Avnet and MACSO Technologies have entered a strategic relationship to accelerate and scale IoT deployments for customers worldwide by advancing artificial intelligence (AI) models on hardware and electronic components through Avnet’s IoTConnect Partner Program.

Auckland based MACSO trains advanced artificial intelligence models that can simultaneously use different types of sensors on Avnet’s components.

“MACSO is making hardware smart by putting AI models on it,” said MACSO founder and CEO Saba Samiei. “It’s like a CCTV camera directly notifying you if an intruder is going up a flight of stairs instead of watching people and requiring a human to go back and watch a video to make decisions. We are trying to make sensors smart.”

In the short term, MACSO’s AI is focusing on audio and air quality. As the platform grows, other capabilities such as vision, temperature and pressure can be added.

“The problem is that unless you have a good technical understanding of AI, creating models is very hard,” Samiei says. “What we are doing is building AI models and licensing them, so we are taking all that heavy lifting off the customer – all they do is subscribe to the AI models and pay for the subscription.”

Avnet is extending the value of distribution to make IoT accessible and scalable for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) by providing hardware, software and engineering/consulting/cloud services.

“Our customers are exploring the use of AI-enabled devices to improve data-driven business outcomes. Our collaboration with MACSO will enable fast deployment of these systems leveraging AI,” said Avnet’s Senior Director, Supplier Technology Enablement, Jennifer Skinner-Gray.

Avnet’s IoTConnect Partner Program enables OEMs and independent design houses (IDHs) to build new solutions and service models for their practice using Avnet’s IoTConnect platform. Avnet’s knowledge of the edge along with the significant investment in cloud, digital and software services coupled with the members of the IoTConnect Partner Program allow Avnet to collaboratively leverage solutions to scale and maximize opportunities.

Story by Dave Crampton  https://nzentrepreneur.co.nz/