IoT Channel Chronicles: Davra Networks CEO Says The Future Lies In 'Connected-Things-As-A-Service'

Davra Networks: 'Services The Future Of IoT'

Dublin, Ireland-based Davra Networks touts an IoT platform built with the networking channel in mind. The company's cloud-based platform, RuBAN, manages data from various internet-connected devices and presents it in a way that end users can easily understand.

CEO Paul Glynn said that solution providers can utilize RuBAN to help customers understand and seamlessly visualize the data being generated from their IoT devices. Glynn added that services, not hardware sales, will be the real money-maker for the channel in IoT.

Following are excerpts of CRN's conversation with Glynn about the opportunities in the Internet of Things.

How does Davra Networks approach the Internet of Things?

We develop a platform that allows systems integrators, and network VARs, to deliver managed IoT services. Our background is networking.

In 2010 … we looked around at the market and the network management industry was a bit saturated at that point. We believe the next evolution of networking would be as organizations begin connecting where they had never connected before. [Companies would begin] connecting vending machines, sensors on manufacturing points – in those days we saw that as the next evolution of networking, but nowadays we call it the Internet of Things.

Can you describe Davra's platform?

The platform itself has two elements – it's a cloud-based platform, ultimately, although it can be hosted on-premise. We have a local client which sits on the gateway – on the Cisco router. The partner can build their services [around] that local client. They will set rules locally about the quality and quantity of data they need to connect. As for our app, which runs on the router, the channel uses that to set rules. That sends the data back to our cloud service, where it's reported and alerted. The visualization of that data comes onto our cloud front end. So the VAR is building a service ... they have engineers looking at the screen, getting the data from our platform.

How does your platform fit into the channel's strategy around IoT?

It was our belief that as organizations look to connect those assets, the customer would go to whichever channel partner they worked with, and would approach those guys to connect these new assets.

The channel had a choice, they could say they will happily help you connect your machines, and then walk away, or they could go deeper and ask why the customer wants to connect these assets – what kind of data do you want to collect, why you want to do this, what format you want the data in – and if they start asking those questions, that's where our platform comes in.

How can channel companies succeed in IoT?

There isn't a future in selling hardware and connectivity – that's just a race to the bottom. It has to be price-driven, cheapest wins, and there are few ways to differentiate yourself. So IoT, from a channel perspective, has to be service-driven. It will be about connected-things-as-a-service.

Can you give an example of something you're doing in IoT?

One of our more interesting partners is Presidio – they are a big Cisco integrator, big part of the channel. And one of the projects we work on with them is connected school buses. [Presidio's] not selling the hardware, they're taking up the school bus as an entity, as a holistic unit. They have a school bus to connect Wi-Fi on, but by providing Wi-Fi, they're connecting it to the vehicle engine, cameras, RFID ties to count passengers – they're building a whole story around what a connected school bus actually includes.

What are the different components in this solution?

[We're] working with Cisco hardware, connectivity from a cellular carrier, selling video cameras, sensors, and connecting it all up on a platform and delivering that as a delivered transportation service for school buses.

So [Presidio] also get ongoing recurring revenue from their clients, and they're not just dealing with the IT department anymore – they're dealing with the education team, the mechanic team for pulling data back from the engines.

It becomes a much bigger story, and they become much more important to the client.

Are there any challenges for the channel in IoT?

IoT is a huge step from channel partners. One challenge is transitioning from IT to OT engagement. ... The channel is looking for use cases to help them understand how to get into IoT. They are asking Cisco, tell me what you've done. And let me go to my customers and replicate that. Most channel partners know IoT is profitable but don't know how to do it today.