To help developers create highly secure, end-to-end Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, leading global technology solutions provider Avnet is giving away 20,000 free Azure Sphere starter kits.
According to a press release, developers will also have access to a series of resources including webinars, lectures, road tests and design contests hosted by Avnet — as part of Avnet’s ongoing relationship with Microsoft’s Azure Sphere Ecosystem.
Developed by Avnet and announced earlier this year, the Avnet Azure Sphere MT3620 Starter Kit is said to be the fastest and easiest way to equip IoT endpoint devices to be highly secure. The starter kit leverages the Avnet-developed Azure Sphere module that is based on Microsoft’s secure Azure Sphere operating system (OS) and Azure Sphere Security Service hosted on a MediaTek MT3620 secure MCU. The kits will be offered through Avnet’s Hackster.io and element14 communities with kits and contest submissions open until September 30, 2019. For more information on contest rules and design resources, visit Secure Everything.
Additionally, developers will be able to put their skills to the test in two different design challenges based on the Azure Sphere starter kit, with the opportunity to win a range of prizes totaling more than $70,000.
The press release said the MT3620 Starter Kit takes advantage of Microsoft’s secure Azure Sphere OS and Azure Sphere Security Service. By uniting hardware, software and cloud in one secure solution, Azure Sphere secures the seven critical properties of an IoT device: hardware root of trust, defense in depth, small trusted computing base, dynamic compartments, certificate-based authentication, failure reporting and renewable security. Securing these seven features gives developers the benefits of IoT while reducing the risk of an end device being vulnerable to attack – which brings significant peace of mind to any business.
Image Credit: Avnet