Before working with Ayla Networks, Ozner was already using cloud connectivity to identify and solve water-filtration system malfunctions as well as to monitor filter cartridges for replacements.But, in June 2015, Ozner executives talked with Ayla about how the company might further improve its water systems with IoT technology. They liked what they heard from Ayla, but the executives needed to be sure that Ayla’s Agile IoT Platform provided the security and reliability Ozner required.

The wearable device market represents one of the quickest growing segments of the Internet of Things (IoT). From wearable fitness trackers to medical and healthcare monitors, devices are becoming cheaper and more powerful, contributing to double-digit growth. All the while, providing end consumers with an increased amount of data on their health and wellness. Collecting consumer health and wellness data, and displaying it on a mobile device in a secure fashion is not an easy task. The ability to connect these wearable devices to a secure and scalable cloud is often beyond the scope of device manufacturers.

Fire and life safety manufacturers face the challenge of creating highly reliable products that incorporate the benefits of IoT while meeting cost and usability constraints. These products must work every time, as they are often a matter of life or death. The challenge is to offer innovative and reliable products that remain competitive and meet consumer product constraints.

The OEM was concerned about the privacy of the data generated by the connected water softeners and about how much data a dealer could and should obtain on their customers’ installed units. Because most of a home’s water supply flows through the water softener, the unit could collect data revealing information about the number of people in a household and their water usage patterns, perhaps even their vacation schedules. Concerned about this level of data, the OEM wanted to put in place controls that would allow an end customer to determine how much information their connected water softener shared with dealers on an ongoing basis. At the same time, the OEM did not want to hinder the dealers’ ability to be notified about certain events that would help detect or avoid problems with the installed units. The OEM wanted the dealer to have enough data to remotely troubleshoot or resolve issues.

When talking about connected buildings, HVAC is a must-have topic for any discussion. Accounting for about half of a commercial building’s energy usage, and as a leading contributor of occupant comfort, HVAC represents not only a massive opportunity for cost savings, but also the creation of a comfortable and efficient environment. However, the challenge for many property managers looking to cash in on this opportunity comes in architecting a cost-effective solution, both in regards to implementation and ongoing maintenance, that supports open communication across all systems and devices, provides insights into product usage, and more importantly, the flexibility and control to implement changes based on this data.

Water softeners work by removing impurities—iron, minerals, animal waste, herbicides, pesticides, other chemicals—that water collects as it travels from its pure rain or snow form to where it enters a home. Once in place, the water treatment systems require periodic “recharging” with replacement filtering agents, a process that needs to be performed by authorized dealers. Other than recharging, however, traditional water softeners have operated in an “out of sight, out of mind” manner. No one involved in water softeners—manufacturers, dealers, end users—have been able to monitor or control much about their operation.

Lighting is one of the major uses of electrical power on a daily basis around the world. Statistically speaking, between 20 and 50 percent of the total energy consumed in homes and offices is used for lighting. What most people don’t realize is that over 90 percent of the lighting energy expense used for most buildings and homes is wasted due to over-illumination. In addition, in commercial applications such as office buildings, it can often be difficult, without human involvement, to monitor which bulbs may be burned out and need replacement, causing an unbalanced lighting situation.