Tag: global

Beecham launches online IoT navigation tool

woman-sextantIoT analyst firm Beecham Research and its partner IoT Global Network have launched the first fully-independent, online IoT navigation tool which can help match adopter needs with IoT platform capabilities.

Robin Duke-Woolley, CEO of Beecham Research said that the IoT platform has become an important starting point for building IoT solutions, but with so many now on the market it is a highly confusing starting point.

“In addition, IoT platforms are going through a fast rate of development with frequent updates, acquisitions and re-brandings. They are also becoming increasingly sophisticated as well as more specialised. For those who do not understand the subtleties, this adds to the confusion, which then acts as a brake on market development,” he said.

IoT platforms offer the middleware to help secure monitoring, control and analysis of device and sensor data along with integration to enterprise IT systems. They are quickly becoming an essential element of IoT solutions to reduce time to market and development costs.

Beecham’s new IoT navigation tool assists adopters to make informed decisions about which platforms are most likely to meet their requirements at any particular time.

It does not favour one platform over others, but it does narrow the field to a level that adopters can manage effectively.

Duke-Woolley claims that by providing a short list of platforms most likely to be of interest to each individual user enquiry, it is part of the learning process and means that adopters can commence a more valuable dialogue with the most appropriate vendors at an earlier stage.

“We strongly believe this is of benefit not only for adopters but for vendors as well, leading to better-informed decision-makers, more qualified sales opportunities and shorter sales cycles,” he said.

The tool is hosted on the www.iotglobalnetwork.com website.

Rackspace rumoured to be up for grabs

grandpa_simpson_yelling_at_cloudThe dark satanic rumour mill has manufactured a hell on earth yarn claiming that the cloudy hosting provider Rackspace is going to be acquired.

The Wall Street Journal first reported Thursday that a deal with a private equity firm was imminent. Friday, a Reuters story said Apollo Global Management was working on a deal with the San Antonio-based company that could be worth more than $3.5 billion.  Needless to say it has not happened yet.

The outfit has had a few problems expanding and had been looking to bring in private equity, regroup or restructure.  There have been rumours for ages that they were ripe for the picking with a telecom provider thinking of buying them at one point.

But it seems that the company, despite having good offerings, is having a job saying anything relevant .

In May 2014, Rackspace informed the Securities and Exchange Commission that it had hired Morgan Stanley to formally explore a merger or acquisition. That September, Bloomberg News reported CenturyLink was looking to buy the company.

Speculation about potential suitors fizzled after Rackspace removed itself from the market and was unhappy with the offers it had received.

Facebook is worth $227 billion to the globe

globe-museum03Social not working site Facebook is worth $227 billion worth to the world and created 4.5 million jobs in 2014.

A report from beancounters Deloitte & Touche, which was commissioned by Facebook, claimed that with 1.35 billion users of its Internet social network, Facebook  would rank as the world’s second-most populous nation if it were a country.

Deloitte & Touche based its figures on the businesses that maintain pages on  Facebook as well as the mobile apps and games that consumers play on Facebook and measures all the economic activity that result. It also considered the demand for gadgets and online connectivity services that are generated by Facebook.

Some of the cash, such as when a company advertises to customers on Facebook, can be directly attributed to Facebook. However, when consumers donated $100 million for research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis during this summer’s Ice Bucket challenge, Facebook’s auto-play video ads were a key factor.

Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg claimed Facebook was helping create a new wave of small businesses in everything from fashion to fitness. She cited a group of young women in Bengaluru, India, who started a hair accessory business using Facebook and a mother in North Carolina who started the Lolly Wolly Doodle line of clothing, selling to customers through Facebook.