IIESoc have been working on "Connections 2019" - a Pre-IETF 106 forum in Kolkata on November 13th - November 14th 2019, to get protocol developers, academicians and network operators together on the same platform to discuss the latest problems facing the internet and the solutions relevant to them. Here a major focus is on India and Indian contributions to the Internet.
This blog is part of the speaker series that introduces the various amazing speakers that are part of the event. Third in the series is Venkatram Aurva.
Bio: Venkatram manages India R&D Team @ Syntiant Corp. for the development of Always-On Machine Learning Solutions for Battery Powered Devices and IOT devices. With Over 24+ years of experience in commercialization of Industry first solutions including LTE, IMS, IPV6, eHRPD, HTTP, TCP/IP and DNS for multiple products segments including IOT GWs, Smart speakers, Smartphones, Industrial devices, Automotive & Wearables.
He would giving a talk on IOT evolution in Smart Homes in the IoT track.
Talk:
IOT evolution in Smart Homes
IoT involves the interconnection of a large number of heterogeneous devices and networks. This talk focuses on the IOT Technologies for Smart Home e.g Zigbee, Zwave, Bluetooth mesh, BLE and Wi-Fi mesh. We will look at the inter-working and compatibility aspects and IETF standardization efforts. The key challenges in Security, Safety, and Reliability of IOT networks. Enabling voice for IOT (Low power edge devices) using AI/ML. How voice technologies are changing the way humans interact with IOT devices. IOT Smarthome adaption in India and Global Markets including the key drivers of growth and challenges
Checkout other talks at - https://www.connections.iiesoc.in/abstract
We also asked Venkatram a few questions regarding his IETF contributions and involvement.
1. How did you get involved in the IETF? Was there a particular issue that led to your involvement?
As part of my professional work I referred to RFCs (IETF standards) for the implementation and integration modules like TCP/ IP, DNS, IPV6 for LTE networks, LR-WPANs (e.g. Zigbee, 6LoWPAN), WiFi Mesh, etc.
Recently during my interactions with a couple of folks who are already involved in IETF, I felt that I should be able contribute based on my experience and keep myself up to date with the evolution of open standards.
2. What are your impressions of IETF and the role it plays in IoT space? What is your opinion on the importance of the IETF in the Indian and global Internet eco-system?
IETF plays key role in the standardized, open solutions for network communication with constrained devices in the IOT space. To ensure wide adoption, these new solutions have to be interoperable with the most widely used protocols on the Internet.
As more users are adapting IOT products in India especially in the Smart Home and Smart Cities segment, interoperability and security are the keys to the growth of Smart Home Market.
3. What are the major challenges the industry faces in the deployment and acceptance of IoT from the end-users? What technical/ protocol changes do you see coming in the next few years with respect to the IoT ecosystem in the Indian community?
Key challenges are Interoperability, Data privacy, and Security especially in the IoT for end users. Another factor is the cost of the products, more customers will adapt if the cost comes down. Especially in India, the Smart Home market is fragmented with WiFi, Zigbee, Zwave & BT Mesh. Security is a major concern for customers in India.
Currently, WiFi and Zigbee adaption is high in the Indian Smart Home market because of cost is low for the products with WiFi and Zigbee. Interoperability between Zigbee and Zwave is important, Zigbee 3.0 however, unifies all these protocols so that they can work together. Zwave security compliance (e.g. S2) is better compared to other standards. Another reason for the adaption of Zwave due to the range, it works well in Indian homes with brick walls because it operates in Sub-GHZ.
4. What are the steps industry leaders can take to ensure standards are followed in the development community?
IETF plays a crucial role in defining and adaption of standards and improving the interoperability and Security. There is a need for standardization bodies like IETF to include more companies to adopt open standards and push for interop, security & reduce the cost of certification.
Voice enablement of IOT (Smart Home) is picking up very fast due to the advent of Voice Assistants. Though there are privacy concerns with the user voice being sent to Cloud.
Don't miss this opportunity to join us for the event. The tickets for the event are available at - https://www.connections.iiesoc.in/tickets