NEC has announced the ”IoT Service Enabler”, a platform it describes as being capable of IoT data analytics and also of providing automated network management and control within a Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) architecture.
NEC says:
The IoT Service Enabler incorporates application interfaces for services, network interfaces defined by 3GPP, and interfaces for sensors and cameras defined by OneM2M, a global standards initiative for Machine to Machine (M2M) communications and the Internet of Things (IoT). These interfaces allow the IoT Service Enabler to carry out real time monitoring and analysis of information from sensors and cameras used for IoT services, network status updates and other data.
Moreover, the IoT Service Enabler automatically manages and controls network resources based on analysed information and the network performance required for each IoT service. For example, when an automated driving service that requires low latency communication operates on the same network as a vending machine inventory management service that requires communication once every few hours, the IoT Service Enabler will automatically assign more network resources to the automated driving service.
It looks like the IoT service enabler is taking advantage of edge-based computing resources to host data analysis capabilities, as well as some network management software within an NFV environment. The combination may enable operators to dedicate resources as required to specific services.
Shigeru Okuya, general manager, SDN/NFV Division, NEC Corporation, said, ”Using the IoT Service Enabler as an MEC platform will make it possible for carriers to efficiently operate various IoT services with different traffic characteristics on a single network.”
