Covid-19 has overturned life as we knew it — in a matter of months. There was a time where it seemed Aotearoa might slip under the radar of the worst impacts of the pandemic. That time has passed. While the future is hard to predict, it’s abundantly clear the Internet of Things will be at the forefront of digital problem solving, and ultimately, New Zealand’s economic prosperity. There will be growing pains as applied IoT matures in this country. Through these challenges, NZ IoT Alliance will play an ever more important role in improving our broad capability.
As revealed in this recent report from Vodafone, businesses are upping their deployment and investment in IoT technologies — and not just for operational or continuity purposes. IoT is becoming a trusted source of untapped data that is improving environmental sustainability, reinventing the customer experience, driving strategic thinking, and inspiring future-proof projects. With that in mind, here’s a summary of interesting local and international news.
IoT Alliance Annual Meeting
The IoT Alliance are holding their Annual Meeting on October 19 at 10 am via zoom. If you are a member and wish to attend, please register. Thank you to all those who put forward nominations for the Executive Council before the October 5 deadline.
The Annual Meeting will include a yearly update, our upcoming vision and goals, key initiatives and introducing our new council. We look forward to seeing you there.
Amazon Web Services in Aotearoa
Recently,Amazon Web Services announced their intention of creating a new Cloud Region in Auckland, which will introduce three data centres, known as ‘Availability Zones’. Amazon has invested $7.5 billion into the development, which is estimated to bring revenues of $10.8 billion over the next 15 years, and deliver more than 1000 jobs. The Cloud Region will boost Aotearoa’s digital infrastructure, upskill workers, and provide a platform where businesses can compete on a global scale – beckoning a new era of digital pathways for NZ.
The development, which is scheduled to open in 2024, highlights the importance of collaborating with educational institutions and government to ensure a favourable regulatory environment and apposite job market. For further reading,this business wire article provides a thorough look into the development.
Rocket Lab and IoT satellite constellations
Rocket Lab has recently teamed up with French start-up, Kinéis, to launch 25 IoT satellites in late 2023. Kinéisraised 100 million euros in private investment in early 2020 to launch the satellite constellation, which will provide the IoT company with improved connectivity for their services. Rocket Lab also made recent headlines as their shares jumped up nine percent after securing investment from the United States military. The Kiwi-American firm secured a healthy 34 million NZD injection from the United States Air Force’s new ‘Space Force’ division to develop the upper stage of its Neutron rocket.
Security and IoT
The importance of security has been brought to our attention with the many DDoS attacks at Kiwi Bank, NZPost and internet providers across New Zealand. As many of us are still working from home, this is not only an inconvenience but a reminder that security and technology are two sides of the same coin. One counter-incentive for the uptake of IoT is public vulnerability to attacks on connected devices, including unauthorised connections and cloud storage hacking.
As we wrote in last months newsletter, collaboration with others is a major asset when it comes to innovation. To see IoT as a viable and secure technology, we must collaborate on solutions to ensure that we can stay connected and create a prosperous New Zealand. If you would like to get involved, join our Collaborative Pilot Working Group.
Stay safe, look after yourselves and your families, and we look forward to seeing you at the NZ IoT Alliance Annual Meeting.
Ngā mihi nui,
The team at NZ IoT Alliance
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