Networking powerhouse Ericsson has partnered with SK Holdings of South Korea to jointly develop “Internet of Things” platforms for the health care and transportation verticals. The Swedish company and SK Holdings, parent company of SK Telecom, also will develop a global ICT ecosystem drawing in IoT, cloud computing, big data platforms, attendant security solutions and other technological components. Ericsson’s “networked society” business line encompasses vertical-specific IoT platforms including medical, transportation, smart city-type solutions and more. Ericsson President and CEO Hans Vestberg and Park Jung-Ho, CEO of SK Holdings, signed the operative memorandum of understanding on Aug. 12. Jung-Ho said the move would “strengthen our presence in global markets by forging partnerships with leading global companies in the areas of IoT, cloud networks and big data. We will create a strong collaborative ecosystem with global ICT and solution companies for our global target markets and target industries.” As it relates to industry-specific IoT platforms, Ericsson has delivered for Volvo a connected vehicle cloud, and for shipping company Maersk Line, a smart container-tracking system. “Our IoT platform has opened up great opportunities for businesses across industries,” Vestberg said. “We look forward to working together with SK Holdings C&C to build a strong ICT ecosystem to realize and capture the benefits of the networked society.” Ericsson and SK Holdings will also explore ICT services related to “global disaster recovery and IoT authentication in the Asia Pacific area,” according to the companies. Ericsson networks currently carry some 40% of all global mobile data traffic. Ericsson SVP and CTO Ulf Ewaldsson discussed initiatives into the connected society and industry during TM Forum Live in Nice, France. VIDEO
Swedish networking company Ericsson has partnered with South Korean SK Holdings to jointly develop Healthcare and Transportation IoT platforms. The two companies will work together on the development of a new generation of connected medical devices that can be used in hospitals across the world.