INNOVATE - An IoT Solution Improves Wine Making for Henry of Pelham

Last week Bell announced it has partnered with BeWhere Technologies and Huawei to implement an automated Internet of Things (IoT) solution for the Henry of Pelham vineyard to help improve planning and sustainability programs.

By using wireless environmental sensors connected to Bell's LTE-M wireless network, the winery will be able to remotely monitor temperature and water levels, prevent vine disease, and ultimately improve the health of its plants, lowering operating costs and providing for years of maintenance-free data gathering.

"Unexpected adverse weather conditions can impact quality, yield and mortality of our crops," said Matthew Speck, Owner/Viticulturist of Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery. "Bell's solution will increase the density of our environmental monitoring. We'll be able to automatically act on temperature inversions by turning on fans when temperatures change, ensuring the health of our grapes and an optimal product for our customers. The solution is not only economical and scalable, it gives growers a good view of the vines' temperature needs to improve quality and drive sustainability."

In June, Bell announced it will launch an LTE-M (Long Term Evolution, category M1) wireless network in 2018 to support the rapidly increasing use of IoT devices on low-power, wide-area networks (LPWANs) in Canada.

LTE-M improves the operating efficiency of IoT devices by enabling very low power consumption and better coverage in underground and other hard-to-reach locations. In partnership with Huawei, Bell has successfully demonstrated these benefits in its Mississauga wireless innovation lab and in network field trials.

"Bell's LTE-M network combined with BeWhere's environmental sensors and cloud-based applications will provide Henry of Pelham with a perfect solution to help them do what they do best – produce fine wines," said Owen Moore, CEO of BeWhere. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Bell, Huawei and Henry of Pelham on this project."

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:  LTE-M is intended to support a broad range of large-scale IoT solutions, including smart city services, smart metering, home automation, weather and environmental monitoring, asset tracking, supply chain management, security monitoring, transportation and logistics, as well as personal wearables for healthcare and accessibility applications.

Top 10 Predictions from Gartner

From Augmented Reality to Web Browsing Without a Screen

The sold out Gartner Symposium @Gartner_SYM in Orlando, Florida is being attended by C level IT participants from across North America.  Yesterday Gartner, revealed the top ten predictions for 2017 and beyond. They focused on three fundamental effects of continued digital innovation:

• experience and engagement
• business innovation
• the secondary effects of increased digital capabilities

Daryl Plummer, Managing Vice President, Chief of Research

and Gartner Fellow stated:

Gartner images

"Last year, we said digital changes were coming fast. This year the acceleration continues and may cause secondary effects that have wide-ranging impact on people and technology."

The top 10 Strategic Predictions from Gartner:

1. By 2020, 100 million consumers will shop in augmented reality.
2. By 2020, 30 percent of web browsing sessions will be done without a screen.
3. By 2019, 20 percent of brands will abandon their mobile apps.
4. By 2020, algorithms will positively alter the behavior of more than 1 billion global workers global workers.
5. By 2022, a blockchain-based business will be worth $10 billion.
6. By 2021, 20 percent of all activities an individual engages in will involve at least one the top-seven digital giants.
7. Through 2019, every $1 enterprises invest in innovation will require an additional $7 in core execution.
8. Through 2020, IoT will increase data center storage demand by less than 3 percent.
9. By 2022, IoT will save consumers and businesses $1 trillion a year in maintenance, services and consumables.
10. By 2020, 40 percent of employees can cut their healthcare costs by wearing a fitness tracker.

Read the entire content of these predictions.

Imagine these predictions acting on your business and your investment portfolio. You may wish to reset (future proof) your plan for the things that matter most.