Maxis to transform businesses and cities with IoT solutions

Maxis took the stage today and announced a team up with Vodafone to offer an array of Internet of Things (IoT) services and solutions to businesses in Malaysia. For the uninitiated, IoT refers to the grand concept where a host of devices and sensors are interconnected over the Internet to send and receive data, allowing for more interactivity and control over devices to make more efficient use of resources and time.

It’s gaining rapid traction and acceptance though what is hobbling implementation so far is the quality and consistency of Internet service. The partnership looks like a win-win solution for both parties, combining Maxis’ extensive data networks and Vodafone’s extensive experience in implementing IoT solutions.

At a packed press conference, Maxis and Vodafone showcased a host of exhibits that demonstrated how IoT was able to transform businesses and applications to enhance efficiency, reduce costs and improve customer experiences. Here’s a few interesting implementations of IoT  that caught our eye…

From left: Claire Featherstone, Maxis’ Head of New Business, Shanti Jusnita Johari, Maxis’ Head of Enterprise Marketing & Products, and Justin Nelson, Vodafone IoT Sales Head, APAC at the Maxis IoT press conference

Around the Office
At one display, Maxis showed how IoT could transform office spaces. With the touch of a button via an app, staff can remotely turn an Internet-connected coffee machine on to start brewing even before stepping foot into the office. Business owners were also able to remotely track how much utilities are being used and even allow or deny access to the office by controlling the door locks remotely. Even the lighting can be managed remotely on demand so that the office can be better lit in the evening and save on juice during daylight hours. Still, a wi-fi enabled coffee machine? Sign us up for one please!


Banking
If you’re annoyed that an ATM machine doesn’t work, it’s not just you that’s unhappy. The downtime spent and the cost to send a diagnostic team to fix what could be a minor problem is a huge pain in the proverbial posterior. With IoT and additional sensors implemented within ATMs, Maxis demonstrated enhanced ability to monitor a host of data within each ATM terminal. This allows banks to remotely diagnose problems without having to send a repair team in the field and accurately identify complications to see if it’s a hardware, app or connectivity issue. This translates to less downtime and happier customers.

Building Security
It used to be the case that you had to hire a lot of staff to keep an eye on security cameras hooked up to banks of monitors to monitor areas that required constant vigilance and security. With IoT and a host of sensors and cameras hooked up, you can reduce the amount of manpower needed to the minimum. IoT-enabled sensors and cameras can take over the mind numbing tedium of watching a fixed video feed for hours and then alert a human user if something out of the ordinary happens like a bag being left behind on the floor, people acting in a bizarre fashion or other potential misbehaviour. The trick to this taking off is secure, reliable connectivity, which is what Maxis was able to add to the partnership.

Smart Digital Signage
Signboard-based advertising is a bit of a carpet bombing affair in the world of advertising but Maxis’ IoT solutions aim to make it have the precision of a laser guided warhead. Via a series of webcams and analytics software, Maxis demonstrated a smart digital signboard that was able to identify the gender and approximate age of a nearby bystander and then flash the appropriate ads onscreen that would likely be the most attractive to said person. Content could also be updated remotely en masse too to save costs and time. 

To find out more about Maxis’ IoT solutions, swing by their official site at www.maxis.com.my/iot