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Juniper Research predicts that spending on IoT cybersecurity solutions will grow to over $6 billion in annual global spending by 2023

This month, Proact announced a partnership with NetApp and Cisco to improve cloud infrastructure delivery. Proact will offer the latest FlexPod solutions, including the new Managed Private Cloud service. Based on proven FlexPod architecture, Managed Private Cloud solutions provide customers with new consumption options and increased flexibility. AT&T noted that its Edge Solutions now includes Cisco’s Enterprise Network Compute System (ENCS). Business customers can now get the Cisco virtualization platform from AT&T—and managed by AT&T.

In Poland, Nokia—in collaboration with Orange—has completed a live network trial to validate the benefits of cloud-optimized radio access networks. This large-scale trial, a first in an operational LTE network, helps pave the way for a smooth evolution to next-generation 5G technologies.

Internet infrastructure specialist Flexenclosure completed construction of a data center for global communications and IT provider CenturyLink in the Ecuadorian capital of Quito. CenturyLink is the second-largest communications provider in the United States to the global corporate market, with customers in over 60 countries worldwide. CenturyLink will utilize the newly completed facility to expand its data and cloud services portfolio for existing and new business customers.

IoT Advances

A new study from Juniper Research predicts that spending on IoT cybersecurity solutions will grow to over $6 billion in annual global spending by 2023—only five years from now. Rapid growth—over 300 percent, in fact—over the forecast period will be driven by spending from product and service providers in consumer markets and end customers in industrial and public services markets.

Nokia put prize money and the enticement of competition behind a call for innovation. This month, it officially announced the launch of the Nokia Open Innovation Challenge (NOIC), an annual global competition that seeks innovative technologies, products and solutions that can change the world. The focus of this year's competition is industrial automation and the industrial Internet of Things (IoT) domain. Potential prize money available to winning companies totals $175,000.

To advance IoT app development, Senet and Digi-Key Electronics have added Senet’s LoRaWAN developer tools and connectivity offerings to the Digi-Key Internet of Things Resource Center. The resource center is a partnership to offer IoT application developers a full complement of Low Power Wide Area development kits, gateways, end sensor devices, connectivity services and other resources through a single online resource.

AT&T and the City of San Jose, California, announced a public-private partnership to advance the creation of a Smart City, bolstering San Jose’s place as the most innovative city in Silicon Valley. The Smart City development will hinge on AT&T’s IoT technology. In other AT&T news, the company will launch its NarrowBand IoT (NB-IoT) to meet the growing needs of US and Mexican business customers for a wide range of IoT solutions. AT&T’s NB-IoT technology complements its existing US and Mexico LTE-M network. In related smart tech and NB-IoT news, Tri Cascade, a subsidiary of SkyFidelity and an Internet of Things (IoT) technology company, announced a new strategic partnership with Skydrop, a pioneer in smart sprinkler controllers and technology. Tri Cascade’s industry-leading NB-IoT will enhance Skydrop’s current smart irrigation system and integrate Skydrop's solution into Tri Cascade’s suite of interconnected IoT smart neighborhood technology.

July didn’t only include news about smart cities and sprinklers—it also included smart car news. Sprint announced it has joined NXM Labs to launch a 5G-ready connected car platform combining high-speed, on-demand passenger Wi-Fi with advanced vehicle health monitoring and safety. To guard against hacking, the platform will include the first blockchain-powered Internet-of-Things (IoT) security system.

MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation, a designer and manufacturer of analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products, has introduced for foundry customers planar-type Hall-effect sensors for IoT, mobile, and automotive applications.