Microsoft Azure IoT Central

Main article: What is Internet of Things (Internet of Things, IoT)

2020: Integration into network of Internet of Things NB-IoT from MTS

On December 17, 2020 the Microsoft corporation announced that it signed with the Russian company MTS, the supplier of digital, media and telecommunication services, the agreement on development of the Russian market of Internet of Things. The vice president for cloud and digital solutions of MTS Dmitry Halin and the president of Microsoft in Russia Christina Tikhonova reported about it.

The companies integrate the global Microsoft Azure IoT Central platform and into network Internet of Things NB-IoT from MTS and also will begin to provide access to service for device management of Internet of Things of Microsoft Azure IoT Hub through provider cloud services #CloudMTS. Clients will also have an opportunity to implement hybrid scenarios using boundary calculations when flows data undergo preprocessing in the place of their generation. Thanks to partnership the Russian companies will be able to create IoT-solutions with simultaneous use of local capacities infrastructures of MTS and global clouds Microsoft Azure and at the same time to have an opportunity to select where store data telemetry.

The Russian developers of IoT-devices for NB-IoT network will get access to the Azure IoT Central platform. Now the Russian companies will be able to develop and start flexibly scalable IoT-systems in local environments and hard-to-reach spots, having at the same time access to advanced services of a cloud Microsoft Azure. It is expected that it will allow to simplify and reduce the price of creation of "smart" devices and IoT-services and also to accelerate their output to Russian and global markets. Besides, creation of a special marketplace for the producers developing solutions on the basis of NB-IoT Development Kit of MTS and Azure IoT Central is planned.

By estimates of Microsoft, implementation of hybrid scenarios will allow to lower response time of network. It will become especially noticeable by a measure of distribution of network 5G and solutions on its basis where the delay should not exceed three-four milliseconds. The combination of network of fifth generation, data processing on territories of the country and access to cloud tools of Microsoft will allow telemedicine to develop, use AR/ VR- technologies pilotless transport, remote control high-precision robots and drones.

The companies for which the instant response of network is necessary will be able to implement hybrid scenarios using boundary calculations of Azure IoT Edge and the localized Azure Stack services from a cloud#CloudMTS. Data processing directly in the place of their generation helps to reduce the volume of information transferred to DPC and, thus, to lower response time of network and load of network and the server. Such scenario will be demanded by the transport, industrial and medical companies which work with data arrays from IoT-sensors and should react instantly to emergencies, consider in Microsoft.

"We calculate that the agreement will help the Russian market of Internet of Things to be recovered after recession in 2020. The Russian developers of IoT-devices will have new opportunities for development and promotion of the products that in the long term three years can lead to multiple increase in number of "smart" devices. By the end of 2023 we expect to see more than 10 million NB-IoT of connections. We also predict that in the long term five years the Russian market of boundary calculations will grow on average for 30% a year, and the market of Internet of Things – for 15%", – the vice president of MTS for cloud and digital services Dmitry Halin noted.

"Fast changing of business needs of customers, complexity of implementation of new projects in the current infrastructure, creates the need for hybrid scenarios which are especially relevant in Russia. Microsoft and MTC cooperate in this direction since 2018 when in data center of MTS hybrid infrastructure of Microsoft Azure based on Azure Stack Hub was unrolled, – Christina Tikhonova, the president of Microsoft in Russia emphasized. – Expansion of our partnership in the IoT direction will open new opportunities for business development of developers of IoT-solutions, will allow to provide the growing demand of the Russian companies for devices and services of Internet of Things also will contribute to market development that will positively affect economic climate in general".