New gateway will connect billions of Bluetooth devices to the IoT

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The Bluetooth SIG’s new architecture and toolkit will enable developers to create Internet gateways for Bluetooth products.

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The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) just introduced a new architecture and supporting set of educational tools that enables developers to quickly create Internet gateways for Bluetooth products.

These gateways allow any Bluetooth sensor to relay data to the cloud and back again. This architecture expands the potential functionality of the IoT by giving anyone the ability to monitor and control fixed Bluetooth sensors from a remote location, whether that’s turning off their lights while away or unlocking their front door for a pet sitter.

The Bluetooth Internet gateway architecture and toolkit show developers, Makers, hackers and OEMS how to quickly and simply create a connection between Bluetooth and the cloud without the need for a smartphone or tablet to serve as the middleman. This essential communication capability is the next step to enabling the IoT by giving people and systems control of sensors regardless of proximity.

The new architecture will meet an immediate need for smart home developers looking to create a hub for all the sensors in a home or to integrate gateway functionality into existing products. It couldn’t come at a better time either. A recent report has revealed that out of the 4.5 million people identified as IoT developers in 2015, 1.4 million of them were focused on building smart home applications.

“People want to monitor their home security system from their couch and office. The Bluetooth Internet gateway architecture provides a standard way for any developer to create this gateway functionality. Routers, thermostats, security systems – the always on, always connected infrastructure in the home – can now speak to and control tiny, low power sensors and relay that information to the cloud, providing control from anywhere,” explains Steve Hegenderfer, Director of Developer Programs.

This architecture is part of Bluetooth SIG’s bigger play to grow throughout the IoT and home automation markets. Plus, it will help them extend the range of Bluetooth data transfers beyond the wireless range of Bluetooth itself.

“The key value promised by the IoT is that we can make life a little better by linking technologies and giving people more knowledge and control,” said Errett Kroeter, Bluetooth SIG VP of marketing. “Our new Bluetooth gateway architecture enables the IoT to do just that. We are extending the monitoring and control of Bluetooth enabled sensor devices to the cloud and making the data accessible.”

Intrigued? The Bluetooth Internet Gateway Smart Starter Kit can be downloaded here.

Parse for IoT launches four new SDKs

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Parse for IoT has expanded its SDK lineup with four new kits built with Atmel and other industry leaders.

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The Internet of Things is one of the most exciting new platforms for app development, especially as more and more people interact with connected devices every day. But it also poses a host of challenges for developers, as they must wrestle with the complex task of maintaining a backend with a whole new set of constraints. Many IoT devices also need to be personalized and paired with a mobile companion app. Cognizant of this, the Parse team is striving to make it simpler.

At F8 this year, Parse for IoT was announced — an official new line of SDKs for connected devices, starting with an SDK targeted for the Arduino Yún (ATmega32U4). Now, Parse has shared that they are expanding their lineup with four new SDKs built with Atmel, Broadcom, Intel and TI. This will make it easier than ever to use Parse with more types of hardware and a broader range of connected devices. For example, you can build an app for the Atmel | SMART SAM D21 and WINC1500 — and connect it to the Parse cloud in minutes, with nothing more than a few lines of code.

“We’ve been excited to see the creative and innovative things our developer community has built since we first launched Parse for IoT at F8. Already, hundreds of apps for connected devices have been created with the new SDKs,” explains Parse software engineer Damian Kowalewski. “Our tools have been used to build exciting and diverse products like a farm-to-table growing system that lets farmers remotely control their equipment with an app (Freight Farms); a smart wireless HiFi system that syncs music, lighting and more (Musaic); and even a smart BBQ smoker that can sense when meat is perfectly done (Trignis). Here at Parse, we had fun building a connected car and a one-click order button. And we’ve heard that our SDKs are even being used as teaching tools in several college courses.”

As to what’s ahead, this lies in the hands and minds of Makers. From a garage hacker’s weekend project to a production-ready connected product, manufactured at scale — Parse can power them all. Ready to get started? You can download the new SDKs and access QuickStart guides here.

The IoT is developing a head of steam

According to new data released by Evans Data Corporation, 17% of current developers are working on applications for the connected Internet of Things.

The amorphous platform of IoT is still yet to be concretely defined, yet many see the system of connected devices and items as a wave of the future. The Evans Data report also reveals that another 23% of developers plan to begin building IoT applications within the next six months.

The survey also found that 31% of IoT developers most associate cloud computing with IoT, followed by real-time event processing (26%), big data (17%) and machine to machine (15%).

Without question, the Internet of Things will continue to be an emerging and evolving market. Though there may not be a determined path for this trend to take but as development moves forward, “The Internet of Things will be as exciting and vibrant as it is frustrating and tricky,” Wired‘s Klint Finley reminds us.

“Beyond the cutesy stuff, there are some fascinating enterprise-scale applications that are emerging — such as GE’s concept of the Industrial Internet, in which major components such as aircraft engines and generator turbines are outfitted with sensors that can radio performance data back to their makers. This is where the IoT will have a real impact, and it will be interesting to see where developers take these kinds of capabilities,” writes ZDNet‘s Joe McKendrick.

With 212 billion connected devices expected to arrive within the next few years, Atmel recently joined forces with tech leaders Broadcom, Dell, Intel, Samsung and Wind River to establish a new industry group focused on improving interoperability and streamlining connectivity. The newly-unveiled Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC) looks to define a common communications framework based on industry standard technologies to wirelessly connect and intelligently manage the flow of information among personal computing and emerging Internet of Things (IoT) devices, regardless of form factor, operating system or service provider.

No matter what the future holds, the evolution of device connectivity over the next few years will be intriguing to say the least, while Atmel will continue to play a key role in the building of the Internet of Things. If you want to view the entire Evans Data Report, you can view the document here.