Axeda Advances the Machine Cloud with New 6.5 Release

FOXBORO, Mass., Feb. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --  Axeda Corporation, the leading provider of cloud-based service and software for managing connected products and delivering machine-to-machine (M2M) applications, today announced the latest release of its award-winning Axeda Machine Cloud® – which includes technology innovations centered on facilitating device connectivity, unifying SIM, edge device, and connected product management, and rapid M2M application development. The release drives down the cost and complexity of connecting and managing remote products, and enables rapid M2M application development.    

• New Axeda Wireless Console unifies management of assets, edge devices, SIM provisioning and rate plans.
• New Axeda AnyDevice Service facilitates communications from non-programmable connected assets to the Axeda Machine Cloud.
• New Axeda Connected Configuration application allows customers to model complex assets and manage the assets based on their configuration.
• Hundreds of additional enhancements including user interface improvements, expanded developer APIs, platform extensibility, and intelligent software distribution.

"There can be many moving parts involved in the process of launching and extending an M2M initiative, and it's easy to get lost in the technical details," said Bill Zujewski, Axeda's executive vice president for product strategy and marketing. "The new Axeda Machine Cloud gives customers the freedom to work with any device, and removes the complexity of establishing connectivity and managing devices and SIMs. The integration of SIM, device and asset management gives customers limitless flexibility to refine their go-to-market strategies which allows them to focus on innovation instead of connectivity and machine data management."

When designing and developing connected product solutions, companies face countless considerations – such as wired or wireless connectivity, intelligence in the device or in the cloud, security and protocol concerns, scalability, data storage, and application development – any one of which can hinder roll-out and the ultimate value of the initiative.  With Axeda 6.5, users control and manage the entire M2M solution from a centralized platform and console. With these advancements they can use elegant APIs to access machine data and develop innovative applications, and gain new flexibility to connect and support any device, anywhere.  

Axeda 6.5 – Key Features and Benefits

-- Manage SIMs, devices and connected assets

The new Axeda Wireless Console (AWC) enables users to manage the asset, device, and SIM in a single console, eliminating the need to integrate with two separate platforms. Axeda 6.5 delivers easier activation and deactivation of device SIMs, better management of rate plans and traffic, and real-time remote asset alerts and alarms.  By making SIM data available to the Axeda rules engine and APIs, developers can program logic that uses SIM billing and usage data in M2M applications to change device behavior and adjust plans on the fly to lower network costs.

-- Connect to any asset or device with or without an Axeda Agent

Axeda AnyDevice Service enables customers to connect devices in the field to the Axeda Machine Cloud without building and deploying an Axeda Agent on the asset or device. The service uses the Axeda AnyDevice Codec Server running a "codec" which is a simple translator that converts device protocol to an Axeda protocol. This service expands M2M options by enabling customers to easily connect to more devices, even those that may not be able to run an Agent or use Axeda's own protocols directly.

-- Administer asset-to-device associations

Improved filtering capabilities enable users to locate unregistered assets that have never communicated with the Axeda Platform.  The New Asset Associations module lets users track assets, models, and data items associated with a particular asset. This is particularly helpful when managing wireless assets with asset-to-device associations.

-- Run asset configurations and enhance business processes using configuration data

A new connected product management application, Axeda Connected Configuration™ enables customers to flexibly store, manage, and use asset configurations to improve software management and other business processes that rely on accurate asset configuration data. Using the new configuration management database, any asset configuration information (e.g. version, country, language, part number, or entitlement) can be stored in the Axeda Machine Cloud for direct access. These asset configurations can be used with Axeda rules, scripts, applications and software, and content distribution processes.  

-- Distribute remote software and content more easily

Axeda Software Management enables customers to be more successful managing content on assets. The updated solution allows customers to reach an unparalleled scale supporting daily transfer of hundreds of thousands of files. Customers now have more flexibility in distribution packages with intelligent timeout, package redeployment, and improved delivery status and routing criteria. Customers can distribute software and content to their remote assets intelligently, securely, efficiently, and quickly over any type of connection.

-- Upload files to the Axeda Platform more easily

The new Axeda File Manager expands and improves current file management capabilities by enabling uploading of content to the Axeda platform automatically. This enables accurate, efficient and fast file delivery to connected assets and devices.

-- Leverage improved infrastructure

Core elements and underlying systems of the Axeda Platform have been advanced for greater usability and performance. An updated password reset approach improves the security of forgotten password recovery.  The Axeda Machine Cloud now supports additional browser versions and enhanced Oracle database options for improved database performance and scalability.

-- Extend the Axeda Platform and Axeda Console with custom applications

Improved extensibility to application development enables programmers to seamlessly integrate custom applications into the Axeda Console as new customer-defined tabs. This allows customers to extend core Axeda functionality and "mashup" other information and business-specific applications in the Axeda Console ― without logging into other applications for related M2M capabilities. Security and session context is maintained across Axeda and custom applications.

-- Improve developer productivity

To improve data access and developer productivity, Axeda has implemented the next generation of Axeda APIs and RESTful Web Services for several areas, including software and configuration management. These interfaces give developers a simpler and more powerful way to execute the full range of Axeda functionality. Additional developer features include asynchronous code execution, the ability to import external Web Services and resources (e.g. WSDLs), and APIs for a new secure credential lockbox. 

About Axeda

Axeda provides the leading cloud-based service and software for managing connected products and implementing innovative M2M application — taking the cost and complexity out of connecting and remotely servicing the products of the world's leading companies. Axeda customers use its M2M cloud service to deliver innovative M2M solutions and optimize their business processes with data from their connected products.

By relying on the Axeda® Platform to power their connected products, companies are transforming their business by improving customer satisfaction, reducing costs, and generating new sources of revenue. The M2M solutions behind these connected products range from remote service, fleet management, usage-based insurance, asset tracking, mHealth, and more. Join our developer community at: http://developer.axeda.com and learn more at www.axeda.com.

SOURCE Axeda Corporation