While Amazon has dominated the consumer-focused Internet of Things market by pushing smart speaker devices — like Alexa and Echo — and other connected home products, Microsoft is focusing on developing IoT for corporate clients.
"Most people, when they think about IoT, they think about smart speakers in their home, or smart connected devices," Sam George, the head of Microsoft's Azure cloud computing service for IoT, told Cheddar Wednesday.
"And what is really happening is that we're seeing this incredible proliferation of devices being deployed by businesses — about 42 billion by 2025 alone — that are powering some really incredible business innovations," he said. "When all of this works really well, consumers just have a better experience, and frankly, don't notice. But the businesses sure notice, because it directly impacts their bottom line."
IDC estimates that spending on IoT technology could reach $1.2 trillion by 2022. To meet that growing demand, Microsoft announced in 2018 that the company would drop $5 billion on developing IoT technology over the next three years.
The company wagers that IoT connections will help companies boost efficiency, streamline production processes, and enable remote monitoring. For goods and services-centered firms, they say, IoT can help track products, customers, and inventory.
George pointed to Unilever, the consumer goods manufacturer behind Dove and Ben & Jerry's, that has used Microsoft's IoT service to build an online, data-powered simulation of its factories and manufacturing plants, which the company hopes to use to draw insights.
Another Microsoft IoT cloud client is supermarket chain Kroger, which is piloting IoT-based connected retail stores. "They're able to stock their shelves better using AI out at the edge. They're able to do dynamic pricing," George explained.
The Microsoft executive also pointed to the potential of IoT applications for agriculture, where the deployment of the technology could help optimize — and ultimately, reduce — the use of pesticides, power, and water. The company also has several clients in the auto industry, including Volkswagen, BMW, and Toyota.
Now Starbucks is using Microsoft's IoT devices to directly collect data from its coffee machines.
Last week, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told Cheddar that Azure is just one part of Microsoft's broader business, but emphasized that streamlining these services is key. "Data is everything. If all we do is create more data silos, they're not really going to be able to get the return on their investment," he said.
"What's really interesting is that when everybody realizes when something is not working, but they never realize when it's working better. And that's one of the reasons why we call this an invisible revolution," George added.
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
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A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
