Ericsson Innovation Labs links developers, operators and technology

DALLAS – L.M. Ericsson’s (ERIC) Connections initiative aims to link third-party groups with Ericsson’s expertise in 3G and 4G technologies to show operators the value behind new innovations in a connected society.
At Ericsson’s Innovation Lab in Dallas, Keith Shank, director of Ericsson Innovation Labs, said the lab is focused on adding to innovations already taking place in the areas of healthcare, press and media, telmatics, gaming, video-conferencing and live TV and security.
Innovation labs are becoming popular ways for operators to test applications over new technology and team with developers. Rather than just repeat what its operator partners are doing, Ericsson is hoping to grow the ecosystem by partnering with third parties and then bringing those solutions to its operator partners.
Demonstrations at the lab earlier this month showcased live streaming TV over the LTE network, gaming and the social web of things. As more and more things connect to the Internet, people will be able to use a Facebook-type web page to keep track of their connected things and manage them, Shank said. Imagine being able to turn off and on home security systems, lights and heating, your automobile’s diagnostics, traffic on your route, your TV and more. With a social web connection, these things can report their status to the consumer, rather than the consumer going to look for that information.
Ericsson is partnering with a variety of companies on different initiatives, including Ubitus Inc. on gaming, Panasonic, Nomad, Intrado and TechRadium, among others.
For more information on the program, visit www.ericsson.com/campaign/connections.