IBM invests in IoT, starting with its partner ecosystem

IBM is building an ecosystem of partners and clients to promote open collaboration to help secure Internet of Things (IoT) solutions.

Recently, IBM announced it's investing $3 billion over the next four years to establish a new IoT unit.

Following on from this, IBM has announced new software and services to enable partners and clients to more efficiently create, build and manage the connected products and systems central to the IoT.

The two new IBM IoT industry solutions are an IBM Aviation Maintenance solution to optimise the availability and extend the life of complex, safety critical aviation components; and IBM Product Line Engineering (PLE) capabilities to help engineers more efficiently customise product designs for specific markets.

The company has also released three new IBM IoT Cloud solutions and eight new IBM IoT Consulting Services offerings based on Bluemix IoT Zone.

An IBM Real-time Asset Management solution provides IBM's digital innovation platform users with insights into asset conditions to increase visibility and speed resolution of issues.

IBM Managed Continuous Engineering for the IoT helps organisations such as Cummins to increase the speed of development of IoT devices and products by enabling real-time feedback into engineering.

A new IBM IoT Workbench service helps with modelling the design and impact of IoT systems.

"The IoT is generating massive amounts of data - data from mobile phones, automobiles, appliances and industrial appliances - that can be captured, analysed and transformed into actionable insights, in a secure manner," says Chris O'Connor, IBM Internet of Things general manager offerings.

"IBM is helping innovators who design and produce the next generation of connected devices and those who operate and maintain those devices, deal with the increasing complexity of creating products and solutions quickly to meet the needs of consumers," he says.