Intel addresses Internet of Things at DesignEast

Simplifying the Internet of Things (IoT) is the goal of Intel's Intelligent Systems Framework, according to Jim Robinson, general manager of Intel's Intelligent Systems Group. The need for simplification comes from Intel's prediction that more than 15 billion devices will be connected to the Internet by 2015 and that one-third of these devices will be intelligent systems. In fact, networks of such intelligent systems are what constitute the IoT.

Intel formally unveiled its Intelligent Systems Framework on September 11, and Robinson elaborated on the concept in a presentation at DesignEast last week. The framework, he said is an effort to deal with IoT's explosive growth while contending with associated IT challenges. The framework, he said, is an evolving set of interoperable solutions—or recipes—designed to enable connectivity, manageability, and security across devices in a consistent and scalable manner.

Robinson traced the evolution of embedded systems. Ten years ago, he said, he visited Shenzhen, China, and observed a digital sign—essentially a display driven by a PC. Updating that sign, he said, required a technician to visit the installation and pop in a new disk. “Today we see a much different animal,” he said. Not only are the signs today wireless, they are aware of features such as your gender and age and can tailor an advertising message to you. As the animal continues to evolve, Robinson said, we will have to contend with trends toward immersion experiences, increasing cloud connectivity, extensive data analytics, and workload consolidation, all of which will present security and trust issues.

Consumers, Robinson said, will interact with embedded technology as easily as they do any other computer activity, and cloud connectivity will change the dynamics of the embedded marketplace. Increasing data-analytics capabilities will transform data into information and knowledge. In addition to the digital sign example, he cited the vending machine. Ten years ago, he said, a vending machine had little intelligence. It could count your money and push down the bag of chips you ordered. Today it can assist in inventory management while generating advertising opportunities.

Robinson reiterated that the Intel Intelligent Systems Framework is a consistent framework for connectivity, security, and manageability that presents flexible recipes using scalable off-the-shelf elements. It also enables vertical specialization while shifting investment from interoperability to extracting value from “big data”—unlocking edge data to enable real-time response.

Intel processors supported within the Intel Intelligent Systems Framework include Atom, Core, and Xeon processors; McAfee and Wind River have provided software expertise. Other participating companies include Advantech, Dell, Kontron, and Portwell. Additional products from Arrow, Avnet, Axeda, Digi International, and WebHouse are expected to launch over the coming months. Intel said its ecosystem will work closely with the Open Data Center Alliance to ensure seamless integration of devices within the data center and the cloud.