Utility metering specialist Itron has struck a deal with German enterprise software and data orchestration firm Software AG to use its Cumulocity IoT platform for management of low-power IoT devices. The pair will use the open Lightweight M2M (LwM2M) protocol to translate telemetry data between Itron’s IoT devices and Software AG’s cloud platform, across sundry IoT network technologies, including cellular and non-cellular wide-area (LPWAN) systems.
LwM2M, developed by the Open Mobile Alliance, is designed for device management and service enablement on low-power IoT devices with little in the way of compute power. LWM2M stores metadata from IoT devices, to understand their capabilities and interpret their data, in the cloud platform so only key data is sent from the sensor – which relieves the transmission burden, and therefore the power, bandwidth, and cost requirements in low-power IoT solutions.
It provides a common language and connectivity interface to activate, configure, provision, maintain, repair, upgrade, and de-commission IoT devices. LwM2M is well deployed in IoT tracking and monitoring solutions. Itron said its work with Software AG will “expand its advanced utility and city management capabilities to more customers, particularly in low-power, low-bandwidth, or cellular-connected scenarios”, and also “broaden the adoption of LwM2M”.
The pair called the Cumulocity/LwM2M combination an “important step in the evolution of IoT solution development and device management”. They stated: “This technology supports plug-and-play integration, over-the-air firmware updates for remote management, and an intuitive interface, making it suitable for a wide range of industries including telecommunications, automotive, security, utilities, and manufacturing.”
Ty Roberts, vice president of marketing and networked solutions at Itron, said: “By combining Itron’s expertise in intelligently connected networks, software, services, meters and sensors with Software AG’s proven Cumulocity IoT platform, we can better deliver dependable city and utility services even in areas with intermittent connectivity and limited access to power sources.”
Ricky Singh, vice president of IoT for Software AG in the Americas region, said: “Itron’s experience and market reach make it an exemplary company to collaborate with to advance LwM2M adoption. By leveraging LwM2M through Cumulocity, one of the few full-featured commercial IoT platforms that support the protocol, Itron can connect and manage more devices and enable more use cases for its customers in a modern, scalable, and cost-effective way.”
