Intel and Samsung join forces on U.S. IoT strategy

Samsung and Intel are teaming up on an industry-wide IoT strategy initiative to develop strategic recommendations on IoT for U.S. policy makers.

Samsung made its ambitions in the internet of things (IoT) space clear, as it announced yesterday that it planned to invest $1.2 billion over the next four years in U.S-based IoT-related research, development and investments. As part of its IoT offensive, Samsung is now also teaming up with Intel to launch an initiative to develop recommendations for a national IoT strategy in the U.S. Going under the name ”The National IoT Strategy Dialogue”, the initiative aims to gather like-minded industry partners and organizations to collaboratively develop strategic recommendations for U.S. policy makers on the Internet of Things (IoT), Samsung stated. Focus areas for policy recommendations will include U.S. IoT infrastructure investment, interoperability, security, the promotion of voluntary industry-led global consensus-based standards and best practices and public-private partnerships.

Influencing the DIGIT Act

Co-chaired by representatives of Samsung and Intel, the initiative will be managed by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI). It will to convene ITI’s members as well as other industry stakeholders. “Our goal is to present strategic recommendations to the next Congress and Administration that are a proactive, enabling vision for Internet of Things technologies to develop and thrive. With a clear strategy, we can harness the internet’s next evolution to tackle our biggest challenges—from curing diseases, to addressing our changing climate, to creating smart cities and transportation systems, and improving the quality of our lives,” said Dean Garfield, president and CEO of ITI.

Samsung and Intel have timed the initiative to coincide with the new Department of Commerce IoT proceeding as well as the pending bicameral and bipartisan Developing Innovation and Growing the Internet of Things (DIGIT) Act, which will provide recommendations to Congress on IoT developments and deployments in the U.S. “The National IoT Strategy Dialogue is consistent with the goals of the pending DIGIT Act and as a co-founder Intel is pleased to help drive this important technology transformation in the US,” said Doug Davis, senior vice president of IoT at Intel.

The initiative is a continuation of Intel’s and ITI’s push on national IoT strategy questions. Both parties called for the creation of such an initiative as they testified before Congress last year. “We look forward to working with Intel, ITI and other stakeholders in Washington to find the collaborative path forward in bringing the transformative benefits and solutions of IoT to scale,” said Dr. Oh-Hyun Kwon, vice chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics.

IIoT News Recap: Business models, not technology, will set apart winners from losers in the self-driving car race; U.K.’s NHS to start reimbursing mobile health apps; Dubai to help Lagos become a smart carbon neutral city; IEEE and the U.S. DOE partner on smart grid modernization; Today’s forecast: The global smart homes market

Autonomous driving: Business models will set apart winners from losers

Business models rather than autonomous driving technology itself with set apart winners from losers in the ongoing self-driving car race. Daimler, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota and Volvo are the five carmakers that are best positioned in that respect, according to a new study by Lux Research. “At the end of the day, the company with the best business plan will win the race toward autonomy,” said Kevin See, Lux Research director. “Few companies will have a significant technology advantage, so winners will need to capitalize on novel business models from car sharing and ride sharing to monetizing their own data.” The analyst firm evaluated in total 12 carmakers that are developing self-driving technology. In fact, as the IoT prompts businesses to transition from product selling to solution selling, players in all industries impacted by the IoT will have to take a deep look at their business model to gain a competitive edge.

Connected health: U.K.’s NHS to start reimbursing mobile health apps

The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) is to offer about 20 mobile health apps and devices free to patients as part of a new program that automatically reimburses providers, Mhealth Intelligence reports. ”The program allows NHS England to negotiate ‘bulk buy’ contracts with the device makers on behalf of health systems, GPs and patients, ending the complex process of local price negotiations,” stated Mhealth Intelligence. The program, which will be launched in April 2017, aims to accelerate the uptake of devices and apps for patients with diabetes, heart conditions, asthma, sleep disorders and other chronic health conditions, infertility, pregnancy, obesity reduction and weight management as well as common mental health disorders.

Smart city: Dubai to help Lagos become a smart carbon neutral city

The Lagos State Government and the City of Dubai have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to transform the city of Lagos into a smart city. ”This is a deliberate attempt by us to establish a strong convergence between technology, economic development and governance,” said deputy prime minister and the Lagos State governor Akinwunmi Ambode. The project could turn Lagos into the world’s first carbon neutral city, the governor said.

Smart grid: IEEE and the U.S. DOE partner on smart grid modernization

The IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to ”address grid modernization challenges with a focus on the distribution level.” The MOU will concentrate on integrated resource planning and schemes for coordination, control, and information management, IEEE stated. The MoU will see IEEE PES and DOE share technical needs for grid interoperability requirements.

Today’s forecast: Global smart homes market to reach $60 billion by 2021

TechSci Research expects the global smart homes market to reach $60 billion by 2021, driven by growing energy concerns, increasing adoption of smart devices and growing demand for real time security. North America is expected to maintain its dominance over the next five years.