Tyco International introduced a new software platform it intends to be the centerpiece of an Internet of Things (IoT) product strategy, and invested in home automation specialist Qolsys.
The company also hired a new CTO, Daryll T. Fogal, to preside over it all. Fogal had been CTO and vice president of engineering for Eaton Corp.’s Electrical Sector. Prior to that, he held senior technology, R&D program management and operations positions over a 15-year career with Honeywell.
Tyco CEO George Oliver said, “Daryll’s extensive experience leading large-scale engineering and R&D organizations, his previous responsibility for developing an Internet of Things strategy and execution model, and his strong general management and operations mindset will enable him to provide the strategic leadership necessary to achieve our growth and innovation vision.”
The company’s IoT strategy will be based in large part on Tyco On, a new integrated data and smart services platform.
Tyco On is designed to provide interconnectivity for a wide range of intelligent devices, systems and services. Tyco On, the company said, “will address varying needs of multinational, small business and residential customers, ranging from efficiency to complex system integrations and intelligent operations.”
An example Tyco offered is an application it uses itself in its own Installation and Services business, which allows a single technician to perform fire alarm testing. Using a mobile app, the technician can test detectors throughout a building and connect remotely to the system’s fire panel, where a second technician would have been stationed in the past, to complete the procedure.
The company said this app could be generalized for customers to offer cloud-enabled access and storage of testing documentation.
Tyco also sells RFID tags, video systems, electronic article surveillance and traffic sensors in the retail market. The company expects to use Tyco On to connect these various products to improve processes in retail and in other areas in which items get tracked.
The next step after that would be tying in other products in Tyco’s product catalog, including safety and security systems.
Neither Tyco nor Qolsys quantified Tyco’s investment in any way. Tyco expects to exploit its investment in Qolsys to further its ambitions in the IoT market.
Qolsys provides home automation products, controlled through a single interface – the IQ panel. Qolsys designed its Android-based IQ panel to tie together home systems for safety, residential security, home control, energy management and other applications, supplied by different home automation product vendors, including Google, Foxconn Technology Group and Alarm.com.
The IQ panel has a seven-inch touchscreen with a built-in panel camera, six built-in wireless radios with no external antennas, Z-Wave for home control devices, two-way voice, siren, an SD Card slot, 24-hour lithium-ion battery, and interactive services powered by Alarm.com. Connectivity options include both cellular and broadband WiFi channels.
“The partnership with Qolsys is exciting news for Tyco and further demonstrates our commitment to enabling new intelligent services via the Internet of Things,” said Mike Ryan, President, Tyco Security Products. “This investment deepens our intrusion security portfolio offering so that we can continue to deliver the most innovative and intuitive solutions to our customers in the residential, commercial and service provider segments.”
