AT&T, IBM Partner on IoT App Development
AT&T (NYSE: T) and IBM (NYSE: IBM) will collaborate on Internet of Things (IoT) development as part of an arrangement that combines IBM's cloud and cognitive computing platform with the carrier's global network. The partners said Wednesday (July 13) the combination would be used to create open-source tools for specific IoT applications.
The companies also are betting that demand for IoT developers will increase as early implementations are rolled out, creating greater demand for open standards-based development tools. If forecasts of an estimated 10 million IoT developers pan out, the partners asserted that enterprises would need to invest heavily over the next four years in new development tools.
AT&T's global network would be used to deliver open-source tools and services from IBM's Bluemix development as well as its Watson IoT platforms. The partners also said AT&T is working with IBM on a new "starter kit" that would allow developers to purchase the combined technologies in an IoT toolkit.
Among the open-source tools to be included are Node-Red used to wire IoT hardware, APIs and online services. The wiring tool is based on the open MQTT standard used to build distributed Node-Red applications.
The collaboration also would allow developers to combine IBM Watson with AT&T's Flow Designer and other IoT platforms that could be accessed via the carrier's global network. Flow Designer is a cloud-based tool designed to help developers create and deploy IoT apps. Available as a service on IBM's cloud, the partners said developers could use it to make a range of connected IoT devices.
The partners claimed their partnership responds to growing demand from developers for more computing horsepower and network bandwidth to handle huge amounts of data streaming from connected sensors, devices and platforms. "There are many companies that would benefit from real, actionable IoT data," Chris Penrose, senior vice president of AT&T IoT Solutions, noted in a statement.
The arrangement would, in addition, allow IoT developers to deploy apps on IBM's cloud, a capability the company said would provide greater visibility into how "things" are actually connected. The integration also would provide cloud access to AT&T's Flow Designer and other tools so they could be used along with Watson and Bluemix development services in the cloud. The integration provides developers with access to Watson cognitive APIs, "serverless" computing APIs and other Bluemix services, the partners said.
The collaboration builds on an agreement late last year designed to expand the partners' relationship for providing networking, application and other services. IBM agreed to run and deliver AT&T's managed application and hosting services, aligning them more closely with the IBM Cloud. The partnership is designed to help customers integrate networks and cloud workloads with existing IT infrastructure.
