would likely trigger certain provisions within all three countries' statutory schemes.
For current or aspiring cloud computer customers and providers, several aspects of data privacy regimes should be of interest. Read more...
Microsoft's 2015: IoT, Security, Machine Learning
Excerpted from BetaNews Report by Mark Wilson
 Companies are always forward-looking, but it's at this time of year that this is really a focal point. Consumers are excited to see what products they'll be able to get their hands on in the year ahead, businesses want to know what services the coming year has to offer, and technology enthusiasts are keen to learn about what projects are in the works.
Today, Microsoft shares its view of which areas of technology are going to be of the greatest importance for businesses in 2015. Corporate Vice President, Enterprise and Partner Group, Susan Hauser believes that security will continue to be strengthened, the Internet of Things (IoT) will grow, and predictive tools will be more heavily utilized.
With the general focus on the cloud, the increased interest in the IoT is hardly a surprise. Once regarded as something rather nebulous and ethereal, businesses and customers are now starting to see the potential for the IoT. Hauser predicts that what will help to accelerate growth here is increased cooperation among partners, as growing numbers of sensors provide access to "nearly unlimited amounts of data".
Predictions such as Bing's view of what will happen in 2015 are entertaining, but there are far more practical applications for machine learning. Again, this is a growth area whose catalyst has been the explosion of cloud computing and data storage. Hauser predicts that big data will promote the adoption of machine learning across different businesses.
This growth will be driven by three factors: broader access to machine learning, massive computing power connecting systems and services, and the explosion of online data. Read more...
Internet of Things: Beware the Legal Pitfalls
Excerpted from Computing Report by Iain Monaghan
 Over recent years, businesses have become increasingly aware of the opportunities presented by the Internet of Things (IoT). The adoption of connected technologies has become a popular strategy for enhanced service provision, but the legalities that accompany this run the risk of going unnoticed.
It is essential that businesses understand and take measures to ensure that their use of IoT is in accordance with data protection laws.
IoT in the domestic context means the use of devices in the home and car that enhance consumers' control of their environment - for example, by allowing them to use a smartphone to check where they parked the car or to remotely control their home heating.
One benefit of IoT for businesses is that it generates a vast amount of customer data that was previously inaccessible. Companies are now able to better understand consumer behavioral patterns, gaining valuable insight for delivering targeted marketing and advertising campaigns.
Yet while the collection of this data has the potential to transform customer engagement strategies, it puts companies who have never previously had to deal with customer data in an unfamiliar position. Read more...
BitTorrent's Browser Enters Alpha Testing Phase
Excerpted from The Star Online Report
 BitTorrent says that its Maelstrom Project has the potential to "power a new way for web content to be published, accessed, and consumed."
BitTorrent has announced that Maelstrom, its secure and decentralized web browser project, has been released in its very first alpha test version.
Available exclusively by invitation, the test version is not necessarily stable.
For the time being, BitTorrent has not shared details of the technical characteristics or functions of the new browser, which is geared towards data confidentiality, enhanced security, and optimal download management.
In the long term, the company sees the project as part of its wider goal to foster "an Internet powered by people, one that lowers barriers, and denies gatekeepers their grip on our future."
Founded as a pioneer protocol for peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing, BitTorrent is now a website offering multiple tools and solutions in addition to its content downloads, which come in the form of bundles of different types of files (audio, video, etc.). Madonna, Moby, and De La Soul are among the recording artists who have shared content through the platform, which has seen over 100 million downloads.
An invitation to join the Maelstrom Project in the alpha testing phase may be requested here.
The IoT Is Here — How To Be Part of It
Excerpted from Seedcamp Report
 You may have heard, the Internet of Things (IoT) is coming…
In fact, the IoT is already here. It may still be in its infancy, but that Nest thermostat on your wall? That's IoT. And the Fitbit activity tracker on your wrist? That's IoT.
A recent report suggests that total spending on IoT will climb from $69.5 billion in 2015 to $263 billion in 2020. This is due to the expected number of inter-connected devices rising from 4.9 billion in 2015 to over 25 billion by 2020. In other words, IoT is going to be a large part of our lives.
We're proud to have already invested in some awesome IoT startups, like Teddy the Guardian — the cute baby-monitoring teddy bear, Krak — the social network for skateboarders empowered by an inconspicuous hardware, and Winnow Solutions — the food waste "smart meter" helping their customers save money and the environment.
As the scene continues to grow, we expect to talk with many more IoT start-ups in the near future.
In an attempt to help strengthen the London and Cambridge IoT ecosystems, we've partnered with Tech City UK to support the IoT Launchpad. We'll be providing suitable Launchpad winners with match-funding, business support, and mentorship.
But we want to do more! Seedhack is our bi-annual hackathon, hosted at Campus London. It's fun, intense, and this year the theme is… IoT! Bet you didn't see that coming. Read more...
400 Start-Ups Enter Internet of Things Contest
Excerpted from Computer Business Review by Eleanor Burns
 400 start-ups from around the globe have entered their business models for the CODE_n15 CONTEST. This year the competition is focusing on the Internet of Things (IoT), with the motto "Into the Internet of Things."
Submissions from over 40 countries have been received, all vying for one of the 50 places in the finale. Finalists will be announced at the end of January 2015.
The 50 finalists, chosen by an independent jury, will have the chance to present their ideas to industry experts and the international media in the CODE_n exhibition hall 16 at the CeBIT trade show from March 16th to 20th.
"Once again, we have been overwhelmed by the response to our contest," says Ulrich Dietz, CEO of the GFT Group and the initiator of CODE_n.
"Although the IoT is on everybody's lips at the moment, it's no easy territory for start-ups. You can't simply program an app one day and expect investors to stand in line for it the next. You need industry and process know-how to succeed in this highly promising sector."
The decisive factor for Dietz is therefore the quality of the entries in the four topic areas Industry 4.0, Future Mobility, Smart City, and Digital Life: "The first impression of the entries we've received is excellent. The jury will have its work cut out to choose the best 50 business models and the winner of the CODE_n CONTEST." Read more...
The IoT Will Have a Huge Impact on the Cloud
Excerpted from Business2Community Report by Anastasia Lamotchkina
 It's becoming clear that out of the top tech trends this year, the Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most interesting. With any hope, IoT will quickly evolve from simple trinkets to extremely powerful connected devices. So what's next you ask? Vordik thinks the cloud will have a lot to do with it.
The IoT is simply a label that has been tacked-on to the concept of machine-to-machine (M2M) communication that has existed for around 15 years. In the same way that computers can interact with each other and share information via their IP address, any object can now be assigned its own IP address — thus enabling it to connect to the Internet.
With technology advancing and prices decreasing, practically anything can become "smart" in the right hands. As a ridiculous example, take a look at this toaster that gets upset and jealous when it's unused.
If the world is going to be a more connected place, then mobile and IoT quite obviously seem to be a natural fit for each other. In an earlier article on the smart home market, we touched on the role that mobile has played in making the running of your home from afar possible. Essentially, with IoT, the mobile phone becomes a universal remote that allows the user to interact with connected items, as well as gaining valuable feedback. This brings on a whole new paradigm in mobile tech in that the physical and cloud worlds are merging in a meaningful way.
So, how exactly will this impact cloud computing? Large-scale companies have long been developing ways to speed up manual processes and all but eliminate the need for mundane tasks that are easily susceptible to human error. Read more...
Cisco Unveils Big Data Software to Boost IoT Strategy
Excerpted from TechTimes Report by Menchie Mendoza
 Cisco has created new software to help make analyzing huge data more accessible. The move will benefit businesses in handling data generated by the Internet of Things (IoT).
While several companies compete in the field of data analysis, Cisco intends to deviate by creating software that not only runs in commercial data centers but also on the company's own networking equipment. This way, the data stream can be winnowed from distributed devices, which can come in handy when such data become too large to handle.
The system will also enable Cisco to respond to new data at a quicker pace since it is being transferred to and stored in a central location.
The traditional approach to transfer and storage may be useful when analyzing past activities. However, it is not a good option when dealing with real-time events.
The full portfolio, dubbed Cisco Connected Analytics for the Internet of Everything, is made up of eight "easy-to-deploy" software packages. All are aimed at helping customers use the data derived from the IoT to enhance business operations.
It is believed that the data generated by the IoT, sometimes referred to as Internet of Everything (IoE), could become increasingly massive and messy. It would always be on the move and its presence would be felt everywhere. It would also be coming from every source that is imaginable and from the edge of networks. Read more...
Industries Entrepreneurs Can Disrupt with IoT
Excerpted from Entrepreneur Report by Shane Buskley
 The "Internet of Things," or IoT, is a buzzword that's been thrown around a lot lately. So what does it really mean?
The IoT is a term developed to describe a wireless network of "things" containing embedded technology that communicate without human interaction. For example, a "thing" can be a wireless blood-pressure monitor, a sensor on an assembly line, or an RFID tag on a piece of clothing in a store.
According to Gartner, there will be over 26 billion wireless devices connected to the Internet by 2020. Considering that in 2009 that number was less than 1 billion devices, it seems clear that the Internet is experiencing explosive growth of connected "things."
So far, IoT technology has been mostly adopted by the manufacturing industry using machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. However, with rapid innovation of IoT technology, more and more industries are taking advantage of this new way of life.
Here are three such examples of how businesses are becoming "smarter" by adopting IoT. Each presents new market opportunities for entrepreneurs innovating with technology to improve services, connections, and communication:
First is healthcare. With the potential to improve the health, safety, and care of billions of people, healthcare is one of the most promising industries for IoT. With wi-fi-enabled medical tools and devices, hospitals are able to collect, record, and analyze data faster and more accurately. Read more...
IoT Will Drive Device and User Relationships
Excerpted from Gartner Newsroom Report
 The Internet of Things (IoT) will drive device and user relationship requirements in 20 percent of new identity and access management (IAM) implementations by year-end 2016, according to Gartner. The IoT has introduced new concepts for identity management, since every device interacting with users has an identity — and users and devices can have complex, yet defined, relationships.
"IAM, as defined today, will bifurcate, with identity management assuming a broader entity relationship management role and access management assuming a broader relationship execution role that replaces or supplements authentication policy and authorization enforcement," said Earl Perkins, Research Vice President at Gartner.
"Traditional authentication and authorization for user identities will continue to include devices and services, but will also incorporate expanded machine-to-machine (M2M) communications requirements into expanding digital business moments. Embedded software and systems will make extensive use of the new and expanded IAM architecture to handle the scale and ubiquity requirements the IoT will demand."
By 2017, enterprise mobility management integration will be a critical IAM requirement for 40 percent of buyers, up from less than five percent today.
Organizations continue to face challenges in providing consistent, convenient, and secure access to enterprise and third-party applications using web and native application architectures on a wide variety of devices. Today's enterprise mobility management (EMM) tools can set security policies, provision device identities, and isolate applications. Read more...
Meet the Most Active IoT Investors in 2014
Excerpted from e27 Report by Twishy
 From angel investors to crowd funding platforms to giants such as Qualcomm and Intel, everyone's abuzz over Internet of Things, which Gartner defines as the network of physical objects that contain embedded technology to communicate and sense or interact with their internal states or the external environment.
IoT has the potential to solve a multitude of problems faced by industries such as health services, security, and agriculture through remotely connected devices. The companies operating in this space are launching sophisticated products with a style element to trigger mass-scale adoption. Consulting firm IDTechEx estimates that global spending on wearable technology will rise to $70 billion in 2024 from $14 billion in 2014.
According to Gartner, the total revenue generated from the IoT industry will be $300 billion and the connected devices would be $27 billion by 2020 globally.
Several countries like the US, South Korea, and China among others, have taken leads in the IoT space. Gartner has assumed that India will have a share of five-to-six per cent of the global IoT industry. There are several Indian companies showing remarkable progress in the IoT space and the Indian Government's plan of creating smart cities in the country and the launch of Digital India Program will lead to greater adoption of IoT in India.
Research firm CB Insights has compiled a list of the most active venture capital and corporate investors in the IoT space in 2014. Intel Capital tops the list followed by Sequoia Capital and True Ventures, which has made the IoT vertical a key focus area of its portfolio. Read more...
SAP Delivers New Business Applications for IoT
Excerpted from Zawya Report
SAP has announced three new SAP solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT), supporting the Middle East's fast-paced Networked Economy and growing Smart Cities.
The new solutions include the SAP Predictive Maintenance and Service solution, SAP Connected Logistics software and the SAP Manufacturing Execution application, leveraging the SAP HANA Cloud Platform for application enablement and advanced capabilities such as in-memory computing, predictive analytics and complex event processing.
As part of its continued commitment to enable innovation in this space, SAP has announced the addition of 500 incremental dedicated developers to support various IoT initiatives.
"The IoT will be the key enabler of industry scenarios and of innovations in the digital economy," said Bernd Leukert, Member of the Executive Board of SAP, Products & Innovation. "It is converging our digital and physical worlds, which will spur new products and services, and even change business models.
"The IoT has the potential to dramatically improve responsiveness of businesses, reimagine customer experience, and open up new opportunities and brand new business models such as moving from sell-to-service based models. SAP customers that have already implemented IoT solutions have seen considerable improvement in asset utilization and higher business process efficiency and helped address operational costs," added Bern Leukert. Read more...
Coming Events of Interest
Storage Visions Conference — January 4th-5th in Las Vegas, NV. The fourteenth annual conference theme is: Storage with Intense Network Growth (SWING). Storage Visions Awards presented there cover significant products, services, and companies in many digital storage markets.
International CES — January 6th-9th in Las Vegas, NV. The International CES is the world's gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. Held in Las Vegas every year, it has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for more than 40 years — the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace.
The DCIA's IoT Marathon — January 6th-9th in Las Vegas, NV. Twelve hours of demos, displays, and discussions of all aspects of the Internet of Things (IoT) in daily segments recorded in the DCIA's HD-video webcast studio at the Sands Expo and Conference Center.
State of the Net Conference — January 27th in Washington, DC. With unparalleled opportunities to network and engage on key Internet policy issues, this is the largest Internet policy conference in the US and is recognized for its balanced blend of private and public sector participants.
Datacloud South East Asia — March 25th-26th in Johor, Malaysia. Datacloud South East Asia will assess the energy, scalability, security, architecture, and software challenges confronting operators of data centers and enterprises engaged in or considering transitions to the cloud.
Internet of Things Conference — April 15th-17th in San Diego, CA. The IoT Con will focus on how companies are using a variety of technologies, including ZigBee radios, Wi-Fi, and machine-to-machine (M2M)software, to connect things to the Internet, and how they are achieving real business benefits from doing so.
Internet of Things World Forum (IoTWF) — October (2015 Dates TBD) in Dubai, UAE. IoTWF is an exclusive event that brings together the best and brightest thinkers, practitioners, and innovators from business, government, and academia to accelerate the market adoption of the Internet of Things.
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