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- IoT is building a global hive-mind
Hello readers,
Welcome to the IoT For All newsletter! This week we’re talking about how IoT is trying to save the bees, a new framework for IoT compliance, IoT’s impact on hybrid work, and more!
Internet of Bees
The bees aren’t alright. While it’s often overshadowed by the crisis du jour, the honey bee population problems that have been brewing since at least the mid aughts are still here, and seem to be acute this year in particular. Reports predict honeybee colonies in the United States could decline by up to 70% this year alone, up from “normal” annual losses of 40-50% in years prior. But that’s where IoT comes in.
Last week, agri-tech company BeeHero announced its “Global Million Hives Network,” to enable widespread, smart hive monitoring and large-scale data collection. Founded in 2017 with a business model involving Precision Pollination as a service (PPaaS if you will), BeeHero will be using “smart hives” as a cornerstone of its initiative. With a special In-Hive Sensor which tracks temperature, humidity, and sound, BeeHero can make pre-existing hives smart, providing 24/7 statistics to interested parties through the company’s app.
And that data is a big part of the plan. In addition to targeting one million smart hives, BeeHero is also aiming for 100 million “daily bee signals.” It’s a mass of data that would certainly be beneficial in attempting to troubleshoot the factors most responsible for declining bee populations, but equally useful in training the company’s AI-driven analytics.
There are, of course, others who have come up with this idea. IoBee was an EU-funded project to use smart tech to monitor pollination, which wrapped up in 2020. But companies like Beekeeper.Tech and Eyesonhives still sell IoT-enabled bee-tracking tech, while enterprising scientists investigate slightly zanier solutions like attaching sensors directly to the bees themselves.
Whatever the precise mechanisms of the tech involved, one thing is clear: data may be the best shot we have at understanding and reversing this crisis. The value here isn’t just about saving bees, though that is, of course, a worthy goal. It’s about proving that distributed sensor networks and AI can tackle diffuse, real-world environmental problems. If it works for the bees, who knows what else it might be able to solve?
📖 Top Articles
Managing a fleet today requires more than just keeping track of vehicles on the road. Rising operational costs, stricter regulations, and the demand for real-time efficiency have made fleet management more complex than ever. Businesses need a way to ensure driver safety, vehicle performance, and compliance – while also optimizing costs.
 Regulations are here in IoT. After years of debate and passage, three of the world’s biggest markets now have hard and fast connected device rules. These cybersecurity mandates and operational guidelines mean that compliance requirements are mounting. To increase the degree of difficulty, businesses must navigate this maze of evolving rules while managing the security and performance of thousands of devices across multiple sites. |  The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021 rapidly accelerated remote and hybrid work models, forcing companies to enable connectivity, collaboration, and productivity for distributed teams practically overnight. While remote work was formerly considered a perk, flexible and hybrid models are now becoming the norm rather than the exception. With distributed operations and personnel here to stay, organizations must build IT infrastructure to support both in-office and remote employees for the long term. |
🔥 Rapid Fire
Cooperation agreement between mioty alliance and the IO-Link Community
Akenza unveils a new era of AI-driven IoT intelligence with Genio
US Ignite and Signify to turn lighting into Wi-Fi network
AI-powered intrusion outperforms traditional methods in securing IoT
AWS launches IoT Greengrass Nucleus Lite resource-constrained IoT devices
Chief exec job opens up at Deutsche Telekom IoT
🎙️ The IoT For All Podcast
No new podcast this week, but check out our latest episode where we talk to Maor Efrati, CTO and co-founder of Monogoto, about software-defined connectivity. The conversation covers private 5G networks, satellite connectivity, the importance of APIs for seamless integration and automation, SIM, IoT security, and embracing cellular solutions for next-gen connectivity.
🗓️ Events & Webinars
 | Aeris | Virtual As an expert in security, compliance, or operations, you are more than aware of the ever-evolving threat landscape, the challenges it presents, and the increased regulatory requirements. With the enforcement of NIS2 in the EU, you may be reviewing your IoT cyber security strategy, to ensure that your organization is both fully compliant, and resilient to future threats. April 24, 2025 |
 | TechEx Events | Santa Clara, CA From smart factories to digital twins, the potential to de-risk operations while optimising costs has never been greater. The IoT Tech Expo North America will provide invaluable insights into successful projects and their key drivers. You'll uncover use cases you hadn't considered, identify pitfalls you weren't aware of, and most importantly, stay ahead of the curve. Reader discount code: TECHEX20 June 4-5, 2025 |