Executive Summary

With an already seemingly countless number of connected devices, the Internet of Things (IoT) will be a gigantic growth market in the coming years. As a consequence, many billions of devices will need to be securely connected with each other. However, not everyone who wants to benefit from this trend has the necessary know-how. The ideal solution lets developers concentrate on their core competencies while buying the required specialist know-how in the shape of affordable, reliable, and pre-validated computer-on-modules.

congatec has paired its embedded computers with the validated software package from Intel®, Wind River and McAfee to provide new services based on the connection of devices with each other and the cloud. The bundle includes McAfee® Embedded Control which, among other things, includes dynamic whitelisting to prevent the execution of unapproved code while at the same time allowing policy-based updates. 

In combination with the validated package of the “Intel® Gateway Solutions for IoT”, congatec provides a pre-integrated and open platform starter kit to bring secure IoT solutions quickly to market. 

Key Business Objectives

congatec and Intel® offer an open, scalable, and expandable embedded computer hard- and software package to developers and system integrators so that they can connect their devices and systems to a global cloud system. They do this in a way that minimizes one-off development and instead leverages existing technology, standards, and protocols, while providing the ability to remotely manage the distributed devices and the applications running at the edge. The result should be cost-effective, standards-based, and broadly interoperable.

Business Challenges

The IoT is growing steadily and rapidly. All these intelligent objects ("things") have their own IP address, are constantly connected to each other via the Internet and can communicate more or less freely with each other. That this scenario is open to abuse and that sensitive data and devices must therefore be protected from unauthorized access is obvious. 

The first requirement for a network of machines and devices of any kind is secure IoT access. This can be provided either directly or via a gateway. In the first case, a gateway will already be implemented in the individual device. The tasks are largely identical, however, in the gateway scenario a protocol conversion between the internal and external network is often useful and necessary. 

Security is a complex issue and involves many aspects: The English language differentiates between "safety" (broadly referring to safe operation) and "security" (meaning safe from attacks by outsiders). In an industrial environment, both aspects must be implemented seamlessly and without gaps, so as not to compromise the whole system. This requires in-depth know-how and special expertise that most companies lack in the Factory 4.0.

Solution Benefits

IoT-based embedded solutions from Intel® and congatec make it easier to build embedded business-to-business solutions. Knowing that many aspects of the IoT are the same for everyone – and that few potential IoT developers have the time or inclination to develop all the design level from scratch – congatec has spent the past several years crafting an IoT Computer-On-Module platform for IoT developers, device and systems integrators. 

Standard computer modules – the fast lane to success: 

For those who neither want to rely on finished, commercially available devices nor go through the complicated and time-consuming process of certifying their own developments with Intel®, the use of pre-certified function blocks makes good sense. Many industry sectors already use modular computer systems that are highly scalable for the specific application and based on proven standards such as Qseven or COM Express. The use of modules that are pre-certified for the Intel® solution not only saves time and cost when implementing secure Internet connectivity; they also open up all the advantages of modular computer systems. Important criteria when selecting a module supplier include support of the relevant standards, quality of the modules and the ability of the module manufacturer to effectively support the system manufacturer in the development of his own systems.