It has been a busy day for Cisco at Mobile World Congress, releasing no less than four announcements focused on its acquisition of Jasper.
Hitting all the MWC buzzwords of IoT, wearbales and connected cars, Cisco used the Barcelona show to highlight how its using its $1.4bn acquisiton of Jasper to work with partners to innovate in the IoT space.
In the first of the four announcements, the networking giant announced that Cisco Jasper has completed live trials of NB-IoT on its Control Center connectivity management platform, making it one of the first IoT platforms to support NB-IoT.
READ MORE: Cisco Buys Jasper For $1.4bn
NB-IoT is a 3GPP-standard for Low Power Wide Area Networking (LPWAN) that leverages existing LTE infrastructure to deliver cost-effective IoT connectivity for low-cost devices. Supported by the GSMA, NB-IoT is expected to impact everything from smart meters and smart cities, to smart agriculture.
“IoT plays a critical role in helping companies embrace innovative new service-oriented business models, and with the addition of NB-IoT support, we are helping enterprises and service providers accelerate the delivery of more value-centric solutions to market,” said Macario Namie, Head of IoT Strategy at Cisco Jasper.
“With NB-IoT, an entire new segment of devices can now be connected in a cost-effective way, driving benefits for companies and their customers at mass scale.”
Cisco’s second announcment was more a case in point, proving how Jasper’s IoT solutions can be leveraged by big name brands to impact smart consumers. Partnering with Honda and BrightBox, Cisco Jasper is being deployed to deliver the MyHonda Connected Car platform, which provides a suite of powerful services that enhances the driving experience.
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Hitting the buzzword bingo with connected cars, MyHonda uses telematics from Bright Box, which in turn is powered by the Cisco Jasper Control Center automated IoT connectivity management platform. The platform will give drivers easy access to vehicle information, diagnostics, maintenance scheduling and GPS tracking.
Sandra Hughes, Head of Marketing and Product Management at Honda Motor Europe, said: “At Honda we are committed to optimizing safety, security and convenience for drivers with innovative connected services. The IoT services that Bright Box and Cisco Jasper enable us to deliver help ensure that Honda drivers receive the best possible driving experience.”
Cisco went on to boast that its Jasper Control Centre is the global IoT platform of choice for 23 of the world’s largest auto manufacturers – without giving any names away, of course.
The networking giant, serious about winning the Mobile Word Congress Bingo, announced wearbales news in its third release of the day. Pairing with Jupl, Cisco is looking to empower the rising population of the elerly with its Personal Emergency Response System (mPERS).
The wearable promotes safety and wellness, leveraging the Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch and purpose-built software from Jupl to provide a personal emergency response device without the need for a smartphone. Controlled once again by the Jasper Control Centre IoT platform, the wearable delivers biometric monitoring and location tracking in addition to the emergency response system.
“Cisco Jasper has long held that the Internet of Things is not about the ‘things,’ it’s about the services you can deliver via those connected things. This collaboration with Samsung and Jupl is a great example. Through these connected devices they are offering innovative IoT services that significantly improve the quality of life for users and create new business opportunities,” said Macario Namie.
“This is consistent with Cisco Jasper’s on-going commitment to enabling companies across all industries to transform their businesses and their customers’ lives with IoT.”
Beyond the primary market of the elderly and those in aged care, Cisco Jasper and Jupl are targeting several other audiences that could significantly benefit from this technology.
“The Jupl smartwatch solution enabled by Cisco Jasper allows the wearer to stay in constant contact with Bupa, as well as caregivers, friends and family. With an aging population, this solution will provide an effective way to support independence in our elderly or high needs customers,” says Margaret Owens, Director of Independent Living at Bupa. “This is an exciting step for Bupa’s existing medical alarm offering which enables customers to be truly independent.”
The final release of the day saw Cisco announce a global IoT services platform for Korean businesses. Partnering with KT and leveraging the company’s network, the Cisco Jasper Control Center IoT connectivity management platform enables both local and international customers to provide global IoT services.
“There is a significant demand for IoT throughout Korea, and KT is leading the charge to bring the most sophisticated IoT connectivity and management to all businesses,” said June Keun Kim, Senior Vice President, Head of GiGA IoT Business Division at KT. “Together with Cisco Jasper, KT is enabling businesses of all sizes and across all industries to deliver valuable new connected services that enhance their customers’ experiences while introducing new revenue opportunities.”
