Bosch Launches Cloud Service To Boost IoT Platform

White goods giant Bosch is launching its own cloud service, tailored specifically for the Internet of Things.

Looking to compete with cloud players such as Amazon Web Services, which launched its own IoT service last year, Bosch wants to keep up with the pace of change as manufacturers realise the potential of data harvested from millions of connected devices.

Suite

Bosch, which makes a variety of goods ranging from power tools, to automotive parts, to washing machines, claims it currently has five million devices connected to its IoT software suite.

But with a launch into cloud, Bosch claims it will now have the scalability and infrastructure needed for that suite to take advantage of more sensors embedded into its products.

“As of today, we offer all the ace cards for the connected world from a single source. The Bosch IoT Cloud is the final piece of the puzzle that completes our software expertise. We are now a full service provider for connectivity and the internet of things,” said Bosch CEO Volkmar Denner at the Bosch ConnectedWorld conference in Berlin on Wednesday.

Calling it the “brain” of the connected world, Bosch’s IoT Suite – now with added cloud – will also offer a software service to consumers. Bosch declined to comment on the costs involved in its cloud rollout.

Bosch is operating its cloud out of Germany, as to abide to data sovereignty regulations for German customers that require their data to be kept within the country.

“Many companies and consumers state that security concerns keep them from using cloud technologies and connectivity solutions. The Bosch IoT Cloud is the answer to those concerns,” Denner claimed.

“Consumers want to know whether their data are protected and secure. For this reason, the security we offer our customers is always state of the art.”

Adoption

It was earlier this week when research house Gartner claimed the number of businesses adopting Internet of Things (IoT) technology will rise by half in 2016, when 43 percent of all organisations will have some kind of connected technology in place.

The research firm found 29 percent of organisations are IoT adopters at present, although an additional 14 percent said that they planned to do so in the coming 12 months, with another 21 percent planning to do so after 2016.

Heavy industries such as utilities, oil and gas, and manufacturing have been among those more receptive to the IoT thus far.

In January, Bosch reported healthy earnings for 2015, with growth aided by a boost in the German company’s connectivity and IoT divisions.

Earnings were reported at €5 billion before interest and taxes, up from 35% from €3.7 billion in 2014. Revenue jumped 10 percent to €70.6 billion, up from €64.2 billion in 2014.

“We were able to successfully continue our growth trend in a challenging business environment and a number of stagnating markets in 2015,” said Denner. “A major driver of this positive business development was an increasing number of solutions for the connected world.”

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