Based on its recent analysis of the smart buildings market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Intel Corporation with the 2015 Global Frost & Sullivan Award for Visionary Innovation Leadership. Intel’s efforts to address the unmet and futuristic needs of the smart building market have enabled it to offer a seamless, secure and unified Internet of Things (IoT) solution.
Intel supports only standard communication protocols for both wired and wireless communication media. Intel also has mechanisms such as a universal protocol translation layer to facilitate data sharing between legacy systems running on proprietary protocols and standard communication protocols. It also supports the incorporation of external data such as weather forecasts and location positioning.
The biggest advantage of Intel’s IoT solution is that it is holistic. While it’s Intel® Security portfolio ensures levels of protection and privacy of shared data throughout the network, its IoT framework tightly integrates and automates the solution’s data manageability, security and analytics capabilities into an end node to cloud platform. Lastly, the service layer of the IoT solution interacts with the service or a subscription model of the solution and aids business execution, direct serviceability and payments.
“Significantly, Intel’s IoT solution for smart buildings is in step with the Mega Trends of Connectivity and Convergence, Smart is the New Green and Innovating to Zero,” said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Balaji Anand Sagar. “Intel recognized that there are enough connected devices for IoT to evolve and, consequently, pursued a corporate strategy to align itself with not only smart building solutions, but other businesses as well.”
As part of this growth strategy, Intel acquired software and security building blocks providers. Utilizing new and existing assets, it established a new business unit, Smart Buildings, to bolster IoT business opportunities for other dedicated teams in retail, homes, industrial and transportation.
Intel has a dedicated, bottom-up roadmap, which defines specific IoT frameworks for sectors such as building automation, home automation and energy management. In terms of individual elements, the company intends to commercially release hardware and software blocks in a specific cadence and build upon the entire solution in the same cadence.
Importantly, the IoT solution is tailored to scale and cater to the lowest end according to requirements that are based on the number of gateways and the price points. To further enhance scalability, Intel launched a new set of central processing units (CPUs) or system-on-chips (SoCs) such as Quark in addition to Atom technology.
While competitors have to rely on third parties to help them create a complete IoT solution, Intel has leveraged its experience in operating technology and information technology to offer a comprehensive solution. Also, the collaboration among the company’s internal business segments has aided the delivery of an IoT platform with reference designs that will allow building technology companies to build their own solutions upon it and customize them.
“Overall, the IoT solution, coupled with the company’s operational efficiency and growth roadmap, clearly highlights Intel’s visionary excellence,” observed Balaji Anand Sagar.
Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated the understanding to leverage global Mega Trends and integrate the vision into processes to achieve strategic excellence. The award recognizes the efficacy of the recipient’s innovative process and the impact it has on business and society at large.
Frost & Sullivan’s Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for outstanding achievement in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research.
More information about the awards, can be found at the Frost & Sullivan website.
