When Internet of Things (IoT) expert and Cisco (News - Alert) Vice President Macej Kranz provided the keynote speech at the IoT Evolution Expo in Fort Lauderdale, he pointed out one of the most notable shortcomings of IoT development and marketing to date: the purpose, especially for business leaders. Yes, it is exciting to connect refrigerators and toasters to your smartphone; yes, it is convenient to see live video of your home when you are on vacation — but how does that help hospital administrators and project managers achieve better outcomes?
Finally, no doubt thanks to Kranz, Cisco has the answer. With the development and release of Cisco Kinetic, business leaders can integrate IoT tech into their businesses as solutions to improve outcomes in quantitative ways. Along with Cisco Jasper, another IoT platform, Cisco has once again become vital to the business sector, and business leaders can gain much by investing in these IoT services.
The Saga of Cisco and IoT
Perhaps the largest networking hardware company in the world, Cisco’s relatively slow recognition of the power and presence of IoT is surprising. While the work done behind the scenes with IoT platforms might have occurred before, it wasn’t until early 2016 that Cisco made its first public move into the IoT sphere with the acquisition of Jasper, a company that built a cloud-based IoT software platform designed to help product businesses transition into IoT service businesses. Still, the move toward the IoT was a major one, with Cisco out-investing its competitors by a wide margin. Today, Jasper’s founder and CEO continues to lead Cisco’s IoT strategy with updates to Jasper and the recent release of Kinetic.
The goal of Jasper is to be a single, turnkey solution that facilitates the launch, management, and monetizing of enterprise IoT. Operating on a single base of code, Jasper is adaptable enough to meet any enterprise’s needs, regardless of business model, technology, or industry. Already, the Jasper Control Center Platform is popular with eleven automotive manufacturers, from General Motors (News - Alert) to Tesla, as well as major companies like Coca-Cola, Starbucks, and Garmin.
Jasper’s flexible functionality is fascinating. Carmakers tend to use the platform to perform real-time diagnostics, offer information and entertainment services, and ensure safety and security. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola uses Jasper to connect vending machines, which can then alert appropriate managers of inventory or servicing needs.
However, there are some downsides to Jasper. Prior to its most recent update, Jasper was limited to IoT devices reliant on traditional cellular services. Further, it doesn’t facilitate the acquisition and use of data as seamlessly as many business leaders prefer. Thus, using bits and pieces of Jasper and plenty of innovation, Kinetic was born.
What Kinetic Offers
Unlike Jasper, Kinetic is an operations platform that focuses on delivering data, managing connections, and fog computing. At its heart, Kinetic is a platform for “getting data off of your devices,” as Cisco Senior Vice President and General Manager of IoT and Applications Rowan Trollope said during the unveiling of Kinetic at Cisco Live Las Vegas.
Kinetic runs on the cutting-edge Cisco technologies businesses crave, encompasses wired as well as wireless devices, and isn’t limited to cellular services the way Jasper has. Kinetic’s ultimate goal is to facilitate the collection of data from devices, which is why the platform is so far-reaching. Correctly assessing enterprises’ interest in fog computing, or extending cloud computing to the edge of a network, Cisco has created an IoT product that does just that: Kinetic reaches to end-user clients and edge devices to collect valuable information. It’s a powerful service that promises to grow even larger than Jasper.
How Businesses Can Get Cisco IoT Services
Business leaders eager to develop, launch, and manage IoT services should do so through a strong and stable platform, like Jasper or Kinetic. Both platforms are available for use through Cisco partners, who operate regionally to provide more effective service to Cisco clients.
The IoT has been developing for decades, and Cisco’s recent investment in the industry is a serious indication that IoT devices are emerging as indispensable business tools. The sooner hospital administrators and project managers accept the presence of the IoT and make full use of its services, the sooner enterprises will find benefits from this vast network of devices.