Samsung Electronics was elected to a board membership position at the recent 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) general meeting. With the addition of Samsung to the board, 5GAA said it will be better able to leverage the company’s industry leadership in telecommunications and recently acquired telematics and infotainment technologies.
Samsung acquired connected car company Harman in March, and expects that the combination of this expertise paired with its own experience in mobile devices, wireless networks, and chipset development will serve to empower the 5GAA’s mission to accelerate the commercialization of communications solutions that improve mobility and safety in transportation networks.
In addition to joining the 5GAA board, Samsung was also elected to serve as vice chair of the 5GAA’s Working Group 4, which is responsible for exploring connected car-related standards and radio spectrum opportunities.
SoftBank Group Corp. said it raised $93 billion for its Vision Fund in the first round of funding. In addition to SBG and an investment from Saudi Arabia, SoftBank said investors included the Mubadala Investment Company of the United Arab Emirates, Apple, Foxconn Technology Group, Qualcomm Incorporated, and Sharp Corporation or their respective affiliates.
The total is just shy of the $100 billion target set by SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son at the fund’s launch late last year. According to Son, the fund will boost investments in technology companies around the globe, with a particular focus on areas like Internet of Things, AI, robotics, infrastructure, telecom, bio tech, fintech, and mobile apps.
“Over the next decade, the SoftBank Vision Fund will be the biggest investor in the technology sector,” Son said in October.
Ericsson has been chosen by real estate and infrastructure firm Landmark Dividend LLC, the sponsor of Landmark Infrastructure Partners LP, to provide its Zero Site communications platform and communications infrastructure at sites across North America. Ericsson will deploy its Zero Site solution, cloud, core, backhaul and Internet of Things (IoT) software solutions, bringing 4G, 5G, and IoT use cases into industrial grid management.
Project deployment will begin immediately with Ericsson Zero Site, a multi-application pole solution jointly developed with Philips Lighting. Zero Site will enable Landmark to densify its sites, generate rental revenue through site leasing, and offer high-speed broadband across the United States and Canada. Ericsson will add its cloud, core, and IoT software solutions to build and support a Landmark network with enterprise and energy-management applications.
And speaking of Ericsson, the company is reportedly rolling out availability of AT&T FlexWare across its global corporate network. Locations include the United States, Latin America, Middle East, and Europe.
AT&T FlexWare lets businesses to deploy network functions, like routers and firewalls, virtually. The use of FlexWare will reportedly allow Ericsson adapt its network to changing business needs in near real-time, while lowering its total cost of network ownership.
Ericsson is also expanding the reach of its global AT&T managed VPN, the carrier said.
Filed Under: Infrastructure, IoT • IIoT • internet of things • Industry 4.0
