Embitel Technologies has been working on an IoT-based corporate wellness reward platform for a US-based client for the past two years. The platform allows companies to track and reward employee wellness efforts. Embitel implemented various fitness tracker syncing protocols to make the platform compatible with many devices. The platform is accessible worldwide and can support up to 2000 users. Embitel has gained expertise in technologies like Zigbee and EnOcean through their IoT work. They are using machine learning algorithms and automated controls based on collected sensor data. Embitel has also made progress in IoT for commerce using beacon technology and geofencing applications. Facing challenges has made their learning experience more exciting.
2. Embitel Technologies International presence:
IoT for health
When Embitel’s IoT team worked on a brief project for a US-based website two years ago, little did they know the
association would turn into a long-term one, and the website would grow by leaps and bounds.
In October 2013, a web-based corporate wellness reward program chose Embitel for a one-time development project. The
IoT team completed their task and then presented to the client a series of suggestions and ideas to make the UI better. The
client gave Embitel the go ahead, and set the ball rolling.
Shashikumar P., Tech Lead, IoT, Embitel, says the nature of the project means it requires frequent refreshing. “The program
offers corporates a platform to collate, monitor and reward efforts by employees towards their own wellbeing,” he explains.
“The platform is compatible with a variety of popular fitness tracking devices, or data can be entered manually.” To be able
to sync with various trackers, the team implemented various versions and sub-versions of OAuth protocols published by the
respective providers. The data, once transmitted, is updated on the platform immediately. The implementation of this
immediacy and extensive compatibility keeps the Embitel team on their toes.
While the platform caters to corporates, we’ve also created an option for a ‘trial account’ that allows people to give it a
shot,” says Shashikumar. Though the platform is US-based, it is accessible to members the world over and can support up to
2000 users.
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Building solutions from scratch – an Embitel architect’s account
With rising concern for wellbeing of employees, especially with the belief that happy and healthy employees work better,
this platform is very relevant to the times, and we’re glad of this opportunity to work on it,” Shashikumar says. “We’ve
made the UI more responsive and easy to use. In fact, we’ve designed the platform so that it doesn’t even look like a third-
party service to users—the employer can place his own logo on it.”
The team’s innovation and dedication paid off—from being a one-time project, the client has handed over all his
development operations to Embitel.
What are you currently working on?
We are building our capabilities in IoT and big data analytics. After trials with various protocols and technologies and
diligent evaluations, we have attained expertise in various technologies such as Zigbee, the EH (energy harvesting) based
EnOcean protocol, and more, through socket programming.
We started with the goal of developing a robust backend that is compatible and can communicate with different platforms
and IoT gateway solutions, and we’ve succeeded in doing that.
We worked on designing better cloud solutions to control and monitor smart devices from anywhere, anytime, using web
dashboard or mobile application. So, to communicate, your iPhone is no longer dependant only on iOS, and if you have a
Samsung mobile, it doesn’t depend only on its own protocols.
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What about big data analytics? What are you doing there?
We are equipping the devices to act automatically on the basis of data collected on the cloud. Patterns are detected in this
data and consumer behavior is predicted. For this, we have designed machine-learning algorithms.
There’s an interesting story here. When we were testing out these systems, we made a trial setup in one of our conference
rooms. After about a month of setting a pattern for using the lights and blinds of the room, the algorithm kicked in one day.
Even though I didn’t do anything, that morning, at the same time that I’d been doing it manually every day, the lights went
off in the room and blinds shut themselves—all this while the top management was having a meeting in there! My boss
came out looked at me knowingly, but when I explained about the automation, he was impressed.
So are you working on IoT and automation in homes only?
Actually, we’ve made great progress in IoT for commerce using beacon technology. Geofencing applications for Android and
iOS, proximity detection, motion sensors that are mobile—these are some of the things that we can deliver for IoT in
commerce. It’s very exciting to work on these, and then succeed after all the hurdles we face.
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The approach always has been to keep trying every option – every technology, every protocol – till we get it right.
If we find one way of doing things is not working, we discard it quickly and try the next. For instance, we found push
notification concepts did not work efficiently in transmitting messages from the mobile app to the IoT gateway.
There was a delay in transmission, and sometimes they would fail altogether. So we decided to use MQTT, an IBM-approved
protocol, and we discovered it was the best option. Today, we are equipped to deliver a high-quality solution to customers.
Facing challenges makes the process even more exciting, and you feel great when you see your efforts succeeding. It’s been
a fantastic learning experience, and the thought that my work will impact innumerable end users in different parts of the
world is exhilarating.
What kind of challenges have you faced in the process?