spher net full presentation - v1.1 final

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Infrastructure solutions for large-scale public and private IoT networks iSPHER’s groundbreaking technology enables network operators to cost-efficiently deploy scalable IoT networks while securely managing any volume of data exchanged with the connected objects. August 2015 A document published by iSPHER and the Nicolas Bourbaki Center for Research and Development.

The future at your fingertips.

Powering the Internet of Things

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SPHER NET | INTRODUCTION PAGE 04

SPHER NET | SOLUTION OVERVIEW PAGE 05

IOT | A RICH ENVIRONMENT DESTINED FOR GROWTH

PAGE 06

IOT NETWORK | COMPONENTS OVERVIEW PAGE 07

IOT | CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES PAGE 08

SPHER NET | A VERSATILE BUSINESS MODEL PAGE 10

ABOUT ISPHER PAGE 11

APPENDIX I: IOT - THE RELENTLESS ARRIVAL OF A SOCIOECONOMIC UPHEAVAL

PAGE 12

APPENDIX II: WHAT DIFFERENTIATES AN INTERNET OF THINGS NETWORK OPERATOR FROM A MOBILE NETWORK OPERATOR?

PAGE 17

APPENDIX III: GLOSSARY OF TERMS PAGE 21

APPENDIX IV: SPHER NET DEPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS PAGE 22

CONTACT INFORMATION PAGE 26

C O N T E N T S

i S P H E R | T H E F U T U R E A T Y O U R F I N G E R T I P S

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A few years ago, three engineers got together to fulfill a common vision:

Design superior technology to bring to the market advanced, yet affordable business and communication solutions.

Now, the dream is becoming reality.

With a staff of over 30 scientific personnel that include PHDs, University Professors and Senior R&D Engineers, the Nicolas Bourbaki Center for Research and Development, iSPHER’s Research Division, has successfully developed groundbreaking technologies that include amongst other, an innovative, 100% European operating system, infrastructure solutions to enable the Internet of Things to become an affordable reality and the most advanced large surface touch screen technology in the world.

Everyday, our rapidly expanding R&D and engineering team contribute their talent, unique expertise and passion for technology, to innovate and equip our clients with the advanced technology to provide them with the competitive edge they need now and in the future.


4 i S P H E R | T H E F U T U R E A T Y O U R F I N G E R T I P S

S P H E R N E T | I N T R O D U C T I O N

If you think that the internet has changed your life, think again. IoT is about to change it all over again!

Internet of Things and Low Throughput Networks

The Internet of things (IoT) refers to all technologies enabling communications between objects commonly referred to as “smart objects” and Cloud-hosted servers. The global estimated connected object market based on current forecasts is set to exceed 26 billion connected units by 2020. It is anticipated that IoT will generate a global direct and/or derived income running into several trillion USD per annum through the sale of objects and services for a multitude of new and innovative markets and usages such as metering, monitoring, security, asset tracking, etc.

Low Throughput Networks (LTNs) are technologies that enable long-range wireless data communication between smart objects and gateways, with the advantage of requiring only very low power consumption, meaning an object powered with standard AAA batteries can communicate with the designated application or server during several years. LTNs can be applied to building star-topology networks connecting smart objects that need to send and/or receive a small number of data packets per day. There are multiple radio technologies underlying LTNs: Sigfox, LoRa, Neul (Weightless), etc.

The LoRa Revolution

Contrary to other radio communication systems, LoRa is a standardized protocol designed by the SemTech Corporation, which produces LoRa radio chipsets, yet does not operate a network. As a result, third-party companies are free to deploy their own public or private network on any scale.

Furthermore, LoRa allows for bi-directional communication, thus making connected objects truly smart, as well as being extremely cost-effective in terms of sensors, deployment and communication costs.

The proliferation of this protocol is being supported by a the LoRa Alliance consortium that was founded in 2015 to promote LoRa radio technology. This consortium has currently some 50 industrial members, including equipment manufacturers, telecommunication operators, system integrators, or sensor manufacturers. The LoRa Alliance recently published the LoRaWAN specification defining a standard and secure protocol to deploy LoRa-based networks.

LoRa’s implication for IoT network deployments is considerable because what was until now a vision of the future, is fast becoming an affordable reality, which in turn presents the industry with one key problem:

How can network managers simultaneously handle the information being fed back from billions of connected objects hundreds of times per day and enable users to make sense of all this information?

What makes SPHER NET unique?

Our R&D team foresaw that IoT’s ubiquitous character would present network operators with some major challenges: communication protocols, cost, data volume, data integrity and scalability among other.

Addressing these challenges guided SPHER NET’s development in order to enable us to provide a robust solution to mobile operators or any private network operator, such as an airport.

Early on, we took a bet on LoRa due to its low operating cost as well as its “standardized” profile, making it easily adoptable. However, SPHER NET is flexible and designed to integrate any number of existing protocols, as well as those yet to be invented. It is extensible. More than 90% of our developments are not specifically aimed at the LoRa protocol and can be utilized in the context of another IoT radio protocol.

Being an infrastructure software solution especially designed for mobile operators that need to deploy public LTNs to generate new revenues, SPHER NET’s development focus was on large data volume management and reliability. As such we address efficiency, security and high availability, regardless of data volume, thus providing a highly reliable and scalable system.

SPHER NET is operational and can already integrate mobile operator ecosystems enabling them to capitalize on the IoT in addition to providing them with a platform primed for Big Data analysis.

The strength of our technology has also resulted in a highly versatile system capable of integrating private LTNs, thus substantially increasing configuration types and market reach. We are currently rolling out pilot SPHER NET LTNs for large car park operators.

Today, under one percent of the 1.5 Trillion connectable objects are actually connected. The scope for growth is almost endless.

As the most advanced IoT network management system available today, SPHER NET will seamlessly integrate a variety of sectors that include:

Environment: Smart Cities, Environmental Management, Water Management, Electricity, Gas, etc. Security: Homeland Security and Border Control, Emergency Response Services, etc. Sales & Retail: Sales Monitoring and Management, Stock Management, etc. Industry and Agriculture: Smart Logistics, Infrastructure Management, Field monitoring, etc. Just-in-Time Supply Management: Logistics, Stock Management and Monitoring, etc. Other: Healthcare, Home Appliances, Domestic Monitoring, Smart-Houses, etc.

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S P H E R N E T | S O L U T I O N O V E RV I E W

CUSTOMER APPLICATIONS

NETWORK PROVIDERS

GATEWAYS

CONNECTED OBJECTS

Software solutions for private Network Operators SHPER NET’s versatility allows it to perform equally in private or public LTN configurations

Bespoke Applications

In private network configuration, we provide the Gateway using protocols such as LoRaWAN, WMBus, etc.

Although we have the capability to develop client applications, SPHER NET is a network management software designed to be integrated in the solutions of applications specialists such as SAP for instance.

Software solutions for public Network Operators

SPHER NET is a robust and versatile LTN and infrastructure management system designed to integrate the infrastructures of large mobile operators such as Orange, Bouygues, BT, AT&T, etc. We enable such operators to offer large-scale connected objects networks to their customers.

SPHER NET’s ability to handle any radio communication protocol means that it integrate any radio protocol into a large-scale network infrastructure for the likes of Cisco, Kerlink,, Link Labs, etc. SPHER NET can easily be adapted to handle future IoT radio protocols.

SPHER NET’s ability to handle millions of simultaneous data feeds allows sensor manufacturers such as Adeunis, IMST, Libellium, Microchip, to widen their global client offer.

SCALABILITY SPHER NET simultaneous processes millions of data feeds

from connected objects in the field.

HIGH AVAILABILITY SPHER NET guarantees 99.999% availability.

SECURITY SPHER NET encrypts all communications to ensure the

highest level of data security.

MULTIPROTOCOL SPHER-NET can handle multiple communication protocols

and technologies.


SPHER NET | THE WORLD’S MOST ADVANCED SOLUTION TO DEPLOY LARGE-SCALE IOT NETWORKS

In private network configuration, we ensure availability of suitable sensors to connect objects to the Gateway.

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Wearables Connected

Cars

Connected Homes

Connected Cities

Industrial Internet

Transportation

Oil & Gas

Healthcare

I O T | A R I C H E N V I R O N M E N T D E S T I N E D F O R G R O W T H

Smart Cities: Intelligent parking, monitoring of buildings, sound monitoring, personal detection, traffic management, public lighting management, household waste management, public information display, etc.

Smart Environment: Fire detection, air pollution monitoring, snow level monitoring, avalanche prevention, floods and drought management, earthquake warnings, etc.

Smart Water: Monitoring of drinking water quality, chemical contamination detection, tracking pools, pollution levels of the seas and oceans, leak detection, flood monitoring, etc.

Smart metering/Smart Grid: Electricity, gas and water smart metering, monitoring of photovoltaic systems, water flow monitoring, calculation of stock in silos, etc.

Tracking: vehicles, bicycles, valuables, animals, people, etc.

Security and rescue: Hazardous area analysis, detection of hazardous liquids, radiation levels, explosive substances detection, etc.

Trade: Supply chain control, NFC payments, smart shopping, ray product radiation, etc.

Logistics: Transport conditions monitoring, parcel tracking, storage mismatch detection, fleet tracking, etc.

Industrial control: Monitoring of machines, equipment status, quality of indoor air, temperature monitoring, detection of ozone level, equipment and indoor products localization, remote vehicles diagnostic, etc.

Smart Agriculture: Monitoring of vines, greenhouses monitoring, golf courses irrigation control, weather stations, compost, animal tracking, etc.

Smart Animal Farms: Grazing tracking, monitoring of toxic gas levels, animal development monitoring, hydroponic installation monitoring, etc.

Home Automation and Smart Buildings: Use of water and electricity, remote control, intrusion detection, smoke detection, monitoring of valuable assets, etc.

e-Health: Fall detection, drug storage, sports monitoring, patient monitoring, ultraviolet radiation, etc.

IoT will be used in the following sectors …

26 Billion connected objects by 2020

1% of 1.5 T connected object global potential actually connected today

25 Billion US Dollar industry by 2020

14 Trillion US Dollar estimated derived IoT market

47 Thousand jobs created around IoT in Barcelona alone over the past 7 years

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LTN stands for Low Throughput Networks, which are technologies that enable long-range wireless data communication (up to 15km) between smart objects and gateways, requiring only very low power consumption. There are multiple radio technologies underlying LTNs: Sigfox, LoRa, Neul (weightless), etc.

Connected objects Connected Smart Objects embed a radio chipset, a micro-controller, and a set of sensors. The micro-controller executes a software that periodically sends data packets containing sensor values, such as temperature, GPS location, power consumption and more. Various radio chipsets are available: LoRa, Sigfox, Neul (Weightless), etc.

The current estimation is for 25 Billion connected objects by 2020, each transmitting data multiple times every 24 hours, 365 days a year.

Gateways They embed a multi-channel radio chipset (aka concentrator) and a tiny computer. The latter executes a software that forwards packets received from smart objects to the datacenters. Gateways also take in charge communications from the datacenters to smart objects.

There will be as many gateways as there will be networks, multiplied by the number of antennas nneded to provide adequate coverage.

Datacenters They are composed of a set of interconnected computers and servers. Datacenters have three main functions:

•  Process the data packets forwarded by Gateways. •  Implement management functions for Gateways and Connected Objects. •  Implement administrative functions for Customer Relationship Management,

such as smart object registration, accounting, billing, etc.

Globally, there will likely be several hundred mobile operators operating public LTNs in addition to 10’000s private LTNs.

Applications Receive data packets forwarded by datacenters and implement high-level functions for customers, such as reporting values of smart object sensors, triggering actions based on received packets, etc.

There will be 100’000s of applications utilized by billions of users.

IoT NETWORK

This infrastrure layer allows for the exploitation of the data collected from any number of sensors by private or public LTNs, thus enabling individuals and companies to incorporate the Internet of Things into their ecosystems.

DATA MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS

I O T N E T W O R K | C O M P O N E N T S O V E RV I E W


GATEWAY

LTN Access-Point. A LAP is a radio base station that receives messages sent by LEPs and forward them to LTN servers (using Ethernet, 3G modems, etc.).

OBJECT

LTN End-Point. This is an object with LTN modem running the LTN radio protocol (i.e. LoRaWAN).

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What problems does SPHER NET solve? Now that IoT networks are affordable and can be deployed in a cost-effective manner, they provide mobile operators and large verticals unprecedented opportunities for the generation of new revenues either through the provision of new services to customers or by optimizing processes, thus achieving bottom-line savings.

The key problems facing private and public LTN managers are the processing of large data volumes, system reliability, scalability, data integrity and security as well as sustainability.

Network managers simultaneously need to handle vast amounts of information being fed back from millions of connected objects per operator, hundreds of times per day while enabling users to leverage this information.

This sector will enjoy sustained multi-year growth because processing the anticipated volume of data generated by thousands of private and public networks and billions of connected objects will indeed become a very big business. The infrastructure needed to simultaneously process such volumes will generate revenues from bandwidth provision, data processing, and will require lots of hardware to operate.

SPHER NET is a highly available and scalable software stack for network operators

We developed a fully operational LoRaWAN-compatible software stack targeting network operators. In order to ensure that SPHER NET possesses a solution profile best adapted to their needs:

•  We focus on implementing the software for gateways and datacenters.

•  We do not develop smart object code.

Our solution is fully LoRaWAN-compatible and can be used with any smart object implementing LoRaWAN specification. We have successfully tested SPHER NET with objects developed by three

separate manufacturers, and as a matter of course are expanding the compatibility program in order to meet any variety of LTN configurations.

Our solution targets large-scale networks with stringent requirements in terms of performance, availability, security, and scalability. SPHER NET fulfills this commitment to clients by guaranteeing the following product characteristics:

High performance: SPHER NET sustains a very high throughput (number of messages handled in any given time unit) and critical network operations are processed using a very low response time path. This is achieved via a set of techniques, including: dynamic data sharding, differentiation of service, custom intra-datacenter network communication protocols, detection of service-level agreement violation, etc.

High-availability: SPHER NET is designed to ensure 99,999% availability (aka “five nines of availability”). It does not exhibit any single point of failure. Moreover, it can survive an entire datacenter outage. This is achieved via a set of techniques, including: state-machine replication, automatic fail-over, fault-detection, rolling upgrades, custom geo-replication protocols, etc.

Security: SPHER NET provides end-to-end security guarantees. This is achieved through encrypted communications, network traffic separation, detection of denial of service attacks, intrusion detection, etc.

High scalability: SPHER NET is able to dynamically adapt to an increasing load and limits the use of over-provisioning to the strict minimum. This is achieved through server consolidation, micro service deployment, continuous monitoring, self-sizing, load prediction algorithms, etc.

Finally, SPHER NET is designed to be extensible. More than 90% of our developments are not specifically geared towards the LoRa protocol and can be reused in the context of other IoT radio protocols. To illustrate this, we are currently implementing the support for another protocol, called WMBUS (Wireless M-Bus).

Embedding economic empowerment into our development philosophy Our overriding objective is to achieve technological excellence in order to develop versatile solutions that not only withstand the test of time, but also can be adapted to many different technical and/or business configurations, now and tomorrow. This is especially relevant when developing for the Internet of Things sector which in many ways is in its infancy and is taking shape daily.

Consequently, we have developed SPHER NET around what we know to be the most likely business and implementation models based on the feedback we obtain from industry, IoT network components manufacturers, applications development companies, mobile operators and likely private network operators.

In parallel to its technology, SPHER NET empowers mobile operators to offer ahead of time a rich IoT environment and service platform to their customers, capable of generating new revenues and adapting to future commercial needs.

SPHER NET extends this rich environment to key actors such as government agencies, local authorities and a host of private sectors.

In many instances, SPHER NET can also stand as the processing backbone for IoT network component manufacturers, who can incorporate the data processing and network management into their overall product offering to access markets that were previously inaccessible due to the lack of a turnkey solution.

I O T | C U R R E N T A N D F U T U R E C H A L L E N G E S


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GE estimates that convergence of machines, data and analytics will become a $200 billion global industry over the next three years.

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S P H E R N E T | A V E R S AT I L E B U S I N E S S M O D E L


Configuration 1

SPHER NET provides the data processing backbone of Public LTNs for Mobile Operators

In this configuration, iSPHER works in partnership with the mobile operator providing SPHER NET as the data processing backbone to create the LTN layer needed for a full connected object network deployment.

iSPHER services include system customization, 24/7 support as well as ongoing software upgrades.

The mobile operator will be in a position to offer a full IoT offer to his customers, who pay for this service on the basis of billing per connected object per month, or data transfer, or a combination of both depending on the operator’s commercial approach.

In any event, iSPHER will aim for a minority participation in the revenues generated by the operator while operating his LTN with SPHER NET technology.

Configuration 2

SPHER NET provides the processing backbone of Private LTNs within a consortium of service providers

iSPHER works in partnership with manufacturers of hardware used for operating IoT networks and will provide SPHER NET as the data processing backbone to create the LTN layer needed for a full connected object network deployment.


The consortium will be in a position to offer a full IoT offer to customers, who pay for this service on the basis of billing per connected object per month.

iSPHER will aim to benefit from an equal share of the revenues generated by the consortium.

Configuration 3

SPHER NET provides the data processing backbone for LTNs as a white label solution

Configuration 4

SPHER NET acts as a Private LTN operator

As a white label solution, iSPHER works in partnership with the operator, who can be a business application specialist for instance, providing SPHER NET as the data processing backbone to create the LTN layer needed for a full connected object network deployment.


iSPHER will license SPHER NET and where possible, aim for a minority participation in the revenues generated by the by operating LTNs with SPHER NET technology.

In this configuration, iSPHER creates a consortium constituted by regional companies specializing in IoT network components and provides the data processing backbone to create the LTN layer needed for a full connected object network deployment.


iSPHER will aim for a majority participation in the revenues generated by the consortium since the firm will often take the business development lead.

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We have the ability to integrate market needs and reality into our development programs. Our capacity to understand future trends have yielded groundbreaking technologies that we are now bringing to market.

iSPHER excels at creating, developing and implementing sophisticated technology solutions that enhance Man’s ability to interact and connect with the surrounding environment.

We are dedicated to the development, promotion and sale of enhanced user-friendly communication solutions and tools characterized by innovation, as well as by a deep understanding of the markets we serve. Our experienced team along with the outstanding researchers and scientists of the Nicolas Bourbaki Research and Development Center apply their unique talents to foresee today the market needs of tomorrow.

Our areas of expertise are communication and connectivity solutions where our state-of-the art technology developments provide our clients with a competitive edge in their respective markets. Our technology and solutions integrate seamlessly into a wide variety of leading sectors such as Media & Entertainment, Social Media, Medical, Education, as well as in a host of industrial areas. Our user-friendly applications include tactile technologies for large-scale surfaces, end-to-end communication gateway to power the Internet of Things, novel graphic interfaces, etc.

What differentiates us is our ability to integrate market needs and reality into our development programs. This capacity to understand future trends have led us to undertake important long-term developments that have yielded groundbreaking technologies that include a proprietary operating system enabling simultaneous multi-user multi-application use of large-scale tactile surfaces, state-of-the-art hardware and software developments to enhance user experience and lower unit energy consumption, sophisticated content distribution systems, the first operational end-to-end LoRa network solution, and more.

Our strength is our ability to integrate key business skills, resources and unique technological knowledge, thus allowing us to fulfill our commercial vision and achieve our stated goals.

The Nicolas Bourbaki R&D Team in brief

All our R&D team members have been handpicked from a pool of hundreds of top-level research and engineering candidates from leading French universites and laboratories.

Our full-time R&D staff include: •  7 PhDs specialized in advanced software development •  3 Professors specialized in big data and distributed

systems. •  17 research engineers •  2 Technicians

Unique scientific knowledge needed to create today the solutions of tomorrow

Our investment into Innovative R&D drives iSPHER's commercial approach and strategy. The key to our success is our in-house capability to generate genuine innovation and develop solutions that do not draw on any fully developed or existing technology.

We are dedicated to becoming market leaders by sharing our knowledge and fostering a development community.

We are committed to obtaining market leadership in hardware and components design, software development and content management systems, allowing us to durably serve commerce and industry by delivering superior communication solutions that are always adapted to human needs.

A B O U T I S P H E R



IoT The relentless arrival of a socioeconomic upheaval A high-stake challenge for all economic sectors. August 2015



IoT: the relentless arrival of a socioeconomic upheaval

What’s at Stake? The Internet of Things, generally known as IoT, its accronym, refers to all technologies allowing the communication between connected objects, commonly called "smart objects" and servers hosted in the Cloud.

These objects are and will be used in a numerous sectors:

These objects are already, and will increasingly be used in a multitude of sectors and applications:

Smart City: intelligent parking, dynamic monitoring of the status and condition of buildings, dynamic mapping of noise levels, dynamic measurement of electromagnetic energy levels, dynamic management of road and pedestrian traffic, management of street lighting, garbage collection management, etc.

Intelligent Environmental Management: detection of forest fires, pollution level control, monitoring snowfall levels, detection and prevention of landslides, detection and prevention of avalanches, monitoring of sysmic activity and earthquake warning, volcanic activity monitoring, etc.

Intelligent Water Management: quality control of water, detection of chemical leaks into rivers, control of the quality of pool water, control the level of pollution of the seas and oceans, detecting leaks water around the tanks and pipes, level control of rivers and canals, etc.

Intelligent Management of Remote Measurements: energy consumption monitoring and management of public or private users, monitoring of water tanks, gas filling level or gas monitoring, photovoltaic facility monitoring, monitoring of water pressure levels in the water supply system, etc.

Safety and Emergencies Management: access control for restricted access areas, people detection in sensitive and prohibited areas, corrosion prevention in sensitive buildings, radiation level control at nuclear power plants and in surrounding areas, detection of gas leaks in chemical plants and surrounding areas, etc.

The appearance of the LoRa protocol that enables the mass

deployment of connected objects, coincides with

favorable estimates that all agree on an annual turnover of

several trillion US dollars generated from 2020 onwards

by this new market.


Intelligent Sales Management: monitoring of storage conditions, storage management for the supply of products, product tracking to ensure traceability, expiry date control, detection of allergenic components, end-user smart shopping applications, etc.

Intelligent Logistics: control of the conditions of transported goods - sensing vibrations, detection of a break in the refridgeration chain -, locating objects in large warehouses, detection of storage mismatch between products containing flammable and explosive substances, monitoring and control of routes used for the transport of large or dangerous objects, etc.

Intelligent Industrial Control: self-diagnosis and preventive maintenance of industrial machinery, control of the workers working conditions, temperature control within industrial refrigerators, ozone level control in food plants, automatic location of goods within of buildings, etc.

Smart Agriculture: sugar level control in wine, state of vineyards control, monitoring of micro-climatic conditions to maximize quantity and quality of fruit and vegetable production, smart irrigation management through the automtic detectinon of arid surfaces, remote monitoring of weather conditions, quality control, etc.

Intelligent Farms: animal tracking, air quality control, presence of toxic gas detection emenating from excrements, etc.

Intelligent Health: remote monitoring of the elderly, vaccines control and grafts storage conditions, control of vital indicators for large public sports centers, etc.

Since the appearance of the LoRa protocol, that enables the massive deployment of connected objects networks, all estimates point towards an annual turnover of several trillion US dollars by 2020 generated by this new market. The stakes are so important that we are witnessing today in an unprecedented media battle between telecom operators in support of a substantial fundraising effort.

Public Relations vs. Technological Reality There is not a day that goes by without an operator announcing the deployment of a network dedicated to IoT and connected objects. What is the really behind these announcements?

To answer this question we need to know if Mobile Network Operators (MNO) are technologically equipped to face the oncoming challenge of the Internet of Things. As of today, the answer is clearly "no" (see Annex 2 explaining the main reasons for this lack of preparedness).

Knowing this, we can assume that they have opted for this strategy due to these key commercial drivers:

1. The Media Battle As mentioned above, MNOs do not hesitate to announce the deployment of IoT networks with the full knowledge they are following a communication strategy that is clearly desiged to mask infrastucture deficiencies. The truth is that in their current state, MNOs and mobile telephony have very little, even nothing to do with the communication between connected objects, data centers and user applications. The reality is the only technological advantage MNOs possess today for deployment of connected objects networks is their park of masts supporting the antennas used for mobile telephony.

2. Equity Investment into Startups Equity investment in the startups that could help them develop a viable solution for becoming an IoT operator are often considered by MNOs, wrongly, as a proof of their unpreparedness and the ensuing pressure that this new unknown market is causing them.

The difficulty of implementing an IoT solution is not in an antenna design study, whose cost is far inferior to 150’000 required for their antenna masts, or that of the connectivity of the objects, but rather in the development of the IT infrastructure needed for large-scale data processing that only specialists in distributed computer systems and technologies are able to implement. The expertise needed for this task is very different to the skillsets that are not possessed by RF engineers (antenna developers and connectivity for objects) who simply do not have the competence to design or implement this type of infrastructure.

The stakes related to the market for connected objects are so important that we are

currently witnessing an unprecedented media battle

between Mobile Network Operators in view of raising

substantial investment funds.


The Nicolas Bourbaki Research & Development Center at the request of iSPHER, in order to complement its IoT network data processing infrastucture solution, launched the study for an antenna possessing more powerful capabilities than those existing now. Initial studies are proving highly promising, and should we not encounter any substantial technolgical barrier, iSPHER will be able to produce its own antenna from January 2016 onwards, which will provide us with the added benefit of emancipating ourselves from a limited number of antenna manufacturers commanding high-end pricing.

The Nicolas Bourbaki R&D Center developed for iSPHER, the SPHER NET IoT data processing solution, a end-to-end solution that includes the software for antennas and what is without a doubt, the single hardest challenge, which is a reliable solution for application servers processing vast amounts of data to and from connected objects.

The networks deployed and operated using our SPHER NET solutions enable secure bi-directional communication between connected objects and applications hosted in the Cloud. In addition, Spher NET provides its customers with tools to:

•  Monitor their fleet of connected objects

•  Implement complex data processing workflows exploiting the data data packets received from their connected objects

To ensure the best quality of service, SPHER NET has developed a reliable and effective antenna park supervision and management system that are linked to the servers constituting the data processing infrastructure.

SPHER NET solutions for operators of IoT Networks are based on three system components:

SPHER NET Gateway: this component is deployed on the masts. It supports bi-directional communication between the connected objects and servers deployed in the cloud.

SPHER NET Operator: this component is run on servers hosted in either SPHER NET’s data center and/or at the operator’s premises. It is responsible for the supervision and administration of the deployed antenna park.

SPHER NET Interface: is a component that runs on servers that can be hosted either in SPHER NET data centers, or in the operator’s own server farm. This component provides the framework needed for the creation of applications using the data produced by the objects. Example: storage, analysis, implementation of complex processing workflows, etc.

To ensure the highest service quality, SPHER NET has developed a reliable and

effective system for the supervision and administration of antenna parks, in addition to

server farms that provide the data processing infrastructure.


Tamedia iSPHER together with Tamedia, the leading publishing group in Switzerland founded in 1893 and listed on the SMI, the Swiss Stock Exchange, since 2000, are currently studying the deployment of a network of connected objects using SPHER NET, our IoT Network solution, in the city of Lausanne.

This network will be used by Tamedia to track the physical sales of newspapers published by the Group that are sold through self-service Points of Sale (POS) boxes in public places (streets, public transport stations, etc.). The objective of the network deployment is to monitor sales and optimize the supply of newspaper to the POSs. The intended outcome of the SPHER NET deployment will be:

•  A reduction in the number of unsold newspapers in the POSs,

•  Early-detection of product shortage at the POS.

When fully deployed, each Tamedia self-service POS will be equipped with a connected object approximately the size of a cigarette packet. This object will carry an ultrasonic sensor used for measuring the height of the stack of newspapers in POS’s tray. The measurements are sent, via antennas deployed on high points throughout the city of Lausanne, to servers hosted in SPHER NET data centers. Consequently, Tamedia managers have real-time access to the collected data via their user-friendly interface with a number of key indicators: instantaneous percentage of newspapers present in each tray, supply history for each POS, etc.

Each Tamedia distribution tray will eventually be equipped with a connected sensor the size of

a cigarette packet.

This object will carry an ultrasonic sensor for measuring

the height of the stack of newspapers present in the tray,

thus providing real-time supply status.


What differentiates an Internet of Things network operator from a mobile network operator? A brief overview of the key differences between IoT Network Operators and Mobile Network Operators impacting equipment, network architecture and data treatment. August 2015 A document published by iSPHER and the Nicolas Bourbaki Center for Research and Development.



Mobile Network Operators vs. IoT Network Operators

Is the Mobile Network Operator equipped to face the challenges of the Internet of Things (IoT)?

The answer is no for the following fundamental reasons:

1. The Mobile Network Operator (MNO) has a radically different hardware infrastructure.

For the MNO, the major challenge is to enable two people to communicate (voice or SMS). Consequently, his infratructure takes the form of a strongly meshed network (a kind of "peer-to-peer" network) that establishes a communication channel between two people regardless of their location (the diagram below illustrates how the mesh network allows two devices to communicate via mobile broadband).

An IoT network requires a radically different physical infrastructure. In fact, the role of an IoT infrastructure is not to allow "objects" to communicate with each other, but to transmit data from the objects to one or more point(s) of treatment. Therefore, an IoT network infrastructure takes the form of trees whose root is a set of data centers (commonly known as "The Cloud") and whose leaves are "objects" (see figure below: the flow of data goes from the "end nodes" to the "application servers").

The MNO infratructure takes the form of a strongly meshed

network that establishes a communication channel

between two people regardless of their location.

The IoT Network is radically

different. Its role is not to allow "objects" to communicate with

each other, but to transmit data from the objects to one or more

point(s) of treatment.

Telecoms Network Architecture


2. A radically different treatment of data The data processing carried out by the MNO is radically different to the data processing that must be accomplished by the IoT Network Operator:

An MNO’s main purpose and role is to transfer data from one point (a mobile phone) to a second point (another mobile phone) and is not required to do any further processing on transferred voice data. For message communications (SMS), the operator provides message storage for a limited period. The data processing performed by an MNO is relatively basic: it is mainly storage.

An IoT Network Operator must perform complex data processing of the data packets generated by the connected objects. Indeed, the purpose of an IoT network is to extract relevant information from the masses of data received from the objects. Here are some examples of the type of data processed: data aggregation, pattern detection, data evolution prediction such as prevent landslides through extrapolations on data reported by motion sensors, etc. Successfully accomplishing this type of data processing is notoriously complex and calls for the installation of a large-scale hardware and software infrastructure. As such, the data processing carried out by an IoT network operator are closer to the type of data treatment made by major Web operators on data generated by users (i.e. Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) than those made by MNOs.

3. A radically different network sizes

The amount and scale of equipment as well as the massive data volume managed is radically different for the MNO than for the IoT Network Operator.

In terms of scale of equipment, a MNO runs one mobile phone per customer. For example, leading French MNOs service between 10 and 25 million customers. An IoT Network Operator will have to handle a vastly higher equipment volume (i.e. the objects). This is due to the fact that at term, each of us will have many connected objects (for his car, his bike, his garden, his house, etc.). Furthermore, hundreds of millions, even billions of objects will be used in almost all sectors: smart cities, smart farming, smart industry, etc.

A MNO’s main purpose and role is to transfer data from one

mobile phone to a second mobile phone and is not

required to do any further processing.

An IoT Network Operator must perform complex data

processing of the data packets generated by the connected

objectsin the IoT network.


An IoT Network Operator in a country like France should therefore will be required to process several hundred million objects at least.

Regarding the volume of data processed, the "objects" in an IoT network will generate far more data than mobile phones managed by the MNO. Indeed, the data generated by mobile phones are the direct result of user activity (i.e. sending an SMS). Conversely, most of the objects belonging to an IoT network will produce continuous data (i.e. periodic activity resulting in data packets every ten seconds), which will generate a much higher data volume to be processed.

4. Closed Network vs open network A MNO is "closed": only the MNO uses the data generated by mobile phones. Conversely, an IoT network is "open": a wide variety of customers will use the data produced by the connected objects. For example, an IoT Network Operator serves both:

A parking management company wishing to deploy sensors in its car parks and process related data (such as displaying the number of available parking places, usage statistics, occupancy prediction, etc.).

An energy supplier wishing to deploy telemetry sensors (eg gas meter reading) onsite with their customer to offer them consumption statistics, predict the amount of future bills, or formulate consumption-based advice based on analysis of historical data.

A city wishing to deploy sensors to monitor air quality or the operational state of public lighting and providing visualization tools to municipal employees to assist them in their monitoring activities.

The infrastructure of an IoT network must allow a wide range of customers the access to data and exploit this data. Moreover, the integration of client applications must be made in the very heart of the network, to enable applications to interact in real time with the connected objects (eg to send commands to an object acting as actuator).

Bibliography

Some articles on the link between telecom and IoT:

http://telecoms.com/163802/mnos-will-not-make-the-iot-connection/

http://www.analysysmason.com/About-Us/News/Newsletter/IoT-M2M-operator-strengths-Jan2015/

http://www.analysysmason.com/About-Us/News/Insight/M2M-operator-strengths-Nov2014/

A MNO is closed with only the MNO using the data generated

by mobile phones.

Conversely, an IoT network is open with a wide variety of

customers using the data produced by the connected

objects.


Glossary of Terms 3G Third Generation 3GPP(2) Third Generation Partnership Project (2) API Application Programming Interface AS Application Server BGCF Breakout Gateway Control Function CAMEL Customized Applications for Mobile Enhanced Logic CSCF Call Session Control Function BICN Bearer Independent Core Network GGSN Gateway GPRS Support Node GPRS General Packet Radio Service GSM Global System for Mobility IMS IP Multimedia Subsystem IP Internet Protocol IP-CAN IP- Connectivity Access Network ISIM IMS Subscriber Identity Module IWF Inter-Working Function LAN Local Area Network QoS Quality of Service RACS Resource and Admission Control Subsystem RAN Radio Access Network SCM Session Control Manager SGSN Serving GPRS Support Node SIP Session Initiation Protocol SLA Service Level Agreement UMTS Universal Mobile Terrestrial Access

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Deployment Requirements A brief guide to setting up a SPHER NET LoRa Gateway

August 2015


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Deploying a SPHER NET networks requires the deployment of two distinct entities:

Base Stations (also known as Gateways or antennas)

Datacenters

Hereunder the requirements for these two types of entities.

Base Stations How many base stations are required?

The number of base stations needed to provide a fully operational network is roughly the same as the number of GSM base stations required by a mobile phone operator.

Approximative coverage:

In dense urban areas, the coverage of a Base station is between 500m a 2km.

In rural areas, the coverage of a Base station is about 10km

Where should base stations be installed?

Base stations should be installed in the highest possible points. The ideal location is the top of dedicated pylons as is commonly done for GSM antennas in rural areas (see figure below).

When installing a pylon is not feasible, Base stations can be deployed on the roof of buildings (see figure below).


SPHER NET Deployment Requirements

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How big is a base station?

LoRa Base stations are rather small. They are composed of two parts:

The Base station itself, which has the following dimesions:

•  ~ 30cm x 10cm x 10cm, weight is about 2kg (see figure below)

•  An antenna, which ranges from 30cm to 180cm (on the picture above, a small antenna is used; on the picture below a bigger antenna is shown: 165cm).

Which facilities are required for a Base station?

Base stations should have an access to Internet. The available bandwidth on the link does not need to be high. Typically, 1Mb/s is enough (10Mbit/s is preferred).

•  There should be a power source (220V AC). •  The gateway must be protected against lightning.

Datacenters Several datacenters need to be installed in each country in which SPHER NET is deployed. In this section we describe the requirements regarding these datacenters.

What is a datacenter?

A datacenter (see figure below) is a facility used to house computer systems and associated systems (e.g. storage systems, network switches). A datacenter provides:

•  Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) •  Environmental controls (air conditionning, fire

suppression) •  Security devices •  High-speed Internet access


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Is it necessary to build dedicated datacenters?

It is not necessary to build dedicated datacenters for SPHER NET. In order to decrease operational costs, datacenters are usually shared by several companies, including the largest ones in the world. In each country, several companies are specialized in building datacenters and renting “white spaces” in these datacenters. Examples of such companies include:

http://www.telecitygroup.fr/ http://www.tasfrance.com/datacenter/ http://www.green.ch/de-ch/home.aspx

Which hardware should be deployed in each datacenter?

SPHER NET requires deploying about 40 computers in each datacenter. Depending on its role in the Sphernet network, each computer comprises: •  from 8 to 48 cores •  from 32GB to 1TB of RAM •  from 1 to 10 network cards.

Furthermore, SPHER NET requires deploying a set of storage and network devices (e.g. infiniband switches). The hardware required for SPHER NET in each datacenter fits in a so-called “cage” (see figure on the left).

How many datacenters should be used?

SPHER NET implements geo-replication mechanisms for two purposes:

•  Ensuring high availability despite datacenter outages

•  Ensuring an as-low-as-possible latency between smart objects and applications hosted in datacenters

Therefore, in each country in which SPHER NET is deployed, at least two datacenters must be used. In large countries (e.g. USA, Russia), SPHER NET requires deploying more than two datacenters.


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Contact Information

For any further information regarding SPHER NET, please contact by email [email protected]. For sales enquiries, please contact the iSPHER Representative Office at +41 800 99 88 33. iSPHER Headquarters Avenue de Tivoli 3 1700 Fribourg Switzerland iSPHER Representative Office Chemin des Aulx 21 1228 Plan-les-Ouates Geneva, Switzerland T. +41 22 741 00 40 Nicolas Bourbaki R&D Center 294 route des grands bois 74370 Villaz France T. +33 4 50 60 60 90 E. [email protected] www.ispher.com


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