Etisalat is launching the first Internet of Things (IoT) platform for device management and application development in the Middle East.
The operator will collaborate with Oberthur Technologies (OT) and ThingWorx to build and manage the platform, which will enable customers to develop and deploy innovative new IoT solutions for the growing Machine-to-Machine (M2M) market estimated to be worth billions of dollars to businesses now and in the future.
The number of M2M connections is set to increase rapidly over the next decade, rising from 5 billion last year to 50 billion in 2024, necessitating the development of thousands of IoT applications.
“As the world becomes smarter, we need to develop the platforms that enables that digital transformation” said Khalifa Al Shamsi, Chief Digital Services Officer, Etisalat Group. “Enabling automation and connectivity to billions of objects will transform the way we live. With smart solutions as the norm, Etisalat today is providing the IoT development platforms that will power the future for business and government.”
IoT and M2M solutions refer to ICT applications and technologies that allow devices and sensors to communicate directly with other systems and devices over wireless and wired networks and build smarter solutions and products. Such solutions are increasingly used by organisations around the globe to improve productivity (through real-time operational measurements and smart controls), reduce costs, enhance customer experience, improve the current services and open new revenue streams. This increasingly complex ecosystem requires more advanced platforms, including IoT device cloud, IoT development and big Data capabilities, working together in full interoperability.
Using these platforms Etisalat will provide standardised components that can be shared horizontally to enable rapid development and lower costs to improve existing industry operations, and will be critical to the realisation of the Smart Cities of the future.
According to Russ Fadel, President & Founder at ThingWorx, “IoT applications will need to be rapidly developed and continuously evolved throughout a lifecycle as new inputs from sensors and devices, and new insights from analytics, are introduced. To address this new opportunity, old, general purpose development tools are not adequate. ThingWorx will help Etisalat and its partners dramatically reduce the cost, time, and risk of application development and solution deployment by leveraging out-of-the-box capabilities and unique technology to generate innovative IoT solutions.”
