Cisco Delivers Vision of Fog Computing to Accelerate Value From Billions of Connected Devices

SAN ANTONIO, TX--(Marketwired - Jan 29, 2014) - DISTRIBUTECH - This week, Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) continued delivering on its vision for fog computing, transforming the network edge into a distributed computing infrastructure for applications that take advantage of the billions of devices already connected in the Internet of Things (IoT). With the new Cisco® IOx capability, customers from all segments and solution providers across industries will be able to develop, manage and run software applications directly on Cisco industrial networked-devices, including hardened routers, switches and IP video cameras. With applications closer to where actionable data is generated, customers can more easily manage the massive amount of data that is projected to come out of people, process and things in the Internet of Everything (IoE) -- and derive more value from their existing networks. Companies will be able to become more innovative, agile and efficient in their operations as a result. 

At the leading smart grid event, DistribuTECH, Cisco hosted a discussion with industry leaders on the growing need for distributed computing in IoT for managing the smart grid, adding greater automation in process industries and more efficiency in the public sector. 

Key Highlights:

• Cisco conservatively estimates that there will be 50 billion connected devices by 2020. These devices are creating a tidal wave of data that is expensive to move to existing cloud environments for analysis and conversion to useful content.
  
  
• To better monitor, manage and respond to the massive amount of data generated by IoT, IOx allows applications to run as close as possible to the data source and create automated responses that drive value. For example:
  • Smart Energy Distribution: Energy load balancing applications running on network edge devices that automatically switch to alternative energies like solar and wind-based on energy demand, availability and the lowest price.
  • Smarter Traffic Lights: As a video camera senses an ambulance flashing lights, it can automatically change streetlights to open lanes for the vehicle to pass through traffic. Smart streetlights can help achieve energy savings with intelligent lighting, which only turns on once a sensor identifies movement and switches off as traffic passes.
  • Self-Maintaining Trains: Sensor monitoring on a train's ball-bearing can detect heat levels, allowing applications to send an automatic alert to the train operator to stop the train at next station for emergency maintenance and avoid potential derailment.
  • Lifesaving Air Vents: Sensors on vents monitor air conditions flowing in and out of mines and automatically change air-flow if conditions become dangerous to miners.
    
    
• Cisco IOx brings the open-source Linux operating system and industry-leading Cisco IOS® network operating system together in a single networked device, which allows applications to run and respond instantly to actionable data sensed in an IoE world.
  
  
• The open application environment encourages more developers to bring their own applications (BYOA) and connectivity interfaces (BYOI) at the edge of the network and help advance the deployment of IoE across different industries such as utilities, manufacturing and transportation.  
  
  
• Cisco IOx capabilities will initially be available in Cisco industrial routers this spring. Cisco is working with industry leaders to collaborate and develop IOx-based solutions that will ease the deployment and support of the billions of connected devices in IoT.

Supportive Quotes:

Guido Jouret, general manager of Internet of Things Business Group, Cisco
"Cisco is very excited to accelerate innovation in the Internet of Things by delivering IOx, which provides the ability to combine computation and communication on our ruggedized routers and other devices. We believe that this turns the network into the fourth platform for computing (in addition to PCs, mobile and cloud), which will unleash new applications in manufacturing, transportation, smart cities and many other industries."

Jeff Carkhuff, vice president of global product management for electricity, Itron
"Itron's work with Cisco is focused on providing an open, end-to-end, standards-compliant network for smart utility operations. IOx will take this offering even further, allowing field devices to serve as both powerful IP routers and application hosts. The "bring your own interface" capabilities of IOx allow easy integration of innovative, specialized communications technology with a common IP architecture. Itron has been actively integrating IOx into our smart energy and water solutions, and we are excited about the possibilities it offers, including distributed analytics, real-time monitoring and dynamic control in the network itself."

Laurent Schmitt, vice president, Strategies & Innovation, Alstom Grid
"ALSTOM continues to lead the innovation of next generation control rooms, grid automation and distributed intelligence technologies for utility smart grids and smart cities across the globe. Cisco's new IOx offering provides a platform to advance our offering to yet another level of computing and control performance for our customers."

Kevin Zaba, vice president of control & visualization business, Rockwell Automation
"This innovation supports and extends the Rockwell Automation and Cisco collaboration to maximize the value IoT brings today and in the future for the industrial Connected Enterprise. Cisco's announcement of IOx turns the IP-network into a platform, which helps streamline the deployment of industrial applications. Rockwell Automation plans to deploy some of its industrial applications onto future IOx-enabled devices to help drive new IoT solutions, enabling companies to implement more productive, agile and sustainable operations."

Steve Lucas, President, Platform Solutions Group, SAP
"With the release of IOx, Cisco is accelerating the adoption of Internet of Things by delivering key capabilities for distributed computing and the deployment of applications securely at the edge of the network. At SAP, we look forward to a new set of smart applications for devices on the network edge enabled by IOx, that will work in tandem with SAP's Internet of Things portfolio across the industries and lines of business that we cover. IOx will accelerate IoT project delivery worldwide and allow customers to realize immediate benefits from reliable and real time process automation, operational insight and user enablement at the edge of the network."

Stewart Young, alliance manager, OSIsoft
"OSIsoft views Cisco's newest version of the Connected Grid Router (CGR) as an ideal platform to deploy select PI System data collection interfaces, providing three key advantages: It moves data collection closer to the source, sensors and systems of origin; reduces the cost of data collection by eliminating a separate server to run the interface node; and supports demanding utility and industry environments requiring hardened devices. In combination, these allow a utility customer access to more data from their service area over their converged network deployment, while at the same time allowing them to collect a wider range of data -- i.e., solar array, EV, pole-top transformer metrics, etc. -- that were not easily accessible before. We are excited about the possibilities this opens for our mutual customers and the market in general."

Bob Krysiak, Executive Vice President and President, Americas Region, STMicroelectronics
"As a leading supplier of sensors, microcontrollers, and other key technologies, STMicroelectronics is already recognized as a key provider of Internet of Things products and expertise. One example: in just a few hours we were able to install our reference software stack environment on Cisco's new IOx. This simple integration created a fully-functioning demonstrator that showcased energy-harvesting sensor & actuator nodes supporting building-automation applications through a secured IPv6 link. All of these technologies are significant enablers of the world and the life.augmented that ST is dedicated to building for people around the world."

Supporting Resources:

• Cisco Internet of Things website
• For questions about Cisco IOx, contact iox@cisco.com

Technorati Tags: Cisco, fog computing, Internet of Things, IoT, Internet of Everything, IoE, Linux, smart grid

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