In recent years, we've seen a drastic increase in smart technology aimed at making our lives easier. These innovations focus on improving our physical health, public safety, environmental conditions and more. From smartphones and appliances to smart grids, consumers and businesses today are leveraging the newest technologies to add convenience and efficiency to their daily routines.
Overall, digital transformation isn’t necessarily new, it represents a major shift in the way a company or a consumer engages with technology, and in recent years the rapid adoption of technology has become standard practice. In 2022, spending on digital transformation is projected to reach 1.78 trillion U.S. dollars, while between 2020 and 2023, direct digital transformation investments are forecast to amount to almost 7 trillion U.S. dollars.
As consumers and companies alike continue to bring in more technology, smart hub devices are only becoming more essential with every passing day. A smart hub is hardware or software that connects devices on an automation network and controls communications among them. Smart hubs, which connect either locally or to the cloud, are useful for internet of things (IoT) devices that use the Zigbee or Z-Wave protocols or Bluetooth, all of which are in demand with the growing adoption of technology.
Today, Veea Inc., an innovation leader in integrated smart edge connectivity and computing, today introduced two new models of VeeaHub products, STAX™ and BOLT™, at Qualcomm's signature global event, Smart Cities Accelerate 2021, being held in San Diego on September 28th and 29th.
“The VeeaHub STAX and VeeaHub BOLT extend the capabilities of our edge platform, which is raising the bar in edge computing simplicity," said Allen Salmasi, founder and CEO of Veea. "These breakthrough products represent the best-in-class solutions for edge computing at the Device Edge, which is the first and the more critical network touchpoint prior to making the WAN connection.”
STAX and BOLT are two new members of the VeeaHub platform product family, primarily based on highly integrated Qualcomm components for a wide range of smart vertical use cases. The VeeaHub is a Smart Computing Hub product platform, with a unique software architecture and a range of wired and wireless connectivity, supported by a cloud-based network management, monitoring and maintenance services. VeeaHub software platform’s powerful Linux server runs user applications in complete isolation in Docker containers.
VeeaHub’s integrated platform provides enterprise-grade Wi-Fi 6, IoT and cellular connectivity solutions, including 4G and 5G SD-WAN services as either a primary or a failover WAN connection, with a full security stack for Trollee and other applications within the store. It incorporates IoT connectivity including Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Classic, Zigbee and LoRaWAN. VeeaHub nodes installed on the local network instantaneously create a Connectivity Mesh, called vMesh, that simultaneously provides for a Computing Mesh, a microservice-based Service Mesh, an Application Mesh and an Edge Intelligence Mesh that also supports a highly accurate indoor positioning solution.
Now a part of the VeeaHub family, STAX is a Smart Computing Hub product supported by extensive cloud-based network management, monitoring and maintenance services that are field-proven with the current models of VeeaHub for a variety of edge use cases for the past several years. Its powerful Linux server can support multiple applications concurrently on one or several VeeaHub units across the mesh network installed at the user premises in a manner similar to how Wi-Fi Access Points are installed.
STAX, with a 4G or 5G module, can be bootstrapped and activated over a cellular connection with its combination of USIM, eSIM and vSIM capabilities, which supports most carrier networks globally by virtue of switching between any of its SIM functions at activation. It is implemented entirely through one 12-layer PCBA, measuring 4 in. x 4 in. on its sides, that integrates all STAX functionality to provide for an affordable product in the most compact form factor compared to other products in its category of products in the market today. On top of this, STAX incorporates IoT connectivity including Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Classic and a range of IEEE 802.15.4 protocol-based solutions including Zigbee.
In parallel, BOLT brings ast Wi-Fi 6 mesh router technology for highly simplified deployments in the same form factor, with optional features such as "Automation for Smart Spaces", which can be used for myriad of places, such as homes, hotels and dormitory rooms, and nursing homes. Automation for Smart Spaces provides for an "all-in-one" solution for integration with products and peripherals from several leading vendors' lighting, HVAC, air quality management, security alarm, cameras, door locks, shades, garage door openers and other home or office automation use cases.
“For both STAX and BOLT, the solution architecture substantially minimizes the backhaul requirements for data intensive activities, improves resiliency for mission critical edge computing applications and facilitates data ownership and privacy to meet regulatory requirements such as GDPR,” said Salmasi.
Smart hubs like VeaaHub, and the new STAX and BOLT only cement the idea that more digital adoption will be taking place as innovative new technologies continue to come to light. And as we continue to push forward into a new, highly digital age, the reliance on automation for convenience and efficiency will only increase as well, with smart hubs such as STAX and BOLT, most likely becoming commonplace for buildings.
“We hope to make it simple, predictable, cost effective and most efficient to support a wide range of edge use cases as edge computing applications grow exponentially,” said Salmasi. “With a very small physical footprint that nonetheless provides server-grade processing and scalable storage, we have broken the edge barrier with products that include zero touch plug-and-play ease of use and multilevel security features that the market demands today."
Edited by
Luke Bellos
