IoT news: Energy companies’ IoT skills gap threatens adoption

IoT skills gap threatens innovation at energy companies

Energy companies must upskill current employees and/or embark on recruitment drives to realize IoT successes and efficiencies, according to independent research commissioned by Inmarsat, a British satellite telecommunications company. Market research specialist Vanson Bourne interviewed respondents from 100 large energy companies globally and found that while 88% expect to deploy IoT technologies within the next two years, many have an IoT skills gap that stands in the way of doing so effectively. Some 54% have a shortage in cybersecurity personnel and 49% lack skills in technical support, while analytical and data science skills are also in high demand.

Brooklyn Library and NetObjex partner on IoT blockchain project

IoT blockchain application platform provider NetObjex will partner with the Brooklyn Public Library, in New York, to provide library patrons with smartphone charging stations powered by the company’s IoT-Blockchain technology platform. The stations will be free to use and will allow patrons to charge their devices in secure enclosures integrated with their library cards.

The platforms are designed to collect data for analytics to help the library improve services. The NetObjex IoT-Blockchain platform powering the stations enables data collection through sensors, storage/visualization of data in the cloud, marketing campaign management and optional integration into enterprise systems and blockchain, through a centralized browser-based dashboard. To use the stations, the vendors are asking patrons to watch a video or complete a short survey.

T-Mobile stresses 5G importance for IoT

T-Mobile, which announced earlier this year it would deploy a “nationwide 5G” network as opposed to fixed 5G wireless access like Verizon and AT&T, provided some details on why that approach will be important this week. Asked how he thinks of mobile 5G during a session at the Oppenheimer Technology, Internet and Communications Conference held in Boston this week, Vice President of Investor Relations Nils Paellmann said, “It means very low latency. It means higher efficiency. It means better battery life. It means the ability to accommodate potentially millions of connected devices. Those are some of the things.”

How the government can embrace IoT

Federal agencies must have a network that is ready for this new data age and be open to incorporating the new IoT data throughout the workplace culture, according to Cisco’s vice president of U.S. public sector services, Diane Gongaware. Networks must be scalable and enable advanced automation, embedded security and a unified fabric to set or change policy. In turn, collaboration with stakeholders and forming partnerships are crucial to success.

CMOs ready for AI

Nearly two thirds — 64% — of surveyed CMOs and sales leaders believe their industries will be ready to adopt cognitive technologies in the next three years, according to a new IBM survey. However, only 24 percent of those surveyed believe they have strategy in place to implement these technologies today. Both CMOs and heads of sales agreed that “customer satisfaction” is the No. 1 value driver for adopting cognitive solutions.

MagicCube completes Series A funding

Silicon Valley-based MagicCube announced it has completed an $8.5 million Series A funding round. MagicCube’s technology aims to help enterprises launch and manage large-scale implementations of IoT and mobile security applications for consumers. The platform provides an in-app container that protects sensitive data and cryptographic operations on the device along with remote management tools — aiming to secure digital transactions on any device.