AT&T announces $99 IoT Starter Kit
AT&T has announced the launch of its Internet of Things (IoT) Starter Kit for developers, saying it will enable enterprises to make use of IoT applications more efficiently by providing them with connectivity, LTE hardware, application services, and cloud storage instantaneously.
The kit was announced by AT&T senior vice president for IoT Organization Chris Penrose during a talk on IoT at the Cisco Live Las Vegas conference.
"We are rolling out as of today the new AT&T starter kit, and what this has in it is everything you need to go from the edge to the cloud," Penrose said.
"We've got in this package a Cat-1 LTE modem; it has an AT&T global SIM inside the box, with service that can be used around the world; we've got all the necessary APIs for you to be able to connect up; we've got on-board cloud storage to get you started, as well as you can send your data into other different systems out there like the Azure cloud, IBM, and others; we also have on-board our Flow Designer tools, which allow you to create applications and services; and we have Jasper AT&T control centre on board to be able to do the service delivery -- and it all comes packaged up at one amazing price: Only $99.
"We have done a lot of scouring in the industry and seen what it takes to put together all these Individual piece parts, and it's well above this [price]."
The kit also includes access to the Cisco connectivity management platform labelled AT&T Control Center; an expandable development board that works with plug-in sensors; a network connection and data transfer monitoring API; REST APIs; the ability to test APIs without needing to write or deploy any code; a microcontroller carrier board with an Arduino-compatible expansion slot; Avnet Cellular Connectivity Shield based on the WNC MQ14 module; 300MB of data; 300 SMS; and is active for six months with no roaming available beyond the US and Mexico AT&T networks.
The inclusions mean companies won't have to source their own equipment from multiple suppliers or spend time integrating offerings from several vendors.
AT&T said it worked with Cisco and Avnet to develop the IoT Starter Kit, integrating solutions from both.
"The Internet of Things is not about 'things'; it's about service," said Martyn Etherington, head of IoT Cloud Marketing at Cisco.
"IoT developers play a critical role in the development of applications that deliver new, valuable services through connected devices. With this all-in-one Starter Kit, we're helping to accelerate IoT success for developers looking to build or enable connected service businesses."
The IoT Starter Kit can be pre-ordered from Tuesday, and ships on August 15.
Disclosure: Corinne Reichert travelled to Cisco Live in Las Vegas as a guest of Cisco.