Los Altos, California, Dec. 17, 2015: Mobile and hardware veterans from Google, Apple, and Nest unveiled Afero, the platform that claims to usher in a “higher level” of connectivity and security to the Internet of Things, both inside and outside the home.
Led by Joe Britt, formerly an engineering director at Google Android and co-founder of Danger (makers of the T-Mobile Sidekick smartphone that was acquired by Microsoft), the Afero team said it had spent almost two years developing a platform that included integrated hardware, software, and Cloud services for IoT connectivity and data analytics. The company was now launching to the public and announcing its collaboration with Murata, Infocom, and Bandai.
“We firmly believe that 2016 will be the year that begins to connect the world – not just the home,” said Afero CEO Joe Britt. “Bringing new intelligence to products and services that reach billions of people will change lives in ways we can’t yet imagine. But it will take a sophisticated, comprehensive, and secure platform to allow us to get to that point safely. That’s what we created with Afero.”
Accelerating the Reality of IoT Connected Products
Afero was a secure, end-to-end IoT platform that unlocked smart capabilities for any product in virtually any industry. The platform incorporated a secure Bluetooth Smart module, scalable Cloud services, mobile apps, and a range of development tools. Afero said it reduced the complexity of IoT development and provided a secure connection between devices and the Cloud, allowing companies and developers to deliver innovations to the burgeoning marketplace faster.
Security was a primary impetus behind the creation of Afero and was deeply woven throughout the platform’s architecture, the company said. The team developed advanced, patent-pending authentication and encryption technologies to ensure that no data can be accessed maliciously from any device or gateway point on the platform.
Additionally, Afero was working Murata Manufacturing Co. — the global leader in the design and manufacturing of electronic components for companies like Samsung and Apple — to manufacture the Afero ASR-1 module, a secure Bluetooth Smart module.
Image Credit: Afero