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Skkynet to Demo Complete Industrial IoT Solution at ARC Industry Forum in Orlando

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Secure, fully integrated, end-to-end solution takes the Industrial Internet of Things far beyond the hype stage.

Mississauga, Ontario, January 19, 2016 – Skkynet Cloud Systems, Inc. (“Skkynet” or “the Company”) (OTCQB:SKKY), a global leader in real-time cloud information systems, will demonstrate its end-to-end Industrial IoT solution—including the SkkyHub™ service, DataHub® industrial middleware, and Embedded Toolkit—at the Nineteenth Annual ARC Industry Forum, “Industry in Transition: Navigating the New Age of Innovation” in Orlando, Florida, February 8-11, 2016, hosted by the Arc Advisory Group.

According to ARC Industry Forum organizers, concepts such as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Smart Manufacturing, Industrie 4.0, Digitization, and Connected Enterprise are “clearly moving past the hype stage to the point where real solutions are emerging backed by strong associated business cases.”

“Skkynet will demonstrate a secure, hands-on, end-to-end Industrial IoT solution that works right out of the box,” said Paul Thomas, President of Skkynet. “Now anyone can safely send data from their remote device to our SkkyHub service, and view their data in a web browser. Or they can securely connect an industrial system via our Cogent DataHub, and do remote monitoring and supervisory control from anywhere in the world.”

Skkynet’s SkkyHub service allows industrial and embedded systems to securely network live data in real time from any location. It enables bidirectional supervisory control, integration and sharing of data with multiple users, and real-time access to selected data sets in a web browser. The service is capable of handling over 50,000 data changes per second per client, at speeds of just microseconds over Internet latency. Secure by design, it requires no VPN, no open firewall ports, no special programming, and no additional hardware.

With Skkynet’s Embedded Toolkit, SkkyHub can connect to remote devices through gateways from Red Lion, Advantech B+B SmartWorx, NetComm, or SysLINK, or directly to Renesas Synergy embedded chips. Linked to Skkynet’s DataHub industrial middleware, SkkyHub can securely connect to virtually any industrial system using standard protocols such as OPC, Modbus, TCP, and ODBC.

“While some companies are just now waking up to the potential of the Industrial IoT, Skkynet and its subsidiaries have been active in the field of secure, real-time industrial data communications for over a decade,” said Mr. Thomas. “Our products and services are working in hundreds of mission-critical systems worldwide.”

About Skkynet Cloud Systems, Inc.

Skkynet Cloud Systems, Inc. (OTCQB:SKKY) is a global leader in real-time cloud information systems. The Skkynet Connected Systems platform includes the award-winning SkkyHub™ service, DataHub®, WebView™, and embedded toolkit software. The platform enables real-time data connectivity for industrial, embedded, and financial systems, with no programming required. Skkynet’s platform is uniquely positioned for the “Internet of Things” and “Industry 4.0” because unlike the traditional approach for networked systems, SkkyHub is secure-by-design. Customers include Microsoft, Siemens, Metso, ABB, Honeywell, IBM, GE, Statoil, Goodyear, BASF, Cadbury Chocolate, and the Bank of Canada. For more information, see http://skkynet.com.

Safe Harbor:

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future, and results of new business opportunities. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors, such as the inherent uncertainties associated with new business opportunities and development stage companies. We assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will prove to be accurate. Investors should refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

ThunderCloud Alliance Aims at World Market

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ThunderCloud Alliance Aims at World Market

Small and medium-sized companies cooperate in Industrial IoT and M2M venture

ThunderCloud Alliance (関西積乱雲プロジェクト) was launched on 2013 December to showcase each company’s products and the technologies for cloud computing and the IoT (Internet of Things).

Cogent Real-Time Systems is one of the key companies for the ThunderCloud Alliance, offering real-time data connectivity middleware to communicate between devices (M2M) and remote monitoring, along with six other companies in the Kansai area. There are a total of nine companies are participating in the ThounderCloud alliance project at present.

Each company is contributing from its own specialized field. TOA Musendenki Co., Ltd is in charge of communication and various sensor devices. BellChild Co., Ltd is responsible for cloud servers. Kobata Gauge Manufacturing provides various sensors. Haneron Corporation offers remote monitoring equipment. NiC is responsible for industrial networks. Nissin Systems Co., Ltd. is in charge of control systems and embedded software. Puerto Co., Ltd develops industrial protocols, and provides expertise in OPC UA. Japan Direx Corporation does real-time network intelligence analysis.

All members get together regularly each month to exchange information and share each companys’ technologies, new ideas, and market trends. They collaborate to develop, innovate, and test new systems.

Recently they have been working together to develop a system which collects information from various sensors and sends their data to the cloud by highly secure wired and wireless transmission technology.

“This organization welcomes any company that wants to collaborate on new technology. Each company can bring in their own special skills or knowledge with no pressure.” Mr. Kobata, President of Kobata Gauge Manufacturing, emphasizes.

“Specifically, we have been focusing our development on communication between various sensors and gateway devices, simultaneous data transmission, and highly secure systems,” said Mr. Fujita, President of BellChild. “As a result, we completed a secure micro cloud system named ‘iBRESS’ on June 15, 2015 which leverages IoT technology.”

“Currently, iBRESS is installed in the monitoring systems of small hydroelectric power generators using agricultural water, and it is also used by freshwater plants on remote islands,” he said. “We are beginning to see good results, and it has been getting a good reviews from users.”

“This project’s success demonstrates that when small and medium-sized enterprises collaborate together it enhances the security of cloud systems for remote monitoring,” said Mr. Emi, President of TOA Musendenki. “Now a number of major companies are paying attention to this secure technology for cloud-based remote monitoring products. In addition, ThunderCloud Alliance members are motivated to develop next-generation systems in the future.”

“We would also like to cooperate with sales departments among the participating companies to be able to aim at even the global market,” said Mr. Kobata, expressing his enthusiasm for the potential applications of the technology.

We will continue to monitor the activities of the ThunderCloud Alliance on an ongoing basis, and look forward to seeing this kind of collaborative movement among different companies in other areas and regions.

Published by Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (日刊工業新聞社) on January 5th

Click here for original article

Industrial SaaS Whitepaper

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We just posted a new whitepaper discussion on “What is a Good Approach to Industrial SaaS.”  Software as a Service (“SaaS”) provides access to hosted software over a network, typically the Internet, and is closely related to the concepts of smart factories, cloud computing, industrial Internet, machine-to-machine (M2M), and the Internet of Things (IoT).

“A chain is only as strong as its weakest link,” goes the old saying. How true that is in industrial control systems. … Factory automation, power generation, resource extraction and processing, transportation and logistics are all supported by chains of mechanisms, hardware, and software, as well as operators and engineers that must each carry out their mission to produce the expected output, product, or service.

The whitepaper goes into a discussion of the key qualities a what is necessary for widespread acceptance of industrial SaaS, such as:

  1. Security: industrial systems require the highest possible level of security, and achieving it over unsecured networks involves a comprehensive approach from the design stage of the overall system.
  2. Robustness: industrial software as a service should provide as close to real-time performance as the network or Internet infrastructure will support, such as milliseconds updates, thousands of data changes per second, and support redundant connections with hot swap over capability.
  3. Adaptability: industrial SaaS should be able to connect seamlessly to any new or installed system at any number of locations with no changes to hardware or software, using open data protocols and APIs, and readily scale up or down depending on user needs.
  4. Convenience: industrial SaaS should be convenient to use, from ease of demoing, to sign up, configuration, usage monitoring and low cost.  It should offer off-the-shelf tools to get your data to and from the cloud with no programming, provide the ability to easily integrate data from multiple sources, and include options like data storage and HMI displays–all without disrupting the industrial process in any way.

Read the Whitepaper.

Have you taken the IIoT Survey?

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The ARC Advisory Group is offering a survey on the Industrial Internet of Things, to “get a solid read on how ready organizations are for seizing the many opportunities” that are becoming available through the IIoT.  Has your company taken the survey yet?  You can access it here:

http://www.arcweb.com/research/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=143

ARC states that this brief, 10 to 15 minute IIoT survey “is open to suppliers of industrial technology and equipment, machinery manufacturers and industrial companies, such as manufacturers and oil and gas operators.”

Skkynet encourages anyone working in any of these areas to take the IIoT survey, and thus increase the general understanding of the interest in the IIoT. Each participant will receive a free summary of the key findings from the ARC Advisory Group.

Skkynet Teams with Red Lion Controls to Expand Secure IIoT Services

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Virtually any device can be securely linked using Skkynet’s SkkyHub service and Red Lion’s IndustrialPro routers and Data Station Plus modular controllers.

Mississauga, Ontario, September 29, 2015 – Skkynet Cloud Systems, Inc. (“Skkynet” or “the Company”) (OTCQB:SKKY), a global leader in real-time cloud information systems, announces a new collaboration with Red Lion Controls that provides industrial automation engineers and managers with highly secure, real-time communication that seamlessly integrates with the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The collaboration employs Skkynet’s Embedded Toolkit (ETK) in combination with Red Lion’s Sixnet® series IndustrialPro® cellular routers and Data Station Plus protocol converters. Together, the system supports over 300 industrial protocols to link devices to Skkynet’s SkkyHub™ for secure, bidirectional, real-time communication.

“There are a number of major hurdles to becoming IIoT-ready, most importantly security and multi-protocol communication,” said Paul Thomas, President of Skkynet. “A primary objective of this collaboration was to integrate our ETK on Red Lion’s IndustrialPro cellular routers, thereby providing secure connectivity to SkkyHub, with no open firewall ports, VPN or programming required. The end result is secure, real-time monitoring, control, networking, and big data collection at a far lower total cost of ownership (TCO).”

“Becoming IIoT-ready can be a daunting task for many organizations with legacy devices that do not speak the same language,” said Brian Rosema, director of IIoT strategy for Red Lion Controls. “With support for more than 300 industrial protocols, our Data Station Plus protocol converters and rugged cellular routers work in tandem with SkkyHub to connect devices, thereby improving process visibility and pushing control to the edge. The result is a robust, fully integrated IIoT solution that connects virtually any device to any other device or user.”

Skkynet’s SkkyHub service provides secure, end-to-end bidirectional connectivity between the Sixnet IndustrialPro series routers and end users at all levels, from operators and plant engineers to managers, analysts, and customers. The service is capable of handling over 50,000 data changes per second per client, at speeds just a few milliseconds over Internet latency. Secure by design, it requires no VPN, no open firewall ports, no special programming, and no additional hardware.

About Red Lion Controls

As the global experts in communication, monitoring and control for industrial automation and networking, Red Lion Controls has been delivering innovative solutions to customers for over forty years. Our automation, Ethernet and cellular M2M technology enables companies worldwide to gain real-time data visibility that drives productivity. Product brands include Red Lion, N-Tron and Sixnet. With headquarters in York, Pennsylvania, the company has offices across the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe. Red Lion is part of Spectris plc, the productivity-enhancing instrumentation and controls company. For more information, please visit www.redlion.net.

About Skkynet Cloud Systems, Inc.

Skkynet Cloud Systems, Inc. (OTCQB:SKKY) is a global leader in real-time cloud information systems. The Skkynet Connected Systems platform includes the award-winning SkkyHub™ service, DataHub®, WebView™, and embedded toolkit software. The platform enables real-time data connectivity for industrial, embedded, and financial systems, with no programming required. Skkynet’s platform is uniquely positioned for the “Internet of Things” and “Industry 4.0” because unlike the traditional approach for networked systems, SkkyHub is secure-by-design. Customers include Microsoft, Siemens, Metso, ABB, Honeywell, IBM, GE, Statoil, Goodyear, BASF, Cadbury Chocolate, and the Bank of Canada. For more information, see http://skkynet.com.

Safe Harbor:

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future, and results of new business opportunities. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors, such as the inherent uncertainties associated with new business opportunities and development stage companies. We assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will prove to be accurate. Investors should refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Republished by Red Lion here.

Connecting Enterprises Need Secure-by-Design

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All over the world, enterprises are connecting. Inspired or pushed by the growing interest in the Internet of Things (IoT), companies are looking into how they can connect and exchange data with their customers, their suppliers, their branches, and among themselves. And they are quickly discovering that current security models are not adequate. A recent Frost & Sullivan report points towards “security-by-design” instead of “security-by-default” as critical for the connected enterprise.

How did we get to this point? On the industrial side, operational technology (OT) has garnered a wealth of experience in data connectivity through SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems that provide plant-wide real-time communications for mission-critical industrial processes. In this space, the promise of the Internet of Things (IoT) is being embraced and extended as the Industrial IoT (or IIoT) among the likes of GE, IBM, and others.

At the same time, these new opportunities for connecting to the plant have caught the interest of the traditional information technology (IT) people within the enterprise. For decades the “top floor” of management has been cut off from what happens on the “shop floor” of operations. Now, using IIoT technologies, it seems that there may be new ways of connecting IT to OT, and integrating enterprise systems directly with operations and production.

The big challenge is security. “Solution providers in the IT and the OT ecosystems must join hands to deploy end-to-end cyber security solutions for industrial systems,” according to Julia Nikishkina at Frost & Sullivan in a summary of the report.

The traditional security model for OT networks has until recently relied mainly on physically restricting all access. Many companies simply do not connect their plant operations network to the Internet―at all. As demand for inbound and outbound data access has grown, companies have been turning to VPNs or other add-on security measures to allow some level of connectivity. These, according to the Frost & Sullivan report, are woefully inadequate.

“The influx of IT solutions into the operational technology space highlights the need for security-by-design rather than security-by-default,” says Nikishkina. “As a majority of industries upgrade to smart systems and processes, industrial cybersecurity will soon make the inevitable shift from a reactive operating model to a proactive design philosophy.”

The Frost & Sullivan report describes what is a daily reality for us at Skkynet. Our SkkyHub service demonstrates how secure-by-design actually works, providing a platform for seamless, end-to-end data connectivity between OT and IT. By keeping all firewall ports closed at both the OT and IT ends, it exposes no attack surface to the Internet, and yet provides bidirectional data flow in real time.