Intel wants to kickstart development with its own IoT platform

Intel is bringing all its assets to bear on the Internet of Things, a hot topic for nearly all IT vendors but one that’s especially critical to big chip makers. While Intel would like to see its low-power chips used in sensors, wearables and other hardware that will ship in huge numbers if the industry’s IoT dreams come true, it also has software, security and infrastructure to add to the mix. In the short run, those may matter more than the silicon itself.

The world’s largest chipmaker, Intel, is finding out there’s lots of money to be made from the ever-growing world of connected devices. Created last year, its Internet of Things business unit is on track to reach $2 billion a year in revenue with 18 percent annual growth. Today, Intel is announcing a new platform to convince companies that they need Intel hardware and software to take part in the growing world of connected devices. The new platform is designed to make it easier for developers to connect devices securely, bring device data to the cloud, and make sense of that data with analytics. “We needed a repeatable foundation to help customers deploy solutions,” said Doug Davis, vice president and general manager of Intel Internet of Things group, at a San Francisco event today. “We’re unifying the building blocks into a single platform.” Much of Intel’s work in its Internet of Things group is around commercial and industrial settings, including energy management systems for large buildings and connected cars.