Prizm.io: The IoT Skunk Works: 'Partnering with Global Customers to Co-create Advanced Intelligent Solutions'

Global enterprises and tech startups alike always want to be at the forefront of innovation, spearheading the next-wave of business transformation. They might not necessarily have the desire or the means to ‘go all-in’ on research and development, but they definitely do not want to be left out of the limelight. A similar predicament prevailed during the World War II, when the U.S. Air Force was not ready to bank all its resources on R&D, all the while wanting to stay at the forefront of fighter jet development. They outsourced R&D to Lockheed Martin, which put together an exclusive group of inventors for the purpose. Thus, Skunk Works was born which churned out some of the most iconic jets in the world like the SR-71 and F-22 Raptor. This story is about a similar Skunk Works team that is causing a significant disruption in the IoT (Internet of Things) domain.

“We are technologists at heart. We like to discover, conceptualize, design, and create innovative products and services to deliver cutting-edge and forward-looking technology solutions to our customers,” Begins Ushir Shah, CEO of Prizm.io. SoftDEL, a long time automation focused product engineering services firm established in 1999, was recently rebranded as Prizm.io as part of its focus on internet of things (IoT) and automation. Backed by strong experience and expertise around automation technologies, Prizm.io provides a wide range of IoT solutions across various deployment phases. Prizm.io’s focus is on helping global OEM manufacturers, system integrators, and end users unlock business value by providing end to end solutions including IoT strategy definition, IoT enablement (for their legacy as well as future products), platform integration, cloud-based systems, data analytics, mobile applications, and dashboards. Prizm.io develops proof-of-concepts, prototypes, and production ready products for organizations seeking modern offerings. The company collaborates with customers across various industries including building and industrial automation, energy, oil & gas, automotive, retail, agriculture, healthcare, and transportation to bring their ideas to the market faster.

Seamless connectivity is one of the key imperatives for successful IoT implementations. With over a decade of experience around using these technologies, Prizm. io has built various protocol stacks for industry leading protocols such as BACnet, HART, Modbus, DMX, etc.

These stacks enable customers to directly jump into their product development without having to build and maintain all the connectivity protocol software. Due to their compatibility with various industrial frameworks, these stacks serve as an essential component of the company’s product portfolio. With stack deployments ranging from shopping centers to airports, these stacks latch on to a diverse set of components within IoT ecosystem (e.g. sensors, actuators, gateways, controllers, advanced workstations) and provide enhanced functionality and seamless connectivity.

Prizm.io has developed various IoT enabled solutions, with a smart lighting system as part of Cisco’s ‘Digital Building Solutions’ initiative. Aiding in the development of PoE (Power over Ethernet) based lighting solutions, Prizm.io collaborated with a light fixture and LED manufacturer to develop smart lighting solutions. By employing IoT network protocols, Prizm.io was able to automate lights based on various parameters such as warm and cool climate conditions. Motion detection algorithms were used to vary the intensity of lights according to human presence within the room; lights were further automated to modulate brightness levels depending on their proximity to natural light sources. The automated lighting condition provided a congenial work atmosphere to people by maintaining an optimal light intensity, eliminating the stress and fatigue caused by exposure to intense light sources. Some of other key IoT enabled solutions include cloud-based management of smart buildings, reusable connectivity platform for instrumentation products, remote elevator monitoring, and so on.

In addition to IoT solutions, Prizm.io has been providing a range of engineering services across embedded system design and development, PLC programming, HMI design & application, software tool and application, and automated testing. The company has built various software products (tools, platforms, stack libraries, test frameworks, etc.). Its building devices and network simulation tool — based on the BACnet framework — allows building automation companies to quickly simulate, test, and validate their products. By adding value to multiple ecosystems, test simulators, and communication frameworks, Prizm.io has rightly lived up to the name ‘Skunk Works’ by bringing sophisticated IoT solutions and connectivity stacks to enhance functionality while minimizing complexity.