Bluetooth Asia, Shenzen, China , Sept. 26, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Runtime, an IoT platform and open source solution provider, today announced commercial support for Bluetooth Mesh, increasing connectivity choices for global consumers and industrial IoT deployments. Bluetooth Mesh networking, adopted in July 2017 by the Bluetooth SIG, is an extension to Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) that allows for multi-hop communications over Bluetooth. Runtime’s commercial offering for Bluetooth Mesh includes support for the recently released Apache Mynewt 1.2, an open source operating system for constrained, microcontroller devices.
In contrast with point-to-point networks, mesh networks extend the diameter of a network, increasing coverage, adding resiliency, and lowering deployment costs. In conjunction with new Bluetooth 5 functionality such as higher data rates and extended range, Bluetooth mesh networking extends addressable use cases and markets from “consumer” to “commercial and industrial.” The increased adoption of open source code bases such as the NimBLE stack in Apache Mynewt increases the likelihood of interoperability across implementations.
“Until Bluetooth 5 and Mesh, most BLE applications were short-range and consumer-oriented, centered on connectivity to mobile phones,” said James Pace, Runtime CEO and cofounder. “With new functionality and new use cases, Bluetooth is poised to address an estimated 48 billion devices1. Open source and the decreased cost of connectivity chips will play a key role in this exponential growth.”
For more information, please download Runtime’s white paper, “The Benefits of Open Source Bluetooth Stacks,” published in English and Mandarin.
In addition to today’s announcement, Runtime is demonstrating the Estimote Mirror, the world’s first video-enabled beacon. The Estimote Mirror works with any standard video screen, reading BLE signals from nearby compatible apps or Estimote Sticker beacons, providing personalized content based on people’s presence and behavior. The Estimote Mirror is deployed in retail, smart workplaces, and smart cities. Visit the Runtime booth at Bluetooth Asia 2017.
“The Estimote Mirror is groundbreaking in that it extends the power of Bluetooth beacons beyond the mobile phone to any digital signage or screen,” said Jakub Krzych, Estimote CEO. “The flexibility of Apache Mynewt and the open source NiMBLE BLE stack were essential to innovating this product, as was the expert support by the Runtime team.”
Apache Mynewt is a complete, real-time OS for MCU-class embedded devices. These devices will compose the majority of the IoT and will be constrained in terms of cost, power (often battery), and connectivity. Apache Mynewt was designed to make devices that are incapable of running Linux or Android securely manageable at scale. Apache Mynewt is a top-level project in the Apache Software Foundation.
About Runtime
Runtime provides cloud-based management of connected devices and is a complete solutions provider for consumer, medical, commercial, and industrial IoT applications. Free, open source software is essential to all Runtime offerings. Runtime supports Apache Mynewt, an embedded OS optimized for networking and built for remote management. Apache Mynewt provides the components developers expect from a modern general purpose OS, but for constrained devices that are incapable of running either Linux or Android. Please visit Runtime’s website, follow us on Twitter @runtime_io and check us out on LinkedIn.
[1] ABI Research
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