Connectivity is necessary, but not sufficient for the Internet of Things (IoT). As I discussed in an earlier blog posting, connectivity is one of the elements of an IoT solution: it’s the part that provides LAN and/or WAN communications between the hardware layer (equipment) and the application layer. See Figure 1.
Figure 1: Same layers, two worlds: M2M and IoT supply chains in comparison [Source: Analysys Mason, 2012]
In my first post here in this Security blog series, I explained how we do threat analysis and how we map potential security threats to software architecture. With this second post, I would like to share with you a more technical view of security. Get ready to roll your sleeves up for this hands-on session on securing an Internet of Things (IoT) application.
The first thing I would like to introduce is how to secure a document server. Please refer to the following illustration:
Access to a content database over an HTTP server from a single-sign-on (SSO) application
Please read Stefan Ferber’s full article on HBR Blog Network
What is a 21th century accolade? Would an article in Harvard Business Review count? For me, it does My colleague Stefan Ferber got his accolade this week, guest authoring in the HBR Blog Network. He writes about the power of IoT changing everything and challenging traditional product business. With lots of examples, he shows how Bosch and other industrial players are preparing for IoT – and changes to their business models. He makes the case that in the Internet of Things two galaxies collide: New and “old” economy companies. He ends almost philosophically: “Will your company become a new sun, a planet, a minor moon — or be reduced to stardust?”. Judge for yourself – and join the discussion on our blog or the HBR Blog Network.
By the way, another interesting parallel to this topic: Stefanie Peitzker read Stefan’s article and immediately recalled a representative energy study from last year among 500 German energy customers (sorry to all international readers, it’s available in German only). There seems to be a shift in the German energy market: More than half of the survey’s respondents trust industrial companies such as Bosch and Siemens more to safely and better sell energy than traditional EVUs. Established business models, watch out!
With the latest release of our business rules management platform Visual Rules 6.0, we switched the underlying system architecture to complete tenant-awareness. Sounds pretty neat. But what does this imply? Why did we decide for multitenancy support? Please go on reading to learn more about it. Read more…
The Internet of Things and Services (IoTS) is a term that means different things to different people. Visitors to our Bosch CeBIT booth were given the chance to experience the IoTS first hand with 4 different showcases in Mobility, Energy, Home and Building as well as Industry. We took the opportunity to ask them about their opinion and evaluation of IoTS. Here are the results of our survey, highlighting Bosch software products and solutions of particular relevance to the Internet of Things and Services, both now and in future.
The results of our CeBIT survey on IoTS software interest now and in the future
Most interesting is the clear focus on BPM that could be an enabler to IoTS projects.
Does this match with your evaluation and experience?
Many thanks to those who took part in the survey.
All participants were entered into a prize draw to win one of three Bosch IXO cordless drills. Here are the lucky winners, two of whom gave us permission to name them:
In a recent blog post (Industry 4.0 – Germany takes first steps toward the next industrial revolution), Stefan Ferber gave us insights into how the Internet of Things and Services (IoTS) will affect the manufacturing industry. In a modern production facility, where machines, parts, and systems are connected to each other, information can be exchanged easily and quickly between the individual participants. This will not only allow us to react flexibly to changing requirements, but also optimize existing processes.
During a brief video interview at CeBIT 2013 we asked Martin Schäffler, Manager Industry 4.0, about the importance of IoTS for the manufacturing industry, and if manufacturers can already make use of it today. One detail we can share with you upfront: predictive maintenance seems to be a solution quite ready for use. But see for yourself.
You know cars, you know fleets of cars, you know airports – all these things are quite sophisticated already today. But what happens when you connect them to the internet – in an Internet of Things and Services (IoTS)?
You also know what happens as soon as you cross borders: outside EU Schengen area chances are that you need a passport, and you might even need foreign currency to refill your gas tank. Electromobility in combination with connected charging stations and charging service providers is going to be more convenient. Bosch Software Innovations provides solutions to transfer the roaming concept known from telecommunication to electromobility, e.g. in the Crome project.
Catch a quick insight from my colleague Patrick Lobert into what’s happening to mobility as it is being reloaded with IoT technologies.
Software from Bosch running over the internet? Well, this is probably not your first association that you have when you see the Bosch logo on home appliances, power tools, automotive or security products. In an interview during CeBIT 2013, my colleague Steffen Schmickler explains why software and the internet are important for Bosch: It’s about today’s business and about even more opportunities in the future. Are you ready to join us in the Internet of Things#IoT?
Bosch Software Innovations is at CeBIT, the world’s leading high-tech trade show. For all of you who cannot make it to Hannover, Germany, we broadcast bits and pieces from our booth and the highlights around. Before the show opened, my colleagues Stefan Ferber, Martin Schäffler and Patrick Lobert took the time to explain our core theme at CeBIT: the Internet of Things and Services.
I’ve often wondered why I need to change my automobile’s motor oil every 3,500 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first. Maybe I’m one of the few people left in the world who still enjoys changing his own oil. But it’s often concerned me that maybe a mileage- or time-based maintenance schedule wastes lots of valuable resources like oil; aluminium and metals for fabricating the new oil filter; plastic for making the new jug of oil; and energy for the recycling facility that takes my dirty motor oil, strips all the impurities from it and recycles it.
Maybe I don’t really need to change the oil that often. Maybe the metrics which determine when I should change the oil – in this case either vehicle mileage or time – aren’t the best predictors of my car’s optimal maintenance schedule. What if there were sensors on my red 1966 Ford Mustang convertible (V8, 289 cubic inch engine, 2-barrel carburettor, for those curious) that would tell me when I need to change the oil. And what if those sensors were collecting data from the oil filter, the valves, the pistons and the exhaust to find anomalies that are better predictors of when I should change my oil to prevent deterioration of my car.
Predictive maintenance is one such IoT/M2M solution that helps lower operating and capital costs by facilitating proactive servicing and repair of assets, while allowing the more efficient use of repair resources – both human labor and replacement products. See Fig. 1.
Figure 1: Traditional maintenance scheduling versus predictive maintenance for assets [Source: Analysys Mason, 2013]
My colleague 
![Figure 1: Traditional maintenance scheduling versus predictive maintenance for assets [Source: Analysys Mason, 2013]](http://blog.bosch-si.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Predictive-Maintenance.jpg)
