Connectivity provider Soracom has announced three services to help IoT deployments take advantage of generative AI.

These services, named Query, Relay and Harvest Data Intelligence, can work together or separately to analyse IoT device data on the fly or connect devices to the AI and machine learning (ML) capabilities available through hyperscale platforms.

Relay allows the use of any existing RTSP/RTP-compatible camera to acquire and securely transmit audio and video data to Harvest files for storage or to a cloud destination, such as AWS S3 or Amazon Kinesis video streams, for computer vision and video analytics. Query allows the use of SQL queries from BI tools or CLI to mine IoT device data with no need to set up servers or storage.

This managed data warehouse capability with automatic data loading makes it easier to run complex analytical queries on large IoT datasets and feed the results to ML projects.

Harvest Data Intelligence, now available in public beta, enhances the Japanese firm’s existing serverless data storage and visualisation capability with the ability to apply generative AI to analyse time series data and identify trends, patterns, outliers and abnormalities.

It can also use the data provided to perform further analysis. For example, a municipality can use Relay to monitor road traffic while Harvest Data Intelligence analyses the data stored and Query can guide decisions on the best times to schedule road repairs, or to predict how changes in traffic patterns will impact existing infrastructure.

“Applying generative AI to analyse IoT data has the potential to discover insights that are beyond our imagination,” said Kenta Yasukawa, CTO of Soracom. “As a technology partner to the companies building tomorrow’s connected experiences, we’re committed to delivering leading-edge capabilities that accelerate their innovation and help them to succeed at scale and stay one step ahead in a changing world.”

Soracom has also established an IoT and generative AI laboratory with Matsuo Institute, which conducts research and development projects in AI. The lab will explore the potential to gain insights from diverse IoT data using generative AI, develop products, and provide professional services specialising in the area of generative AI, including IoT and large language models.

• Soracom has announced a cellular data plan designed to help European start-ups and SMBs accelerate deployment of connected products and services while keeping data costs low.

Rates for the X3-EU plan start at €4.50 for a full year of cellular IoT data at 25Mbyte/month, with no hidden fees and options available for 50Mbyte, 100Mbyte, 500Mbyte, 1Gbyte, 5Gbyte or more.

The plan also provides access to Soracom’s virtualised connectivity management platform, including cloud integrations and secure networking services to help IoT projects launch quickly and succeed at scale.

“When it comes to IoT connectivity, we know that companies building and scaling connected experiences in Europe face complex choices,” said Ken Otsuki, director of business development at Soracom. “With X3-EU, they no longer have to compromise. Our customers can now get the benefits of broad coverage and transparent, predictable pricing without compromising on technical capability or expert support.”

The plan includes Soracom’s network management console and API at no added cost and provides access to a wide range of platform services, from data visualisation and remote device access to secure private networking.