It's almost Friday. (It's almost Friday.)
Last week, we wrote a feature article for IoT Evolution World about a company we cover often: Soracom Inc.
If you are already familiar with Soracom and its impact on IoT, skip the next paragraph.
Soracom is a well-known provider of advanced IoT connectivity products and services. Founded in 2015, Soracom continues to be a very active player in the space, driving a diverse range of interconnect solutions. Soracom’s track record spans countless strategic partnerships with like-minded organizations, deployment simplification services leveraging machine learning and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) (more on that shortly), configurable LTE-M based smart buttons for eSIM, and industrial-grade SIM products for robust IIoT applications. (There are plenty more examples. See here for a story-by-story summary of recent Soracom news. The company also joined the AWS ISV Accelerate Program last month, and more coverage on that can be found here.)
Now, back to GenAI, and in that vein, we share the new Soracom release.
Yesterday, Soracom announced two new GenAI-centric services designed to accelerate the deployment of larger, more complex IoT projects by embedding generative capabilities deeper within the IoT connectivity stack.
So, what is the service in question?
Soracom Flux and Soracom Query Intelligence.
Please see below for an overview of each.
Soracom Flux is a low-code IoT application builder that allows users to easily create custom applications. Specifically, applications that automate operations by integrating multiple data sources using what the company calls “leading cloud-based GenAI engines such as OpenAI, Google Gemini, Microsoft Azure AI, and Amazon Bedrock.” With Soracom Flux, your team's IoT applications are generated in just minutes (i.e., based on user-defined data flows and natural language instructions). Imagine an application (built with the above information in mind) that can send an alert on a work site if a worker in the camera's field of view is not wearing the proper protective gear. Not a nuisance, but a necessary safety measure to prevent undue harm in environments like construction, manufacturing, and security (of course, this is just one example).
Soracom Query Intelligence is a managed data warehouse service that enables customers to stream or import device data into a highly available distributed database. For example, administrators of large-scale IoT deployments can use GenAI through this service to query device data. Own You access your IoT network data (again, via natural language prompts) and receive instant analytical results in the form of explanatory text and data visualizations (not Tony Stark/Iron Man level, but maybe we're getting there). Working with such data doesn't require years of experience; according to Soracom, “anyone can perform complex analysis without the need for SQL programming. Platform-level data is at your fingertips.”
This seems like a pretty game-changing thing, especially for non-technical users looking to build AI-integrated IoT applications in real time. Being able to a) automate the assembly of applications using natural language and b) query your own systems for troubleshooting or requesting your own readings may sound pretty futuristic to some, but Soracom is confident in making this a reality.
“We have always envisioned an Internet of Things where connected devices could legitimately communicate with each other and humans could make quick, data-driven decisions,” explains Kenta Yasukawa, co-founder and CTO of Soracom (whom we had the opportunity to interview back in February around the time of the IoT Evolution Expo 2024 – read it here).
“The advent of public GenAI services has the potential to make that vision a reality,” Yasukawa continues. “Soracom Flux and Soracom Query Intelligence drive AI even deeper within the IoT stack. Project teams can now accomplish in minutes what previously took months and specialized skills. And non-technical managers can now have full control over the largest, most globally distributed IoT networks.”
According to the official announcement, Soracom Flux is “currently available at a free tier as a public beta to all Soracom customers.” (Pro and Enterprise level plans will be available later this year, the company said.) Soracom Query Intelligence is currently available to select Soracom customers as a “technology preview.” If you're interested, contact Soracom to get started.
For more information on these developments, IoT Evolution Expo 2025will be held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from February 11-13, 2025. #TechSuperShow The event combines an educational conference program with a full exhibit hall, networking events and other activities to connect buyers and providers of business technology products and services.
Edited by: Greg Tavares
