Tag Archives: Networking

Working to deliver Wireless Innovation in the PRC

My firm has been working in delivering technology innovation to our PRC-based clients now for 16 years.  One key thing we do is tie all of our initiatives to the PRC’s  13th Five Year Plan (Click to see a good slide deck).  The technology section is key in order to understand the PRC government’s motivations and incentives to migrate it’s workforce from a manufacturing culture to an advanced technology juggernaut.

Some investor strategist believe that one way to “Trump-Proof” a technology enterprise’s investments in China is to focus on the current eCommerce explosion.

Michael Robinson just wrote, “ E-commerce growth pivots off of China’s fast-growing middle class, which now accounts for 19% of the population, according to Goldman Sachs. That figure has been rising by more than a percentage point each year – and should keep growing at that rate for years to come.
The rapid growth in smartphone use is another key factor. There are now nearly 400 million of these e-commerce-enabling devices in China, a figure that’s rising at a double-digit pace. And mobile-based spending – that is, purchases made via a smartphone or tablet instead of a PC or laptop – now accounts for 50% of all Chinese e-commerce, says eMarketer.

eCommerce from any smart device

That compares to just 22% here in the United States.
This growth in e-commerce is coming as China’s middle class continues to rise and the nation shifts away from its focus on exports and places a greater emphasis on domestic spending.”

My strategy is to provide engineering tools that will facilitate the enablement of innovative wireless

save energy, better connections

technologies E.G., Active Steering Antennae for the large number of EE and SW designers creating mobile eCommerce enabled devices in the PRC.

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4K Video’s significant impact on; info consumers, platform vendors and content providers

As we start to see the uptake in 4K video content, suppliers of CPUs, NIC (Network Interface Cards), networks (LAN, WLAN, Wi-Fi) and storage technologies will all be struggling to “step up to the plate” in meeting the challenges of this disruptive Video format.  Also IAAS platform providers will face huge challenges to configure cloud components that can be rapidly provisioned  for 4K content or Video Streaming.  Even the security industry will be affected regarding the video surveillance infrastructure (see this Video Security Magazine article).

SD VS HD VS 4K
SD VS HD VS 4K

This is a Technologies Strategic Directions “Sleeping Inflection Point” for multiple industries, manufacturers, eworkers  and information consumers.

Ultra-high definition (UHD) resolution is 3840×2160 Pixels now used in displays and broadcast., This does not equal 4K (4096×2160 Pixels) used in digital cinema. People tend to used them interchangeably but there is a significant difference in impact on the networking bandwidth required to service consumption of 4K.

We all are aware from a display technology perspective that TVs are now offering this content.  However, how about other network and computer infrastructure components?  When will they be able to handle  the disruptive impact of 4K?

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IoE/IoT KEY Enablers will be Ubiquitous Connectivity & Predictive Maintainence

I’ve been digesting and expanding on an interesting white paper authored by the Microsoft Azure Incubation team titled: Building the Internet of Things Early learnings from architecting solutions focused on predictive maintenance. I agree with the premise tha ubiquity in connection technology will be the key enabler and that predictive maintenance will probably be required to instantiate a true global ubiquitous connection state.  Recently MS is changing their terminology from Internet of Things to Internet of Everything (IoE).  Here I use them interchangeably A key technical enabler of the Internet of Things (IoT) is ubiquitous connectivity. A week or so ago I blogged about a new technology called Active Steering(TM) which should be the winner in patented connectivity hardware/Software/Firmware for antenna products.

Focussed Adaptive Radiation
Focussed Adaptive Radiation by Ethertronics

Just imagine that the antenna on your device was constantly sampling the wireless signals around your location and finding the strongest source and directing the focus of the antenna to that source.  That is what an Active Steering antenna does on your phone, tablet or PC.   By using this technique the system is also performing predictive maintenance on the connectivity configuration for your specific device and location. Let’s first look at the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model. Even though the Internet model uses a simplified abstraction, the models in the previous figure and the associated well-known logical protocols are comparable. Connectivity Model Application-layer protocols are not concerned with the lower-level layers in the stack other than being aware of the key attributes of those layers, such as IP addresses and ports. The right side of the figure shows the logical protocol breakdown transposed over the OSI model and the TCP/IP model.

Interaction patterns

Special-purpose devices differ not only in the depth of their relationship with back-end services, but in the interaction patterns of these services when compared to information-centric devices because of their role as peripherals. They are not the origin of command-and-control gestures; instead, they typically contribute information to decisions, and receive commands as a result of decisions. The decision-maker does not interface with them locally, and the device acts as an immediate proxy; the decision-maker is remotely connected and might be a machine. We usually classify interaction patterns for special-purpose devices into the four categories indicated in the following figure.

Device Coomunications Patterns
Device communications Patterns

CoPathwaysnnectivity Types

All of these models need uninterrupted connectivity to enable the ultimate user experience that Windows 10 could offer with the addition of Active Steering Technologies at the Platform level.

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Wi-Fi Signal Active Steering Impresive new Technology

Here in San Diego we have a number of new and innovative technology companies.  One of which I’m proud to be connected to by Rick Johnson (their CFO) who was the CFO of Tarari and a fellow Intel Alumni. The company is Ethertronics and makes chip-sets that implement various types of antenna functionality for the mobile market.  Their latest introduction at this year’s CES is ACTIVE STEERING

itac3

The industry is preparing for a 1000x increase in data traffic while carriers are running out of capacity on their networks. The solution to this daunting challenge isn’t as simple as just buying more spectrum or adding more infrastructure in the form of cellular towers, small cells and Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) equipment. The wireless devices themselves are key to increasing capacity through spectral efficiency. Active Steering technology is crucial to improve device efficiency and performance.

Ethertronics’ Active Steering technology provides

  • Significantly faster throughput –  higher data rates
  • Minimizes unwanted interference
  • Seamless handoffs between towers
  • Better connected experience for users
  • Increased spectral efficiency – more capacity to carriers’ networks
Wi-Fi Active Steering
Wi-Fi Active Steering

 

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New Technology Coming to Marry the Internet of Things with small appliance world!

My firm has been engaged by one of the world’s largest small appliance manufacturing PRC-based companies to architect and implement a cloud/mobile/appliance IoT offering. This new small wine appliance will be launched in Q4 of 2014.

In fact this is an exciting project where WilQuest is Partnering with Microsoft, interKnowlogy, Tridea Partners and others to create a “Cloud of Things” CoT infrastructre where a global software/hardware engineering team is developing products on Azure,Windows 8,  Android, iPhone, iPad, Intel and ARM platforms to create a seamless web srevices orchestration of devices and applications that each perform a segment of a task that the end user request via gesture/mouse/keyboard action.

 

 

 

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Hybrid Cloud Computing Model Should dominate Enterprise Usage

As enterprises come to grips with Cloud Computing demands (both internal and external) the IT groups will soon realize that the Hybrid model is the “best fit” for the new Enterprise IT organization.  This will also force a closer alignment with various business units and provoke a rethink of the costing models for IT. can IT really stay a coast center given the inevitable variable demand curve of Cloud Services? Enterprise IT shops will consider various vendors (E.G., Azure, HP, VMware, Amazon & others) in light of the matrix created by matching customers service type needs to flexibility of leveraging a vendors Cloud Service offerings to suit the enterprise’s complex business needs. the ease of entrance and exit will be the driving forces behind vendor selection not just cost but ease of achieving true operational excellence.

Finance, Corporate Strategy, Biz Units and IT will collaborate to determine which “flavor” of Cloud Services are needed.  For example the SaaS, IaaS or PaaS models may all be needed in the view of the business objectives.  The decision of what kind of service offerings to implement will drive IT’s customers to do a functional decomposition of existing applications and distil what services are used today.  This will lead to an “applicability analysis” of which type of Cloud implementation makes good business sense.  Some may choose from Cloud Platform as a Service, Cloud Infrastructure as a Service, Cloud as a Software Service model.  These may also include convent “off ramp & on ramp” strategies to allow customers to switch as circumstances dictate.  An example of the choices is illustrated below:

Whatever Business Situation Determines That's the Right Cloud Service Choice
Whatever Business Situation Determines That’s the Right Cloud Service Choice
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Today’s Key Product Engineering Technology Requirements

As we look at today’s complex product, business and end-user requirements, some key ideas must be addressed to achieve profit margin goals.  Almost all electronic products today utilize software, hardware and multiple suppliers/vendors to complete product functionality.  The chart below is meant to trigger thinking about key items that must be included in the today’s electronic product engineering process.

These must come in to play while engineering products today.
These must come in to play while engineering products today.
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VOIP and Data Communications must combine

To be successful going forward in voice and data communications, companies must be able to integrate the cost benefits of VoIP wire line carrier transmission with cellular/mobile end-user voice and data product suites. E.G., AT&T, COX et al are bundling offerings to increase conglomerate market share. Wireless and Wire line service offerings – previously, large corporations have spent billions of dollars expanding their PSTN network.  As mobile and cellular technologies became available (and dominant) additional investments were spent creating the second stage of telecommunications.  Today, trends are foretelling the final tale in these under-connected technologies.  With the introduction of mobile data communications such as 8.02.11 (Wi-Fi) and 8.02.16 (WiMax), the Next Generation Networks (NGNs) will begin to support both data and voice communications, to a wireless end-user, while taking advantage of the cost-effective VoIP network backbone.  Smart Phone carriers have already successfully integrated a VoIP/Wireless package for this product-type powerhouse.

These companies also must be able to saturate their combined products suites into the international origination retail marketplace. As we have seen in the US domestic marketplace, companies are offering bundled services to customers, including:

  • Enhanced voice products that are easily integrated into a VoIP switching platform such as voicemail, conference calling, international toll-free, and the personal secretary (follow me number)
  • Integration of voice and data products together such as 802.11 wireless hot spot services, local phone services, and cellular (CDMA, GPS) subscriptions.
  • Initiatives with strategic partners

A key driver to ride this momentum is the ability to penetrate the market with affordable voice services, then maximize product suites with customer up-sell, using the Internet for advertising, provisioning, and selling, eliminating large personnel infrastructures that have, in the past, proved to be too costly for the PSTN Contribution model shrinking gap.  In addition, these marketing plans can be handled virtually from one corporate operating entity, for each geographic/ethnic market segment.

Finally, success will be contingent on companies familiarity with the sensitive balance between Revenues and associated Cost Minutes of Use (CMOUs), while building and maintaining a low-cost ongoing capital expense network.

  • Revenue vs. Cost Minutes – Although Operating Margins will continue to decrease by MOU, these declines will be offset by the strong demand for wireless data and voice services, both standard and enhanced, worldwide.  The addition of wire line and wireless customers in the less developed countries will gain huge market segment and will produce high Revenue dollar figures until the international accounting recalibration of the industry in these “start up” markets.

Building a low-cost enhanced service network. While VoIP networks have rendered old business models obsolete, it is expected to drive down the cost structure of providing service.  By building a MPLS access network for VoIP, Telecom Engineers, Operators, and Technicians are now located virtually, significant reducing operating costs and initiating an increase in service quality.  Because large domestic providers have billions of dollars invested in PSTN networks.  Understanding that cost reductions will be a necessity to stay competitive, migrating away from PSTN networks to VoIP will produce a large dilemma of instigating and executing an expense plan, with a result in reduced revenues.  RBOC and telephone carrier leaders seem to be slightly behind the curve of independent players who are building their model on the future, instead of the past.  How these large conglomerates handle this transition and these financial challenges will foretell their viability and future. Simply put tomorrow’s phone company will not be your parents’ phone company.

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Secure & Compliant Network Communications

As enterprises with regulatory concerns/mandates migrate to the Cloud (Private, Public, or Hybrid) compliance with regards to privacy and security will ether be barriers or demand enabling technologies.

Secure Network Copmmunications
Secure Network Communications

Tricks like leveraging encryption of data at rest while keeping active keys elsewhere will allow immediate use of the IaaS platform’s compliance methods and limit the application’s need to make drastic changes in code to accommodate compliance monitoring logic.

 

 

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Important Trends & Challenges

Important Trends & Challenges

SRI Things Roadmap
SRI Things Roadmap
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