AT&T has announced an IoT starter kit based off Microsoft's Azure cloud platform. The kit helps developers boost their Internet of Things projects. The special version of the kit for Azure allows users of that platform easily build IoT solutions. On Azure, developers can use AT&T's starter kit through the platforms' cloud analytics and visualization tools.
The telecommunications company says the kit is “IoT in a box” that provides the “tools you need for IoT innovation: connectivity, LTE hardware, application services, cloud storage, and more.”
By integrating the tools, AT&T is making its M2X and Flow Designer features available in Azure. The company says combining tools for business intelligence, big data, and machine learning makes it easier for customers to create IoT solutions.
Chris Penrose, senior vice president, AT&T IoT Solutions says Azure provides a single place for easy development:
“Using Azure we've created a one-stop shop for developers to turn ideas into solutions. They now have platforms, connectivity and cloud services in one package to launch products and support their developer ecosystem.”
IoT Starter Kit
The new IoT Starter Kit comes with:
- An LTE modem that runs on the AT&T LTE network
- An AT&T Global SIM, available free for six months
- An expandable development board that works with a wide range of plug-in sensors
- An API to monitor the network connection and data transfer
- Cloud storage to host, manage, and share data across multiple groups
- Access to AT&T Flow Designer, which helps developers launch IoT apps in minutes
Flow Designer is an AT&T tool that lets developers use an AT&T Global SIM to run devices. The Control Center is a single hub for developers to manage devices and store data in Azure. The company says the single environment of Azure gives developers a secure place to easily create IoT solutions.
“Developers can connect their device data to Azure and rapidly deploy IoT applications. We're working with AT&T to give developers a broad ecosystem of tools to get the job done right. Together, our technologies can help tech innovators create impactful solutions for businesses,” said Steve Guggenheimer, Corporate Vice President, Developer Experience & Evangelism and Chief Evangelist, Microsoft.
