By 2020, Cisco estimates that nearly 50 billion devices and objects will be connected to the Internet. That’s ten zeros! While only one percent of things in the physical world are connected today, more and more organizations, namely companies and governments, are deploying solutions for the oncoming Internet of Things (IoT) era.
Always the innovator, Cisco wants to provide the foundation as organizations prepare for the transition to the IoT.
“The Cisco IoT System provides a comprehensive set of IoT technologies and products that simplify and accelerate the deployment of infrastructure for the Internet of Things,” said Kip Compton, vice president and general manager of Cisco’s IoT Systems and Software Group. “This unique systems approach delivers a framework that makes it possible to deploy, accelerate and innovate with IoT.”
It was important for Cisco to provide IoT systems that would simplify the daunting task of large-scale management of countless networked devices and objects. Cisco also wanted to provide business insights more quickly via a data analytics platform. But Cisco isn’t alone in this effort.
With strategic alliances with other technology companies in place, Cisco hopes to obtain these goals alongside some of the world’s largest corporations, including Intel, Toshiba Corporation, Rockwell Automation and GE Software.
“As an advanced technology learning partner, Global Knowledge is pleased to support Cisco’s efforts to help organizations build the critical skill sets necessary to embrace the age of the IOT,” said Michael Watkins, senior director of Cisco product management at Global Knowledge. “The pace of change in organizations is ever increasing and, as more devices come online and the IoT goes from a sci-fi sounding idea to a new business reality, it is critical that organizations’ IT staff have the right talent to help them remain relevant. Through our expert instruction and hands-on lab experience, students at Global Knowledge learn to bridge this gap and lead their organizations forward.”
The complex wave of digitalization involves tons of devices on unrelated networks. When dealing with networks, security and data analytics can’t be afterthoughts, especially on a large scale.
With a six-pillar approach, including 15 new products to reduce the complexities of digitalization, Cisco’s new IoT system was designed to handle the demands of large-scale systems with diverse endpoints and platforms, whether we’re talking about terabytes of data or constant security threats.
The six pillars of Cisco’s new IoT system include:
Network Connectivity
Being a networking company, Cisco better get this right. This pillar represents Cisco’s routing, switching and wireless products, including the IE5000 purpose-built switch designed to provide connectivity to factory-level manufacturing and cities, IW3702 wireless access point for connected mass transit systems and metropolitan Wi-Fi service, 4G/LTE module for CGR 1000 for utilities, Mobile IP Gateway (MIG-2450) for connected rail solutions, 5921 embedded-services routers for industrial networking into remote environments, and IR 809 and IR 829 industrial routers with Wi-Fi and 4G/LTE connectivity.
Fog Computing
Defined as a distributed computing infrastructure for IoT, fog computing extends computing capability to the edge of the network, allowing greater data analysis as well. According to Cisco, by 2018 40 percent of IoT-created data will be processed via fog computing.
Security
By combining cyber and physical security, Cisco hopes to deliver operational benefits while providing greater protection for physical and digital assets with its new IoT system. Cisco’s TrustSec security-enabled IP surveillance portfolio and network products, along with their cloud and cybersecurity products, enable customers to detect combined IT and operational attacks.
Data Analytics
With an optimized infrastructure to implement analytics, Cisco’s IoT system can also harness actionable data for their Connected Analytics Portfolio as well as any third-party analytics software. Cisco’s fog data services allow operators to create policies to monitor and take actions on data flowing through IoT environments within the IOx platform. This allows users to integrate custom policies within applications.
Management and Automation
To deliver an easy-to-use system for managing an increasing volume of endpoints and applications, field operators need an easy-to-use management system with enhanced security, control and support for multiple siloed functions provided by Cisco’s IoT system.
Application Enablement
To increase business agility, Cisco’s application enablement platform offers a set of APIs for industries, cities, ecosystem partners and third-party vendors to design their own applications on the foundation of IoT system capabilities.
Related Courses
Cisco Training