IoT data gathering made simple

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IoT data gathering made simple.

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With Verizon Critical Asset Sensor, you’re ready.

The Internet of Things (IoT) offers huge promise, but the success of any IoT solution is premised on a simple capability: the ability to gather data. IoT data is what powers solutions like asset tracking and monitoring, predictive maintenance, fleet management and more. If you can gather the right data, you’ll be ready to improve efficiency, productivity and customer service.

Challenge: Getting data from the field With today’s effortless consumer communications, it feels as if simply transmitting your IoT data should be one of the easiest parts of the puzzle. But not all wireless networks are right for IoT data, and not all devices are designed to use the right connection type for your solution. How we simplify it

IDC predicts that IoT spending will reach $1.2 trillion in 2022, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.6% from 2017 through 2022.1 That means your competitors are surely investing in this area, and enterprises that don’t invest in IoT will likely fall a step behind. That’s what makes the Verizon Critical Asset Sensor so valuable. It is a simple solution for reliably gathering the IoT data you need to improve your business and gain a competitive edge.

The Verizon Critical Asset Sensor bundle comes with a device optimized for our massive IoT CAT-M1 network. This network is based on our 4G LTE network, named America’s #1 network by RootMetrics in overall performance (10 times in a row). 2 The device itself is set up to work seamlessly on the network, and you can use Verizon ThingSpace, our all-in-one development and management platform, to monitor usage in near real time. The ThingSpace portal also enables you to activate, deactivate, suspend or resume service using an intuitive web interface.

The challenges between you and your data

Challenge: Device security

IoT visionaries often gloss over the very real challenges of gathering data. Finding the right combination of sensors, protocols, connectivity and security can be a daunting task. Solutions can quickly become complicated. And that’s without the challenge of connecting that data source to your existing back-end systems, databases or analytics programs that can turn it into valuable business insight.

Properly securing IoT devices isn’t always straightforward. Managing security certificates for just a few devices can be time consuming, making a large IoT implementation daunting.

This paper is not about how to analyze or use your IoT data. It was written to help those who already have ideas of what to do with their data, but need help with obtaining data and managing IoT devices. Let’s review these challenges in detail and examine how Verizon Critical Asset Sensor can make it easier to overcome them.

How we simplify it Each Critical Asset Sensor comes with an integrated IoT security certificate. There’s no additional work needed on your part. Access to your sensors for management is controlled through the secure ThingSpace portal.

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Challenge: Complexity and data integration

Usage-based insurance

Connecting the pieces of a data-gathering solution not only involves finding, purchasing and managing multiple parts, but it also involves getting them to work together. If you don’t have application programming interfaces (APIs) to aid in this work, your developers face a daunting task.

The humidity sensor in the Critical Asset Sensor allows it to detect high levels of moisture in basements or crawl spaces, which could indicate leaking or flooding. The device can trigger alerts at insurance companies, allowing them to limit damage by helping homeowners act quickly and allowing the insurer to offer discounts to those homeowners who rarely experience issues.

How we simplify it All the pieces of the Critical Asset Sensor bundle have been designed to work together, so there’s no integration work to do. You get access to APIs that work, so your data gets from the sensor to your systems smoothly. Plus, the entire solution has a simple per-month, per-device price, making billing and financial planning straightforward.

Challenge: Setting up a cloud or internal system to use the data Gathering data is step one. Getting it to a place where you can use it and turn it into business insight is step two. Many organizations struggle with this. How we simplify it The Critical Asset Sensor works with Amazon Web Services,™ Microsoft® Azure®, Salesforce.com® and other public cloud data storage or analytics platforms, making it easy to send your data to storage or applications that you’ve already set up. The Verizon ThingSpace platform provides cloud connectors to easily send data to all the major cloud providers and software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications. (See more in the section titled “What you do with the data.”)

Fleet management The GPS capabilities of the Critical Asset Sensor make it an easy way to track fleet vehicles. When sensors are installed in your vehicles, your dispatchers and central office staff can gather near real-time data on where every vehicle is at any moment. This can improve customer service, limit miles driven and boost efficiency. Smart cities A common challenge for those trying to implement smart-city plans is dealing with old infrastructure like pipes and sewer systems. By placing a Critical Asset Sensor inside old water or sewer systems, you can gather valuable data without having to replace miles of pipes. The pressure sensor can alert you to unusual or dangerous conditions, allowing you to take action before systems fail. Smart agriculture The difference in microclimates between one side of a rise, road or field and another can mean a big difference in crop health and yield. You can use the temperature and humidity sensors in the Verizon Critical Asset Sensor to get a clear picture of conditions in large fields, helping you to adjust water or fertilizer inputs to keep crops healthy and productive. The device’s IP66 rating means that dust and rain won’t damage the device and put it out of commission.

Use cases: Gathering the right data at the right time Here are just a few examples of how to put the Verizon Critical Asset Sensor to work for you unlocking business opportunities. Predictive maintenance The machines most likely to need maintenance today are often the oldest ones. This means that to fully benefit from predictive maintenance, you need a way to retrofit older equipment. The Verizon Critical Asset Sensor can provide you with an easy way to do so. You can place it inside an older elevator, for example, and use the acceleration sensor to sense unusual vibrations. This could then trigger alerts for your technicians, notifying them of potential issues and helping them solve issues before the elevator breaks down.

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The Verizon Critical Asset Sensor bundle Customer

Portal Sensor data abstraction Sensor with integrated ThingSpace client

CAT-M1 network

Cell location

Cloud connector

Software management

Your cloud IoT platform handles reporting, analytics and integration with existing systems.

Verizon ThingSpace

This image provides a high-level view of the solution architecture and the components described below.

The sensor

The connection

The Critical Asset Sensor comes with an integrated IoT security certificate and a device warranty. The hardware offers a CAT-M1 power-saving mode and a low-power processor mode to help extend battery life. You can configure the reporting and sensor-read frequency through the already integrated ThingSpace portal. The sensor can measure:

The CAT-M1 network connection included with the Critical Asset Sensor includes access to data-stream APIs to help you manage your data flow. You can manage the connection on the ThingSpace portal, stopping or starting service and setting up alerts to notify you of unusual behavior. You also get network location APIs, which allow you to save power by using the device’s last known network location to keep track of it, rather than the GPS capability.

• GPS • Acceleration • Pressure • Tilt • Ambient light • Temperature • Humidity • Shock Device specifications: • Dimensions: 115 x 75 x 23.5 mm • CAT-M1 modem • USB charging • 4,000 mAh battery • IP66 rating

The platform Verizon ThingSpace is the back end that keeps your IoT solution running. It’s built to scale and supports your solution whether you deploy one sensor or thousands. The portal provides access controls and encryption to help you maintain security. It also offers: • Device management—Check your inventory of devices and group them for easier management; manage by exception; detect devices that need your attention; and perform actions on a single device or in bulk • Event logs—Track issues or errors • Firmware management—Update your devices to keep them operating securely • Network connectivity management—Monitor usage in near real time; activate, deactivate, suspend or resume cellular service; configure alerts to notify you of unusual behavior Most importantly, ThingSpace is the conduit through which your data flows. It supports real-time data streams from your sensors. ThingSpace offers cloud connectors so you can easily send that data to any of the major clouds, such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Salesforce.com and more.

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What you do with the data Third-party systems and applications Internal applications and databases Hardware

CAT-M1 network

Verizon ThingSpace platform

What you do with the data gathered by the Critical Asset Sensor is up to you, but there are three broad ways of putting that data to work: Sending data to third-party systems and applications You can send the data directly to third-party systems and SaaS applications, such as Salesforce.com and others. The ThingSpace platform cloud connectors make this easy to do.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning

Data, the foundation of your IoT success Your goal of building a successful IoT solution rests on your ability to gather data from the field. Overcome the challenges of complexity, security and integration with the Verizon Critical Asset Sensor bundle, a simple way to start gathering valuable IoT data today.

Sending data to internal systems or databases You can send data to an internal database or system first, such as an enterprise resource planning (ERP) or customer relationship management (CRM) solution. Applications and third-party systems can then pull data from these systems of record.

Learn more: Get started with the Critical Asset Sensor bundle today by visiting thingspace.verizon.com/sensor or by contacting your Verizon Wireless business specialist.

Sending data to machine learning You can use a cloud connector to Amazon Web Services to send the data to an Amazon cloud hosting location, and then use Amazon’s machine-learning tools to analyze and study the data there. It’s also possible to split your data stream and do more than one of the above, sending data to an SaaS app to be used immediately, for instance, and also storing it in the cloud and running artificial intelligence programs against it to gain additional insight.

1 Worldwide Semiannual Internet of Things Spending Guide (version 2H17), IDC, 2017. 2 Rankings based on the RootMetrics® U.S. National RootScore® Report: 1H 2018. Tested with best commercially available smartphones on four national mobile networks across all available network types. Your experiences may vary. The RootMetrics award is not an endorsement of Verizon. Visit www.rootmetrics.com for more details. Network details & coverage maps at vzw.com. © 2019 Verizon. WP2950119

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