Computer designers have been immensely focused upon size for many years now and it’s only in recent times that real significant advancements have been made, it is these advancements which pave the way for the next. In the industrial and embedded worlds efficiency is critical, a key factor in achieving this is utilizing the capacity of your space to its maximum. Even more so when considering cloud integration, upgrading hardware or integrating a completely new system. The theory of Moore’s Law has for long stood rigid and true. It is however soon to be redundant.

Originally coined as a way to explain the ongoing improvements in transistor scaling after Intel co-founder Gordon Moore observed that the number of transistors per square inch had doubled every year since their invention- that was in 1965. Since then it has been redefined and extended to include long-term trends in semi-conductor performance and new chip features. The International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) recently released an extensive update on the future of semiconductor technologies and it details that conventional 2D transistor scaling will likely end by 2021 to be replaced by new and different types of integration.

Moore’s Law has been revised numerous times as it continues to evolve with times.  information... to continue reading click here 

As huge supporters of the IoT we are delighted to see the scale of investment in recent months which we’d go as far to say has been absolutely cataclysmic. It’s a transparent swing that is solely a matter of time before it directly affects you. We highly recommend the IoT integration into your machines, networks, systems and services and will provide you with all the expert, global industry support you need, it’s not just about endorsing time, space and money but also efficiency and most crucially of all education. Equipping the IoT allows you to benefit from M2M communications and in depth analysis into data that ultimately educates an organization and define its future.

The incredible thing about the IoT is that the opportunities are just as pivotal and widespread for SMEs as for the global powerhouses- but in any stretch of the imagination it is the global powerhouses of whom are pioneering the technology, but who are they, how much are they investing and what are they actually investing in?

India Smart Cities Project is the colossus, the Indian government has announced a $2trillion package for its own IoT strategy to interconnect 100 cities across the country. Overkill? India has the fastest growing economy in the world outpacing China consistently in the last two quarters, no one is investing more in the IoT, India are setting the benchmark for their future developments with first phase completion expected in 2023.

Global force IBM have invested $3billion to connect to the IoT which will be established between 2015 and 2019, as they look to produce a new unit for clients and partners to build IoT solutions having already contributed to the Smarter Planet and Smarter Cities program ranging from water management, retail optimization and customer loyalty, to alleviating congestions combining and analysing data from various sources.

Google are also heavy endorsers as you’d expect, after investing $3.7million in various acquisitions including that of their entry into the smart home market where Apple, Samsung and even Facebook are hedging their bets. Although this has nothing on its $12.5billion spend on Motorola Mobility to further bolster its IoT infantry in what was Google’s biggest ever single spend!

GE are also going through rounds of investments with their controversial takeover of Alstom’s power business- ALSO.PA- GE’s investment in the internet of things or industrial internet of things comprises of a $2.5billion move to decipher its technological future, its focused industries are Power, Water, Oil and Gas, Energy Management, Aviation, Healthcare and Transportation have been the clear reason with GE realizing the broader trend and benefits of becoming IIoT ready across all of their divisions. The company says turning industrial machinery into smart industrial machines has become extremely cost effective and permitted business agility at all levels, no wonder- having worked with IBM and HP to produce sensors for almost every application.

The world leader in mobile chip making, Qualcomm has expanded its 3G, 4G and next generation of wireless technologies with the purchase of Cambridge Silicon Radio. CSR were pioneers in Bluetooth technology for machine-to-machine communication with a consequential impact on the automotive and the highly anticipated wearable market. Qualcomms focus is more the rapid growth of the Internet of Things with other purchases including Wilocity and AllJoyn in recent years.

EE is pioneering the movement in the UK with a $2.2billion investment in their 4G footprint by 2017 it is a part of their “Signalling the Future” manifesto to adapt the UKs infrastructure into a new reality of a 24/7 connected society across the country. They have faced considerable criticism for their lack of coverage in certain areas though through this strategy are aiming for world leading 90% voice and data services to the UK and 99.6% reliability. They are also considering the adoption of 5G speeds within the next decade laying the foundations for the UK to become a global leader in not just communications but its IoT infrastructure as a whole.

Of course the aforementioned projects are on a world leading scale, but it does highlight the potential prosperity that theIoT promotes, integration is quite simple with either an interchange or integration of a gateway device, Nexcom’s NISE 50C is a brand new embedded computer that does just that, it has numerous versatile functions that enable you to have real-time control over your network of devices and/or sensors, whilst you then have the option of controlling all from the business manager tool in Microsoft’s Azure IoT suite. Machine-to-machine communication and seamless cloud integration gives you the choice in how to control and monitor your devices, whether it be for asset management, predictive maintenance or cloud-based monitoring.

The NISE 50C makes it exceptionally easy to step up to the IoT and begin to realise the huge array of accompanying benefits and what it could do for you, an onboard dual-core Intel Atom E3826 provides the power whilst 4 latest generation 2.0 USB ports give super-fast connectivity along with 3 x RS232 and 1 HDMI port. The Microsoft Azurecertified IoT computer is has a compact, solid state design using heat dissipation technology for maximal strength and endurance giving you an industrial IoT solution that cannot only get you and your devices connected but it can also withstand the toughest of environments, allowing you to govern devices, manage, store and transmit data and harness data that you could not before all with the option of Microsoft Azure’s preconfigured solutions for analysis, visualization and ultimately superior control, the desire to get connected is greater than ever, and there is no better time than the present.

About Assured Systems

Assured Systems is a leading technology company offering high quality and innovative applied computing solutions to the embedded, industrial, and digital-out-of-home markets across the world. Headquartered in Stone, England and with offices in North America, our reach is truly global. Our impressive product portfolio includes a full range of Fanless Embedded Computer Systems, Digital Signage & Multimedia Computer Systems, Touchscreen Panel PCs, Human Machine Interfaces, Vehicle Mount Computers, Rackmount Computer Systems, Single Board Computers, Rugged Laptops & Tablets.

Microsoft Windows Embedded Vs Windows 10 IoT 

At CES this year, there was only one topic that caused any sort of stir, which of course was the IoT where leading lights such as Intel, Samsung and Firefox unveiled in depth strategies to outline the IoT in their respective industries and how they plan to realise its potential- which beyond any shadow of a doubt is the question at the forefront of research and development at all scales of enterprise throughout the world. Since CES moves from Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook have further highlighted the opportunity at hand and the awaiting fortunes at the other end.

Microsoft’s cloud platform was updated last year for an IoT specific audience courtesy of the Azure IoT Suite which quintessentially equates to an online business tool to manage and control connected devices regardless of their deployments. The IoT platform serves to provide a range of services to facilitate definitive projects such as remote monitoring, asset management and predictive maintenance with the collected intelligence of Azures artificial intelligence to assist the technicians of whom will keep it ticking, analysing relevant data and responding with appropriate decisions all within the cloud based management Portal. Microsoft has reiterated in what will be a monumental battle for IoT domination by acquiring Solair, a company whose focus is commercial IoT services monitoring and ensuring the smooth functionality of machinery and equipment- Solair’s technology will be incorporated into the Azure platform to further strengthen its armoury.

 Windows Embedded has for long been the isolated solution for industrial users building systems that don’t require all the features of a full windows install however upon the release of Windows 10 last year an IoT based alternative of Windows 10 has been promised. Windows 10 IoT is likely to become the impending replacement of the embedded platform that has ruled specialized systems for so long, the key benefits of Embedded were that it enabled enhanced levels of customization and optimized storage space savings- Microsoft are loyal to their platforms and so those key features remain but with the addition of the Windows IoT Core that quite simply offers the option to completely eradicate any traces of a graphical user interface (GUI).

Our clients are much attuned with Windows Embedded- but the new Windows 10 IoT does accommodate functionality that perhaps surpasses its predecessor. Microsoft Windows 10 IoT Mobile Enterprise is a feature attuned towards retail enterprise for mobile and handheld point of sale devices. Windows 10 IoT core is categorically aimed for custom development on small embedded and single board computers. There is a vast movement of designers and aficionados just to make and modify their own versions of major platforms, this is clearly a key indicator for Microsoft who are focusing more towards those who don’t require a screen or graphical output altogether.

Windows Embedded- The New, the Old, the difference

Windows Embedded systems typically fall into either Modular, Full and License only divisions, the modularity is great for those (such as the industrial field) that require only certain features for a specific deployment allowing developers to choose between features as well as custom splash screen branding and filters, Windows Embedded Standard 7 worked on 3 licensing levels- C, E and P with C being the entry level and P comprising of an all-inclusive Windows 7 Embedded system, Windows Embedded Standard 8 worked very similarly with only the most expensive- license P- being the only available.

Therefore it seems that Windows 10 IoT Core is more aimed towards developers, seemingly reinforced by the Windows IT Core Starter Kit which is designed to show you and new developers around thanks to their partnership with Adafruit. Full Windows Embedded Systems differ from the modular variant as evidently in the full option all typical windows functionality is integrated alongside pre-built OS image and additional embedded functions such as filters and branding. Two previous options in this division of embedded standards are Windows Embedded POSReady 7 and Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry, whilst the latest Windows 10 IoT Enterprise provides the full option with an alternate specially targeted towards retail or thin clients, which is marginally less expensive without limiting features like previous formats (WE7S) but can only be used in specific system applications such as retail, thin client or digital signage.

Finally (on the various formats of Windows Embedded) is the License-only options these are software-identical to the standard OEM OS the only difference is effectively the license agreement in that these identical systems can then be used  in embedded applications, which only entails that it must be a part of a larger network or device. Windows 7 Professional for Embedded Systems and....Read more here