Hitachi’s Insights Laboratory will use advanced analytics and artificial intelligence.
Japanese company Hitachi formed its Insights Laboratory, which it claims is a global research team focused on accelerating the delivery of solutions for its internet of things-based Lumada platform.
The company said the Insights Laboratory will use advanced analytics, artificial intelligence capabilities and collaborative processes to focus on the creation of digital solutions with customers and partners in every phase of the development cycle.
The Insights Laboratory will be comprised of a global team of researchers and designers from Hitachi’s Global Center for Social Innovation and the Center for Technology Innovation working in collaboration with the Hitachi Insight Group to drive a global, unified IoT business strategy. The lab’s core members will be based in the Silicon Valley Research Center of CSI-North America.
“A key feature of the Insights Laboratory is the presence of cross-disciplinary researchers, data scientists, designers and solution architects who will work directly with customers under a shared vision to generate new concepts, and create prototypes and demos that are ultimately verified through a unified proof-of-concept process,” said George Saikalis, CTO of Hitachi America, in a statement. “The formation of Insights Laboratory demonstrates not only a great show of confidence in our research expertise, but reinforces Hitachi’s commitment to provide solutions that meet real-world needs worldwide.”
Installed base of fleet management systems in South Africa to reach 1.9 million units by 2021
In other IoT news, the number of active fleet management systems deployed in commercial vehicle fleets in South Africa reached an estimated 1.1 million units at the end of 2016, according to a research report from IoT analyst firm Berg Insight. Growing at a 12.6% compound annual growth rate, the number is expected to reach 1.9 million units by 2021, the research firm said.
The market is dominated by a group of aftermarket telematics players including Cartrack, MiX Telematics, Ctrack, Altech Netstar and Tracker, which are all headquartered in South Africa and each have installed bases of more than 100,000 fleet management in the domestic market.