IoT must be made easy and user friendly – without a master’s degree in IT

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IoT innovations are often hindered by needless complexity, convoluted processes and lack of standardisation that increases the development burden.

However, it doesn’t have to be like this and organisations from across the IoT industry are starting to collaborate to develop standards to streamline and simplify on-boarding and device configuration.

In this exclusive interview Thomas Rosteck, the division president for Connected Secure Systems at Infineon Technologies, tells IoT Now managing editor George Malim how the full potential of IoT can be realised.

George Malim: Amid all the noise about IoT solutions, what do you see as the fundamental components that make IoT work?

Thomas Rosteck: For a long time, the Internet of Things (IoT) was a distant vision. Now – equipped with powerful microelectronics, the latest software and 5G – connected devices are increasingly changing the way we communicate, live and work. As the technical possibilities grow, companies are gearing up for the digital age and developing entirely new business models. In essence, the aim is always to create benefits for users, businesses, society and the environment by linking the real and digital world. With the Corona pandemic we see an ever faster push towards digitalisation which is significantly boosting market demand for smart and connected devices from office to home to industrial or mobility applications.

Billions of devices are being equipped with semiconductor solutions which become the raw material of IoT. Sensors capture environmental information and convert it into digital data. Microcontrollers process this data and generate control signals. Actuators convert the control signals into actions. Connectivity solutions connect devices to each other and to the cloud. Security solutions protect data transmission and support the integrity of the devices. Even more importantly, it also protects the privacy of the user which has become an increasing demand.

Understanding the system and the willingness to cooperate with established as well as new ecosystem players will be the key to success in the Internet of Things. Meanwhile, to master the complexity of the IoT and to maximise its potential in an industrial context, multidisciplinary solutions are needed. Business model expertise, understanding of hardware and software, electronics knowhow, communications technology, cloud solutions and artificial intelligence (AI) must come together.

Innovation in the digital age is not about the linear development of existing products. It’s about identifying a problem and then making use of the construction kit of hardware, software and algorithms. In this context, data security remains a key factor – for the acceptance and success of IoT but also to ensure the availability of the services based on connected devices.

Infineon is committed to making IoT work by providing the electronic building blocks that allow connected devices and services to run smoothly and reliably. By providing easy-to- integrate, scalable and reliable semiconductor solutions and software we enable our customers to innovate and to be successful with disruptive business models.

GM: The economies and operational efficiencies that IoT business cases rely on fall apart if IoT solutions are hard to integrate. Time is lost and costs rise so how can common integration problems be avoided?

Continue reading the interview on page 8 inside the IoT Now CEO Guide to MWC 2021

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