New Security Industry Association (SIA) member SmartHub.ai provides artificial intelligence (AI)-based software solutions to simplify complex edge infrastructures and unlock business agility. The company is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with additional offices in Seattle, Washington, and Bangalore, India.
SIA spoke with Niranjan Maka, CEO and co-founder of SmarthHub.ai, about the company, the security industry and working with SIA.
Tell us the story of your company.
Niranjan Maka: SmartHub.ai was born in 2020 spun out from VMware (Now part of Broadcom). Our mission is to address the fragmentation in the edge/Internet of Things (IoT) industry, which is plagued by different protocols, platforms and large silos, to deliver unprecedented automation of the edge components for different industries to help with their innovative solutions and cyber-hygiene.
We focus on implementing AI and machine learning (ML) for the edge environment for various verticals, including manufacturing, utilities, facilities management, agriculture and retail – essentially any sector where edge/IoT devices and sensors are prevalent.
Despite being a young company, we’ve made a mark – having won several awards and been featured at the G20 summit as one of the top startups. Forbes DGEMs recognized us in their 200 Select Companies With Global Business Potential list, and we were also named among the Top 10 innovations in the‘Internet of Things Trends & Innovations report. Additionally, we were finalists for the Edge Startup of the Year award.
Our top customers are among Fortune 500 companies. Our platform offers them a unified way of managing their edge/IoT infrastructure comprising of a diverse array of devices from various vendors, simplifying their operations and enhancing efficiency and, more importantly, addressing cybersecurity concerns.
co-founder of SmarthHub.ai
and chief revenue officer of
SmartHub.ai
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officer at SmartHub.ai
What solutions/services does your business offer in the security industry? And what makes your offerings or your company unique?
NM: Growing companies would often have various departments equipped with different types of edge/IoT devices and solutions. For example, the physical security business unit may have surveillance cameras, video recorders, security devices, etc. These sophisticated and complex devices are often sourced from multiple vendors and use diverse protocols and systems, leading to significant silos in terms of management, visibility and insights. Companies with numerous global offices use huge numbers of vendor devices, sensors and applications to meet their needs. In sectors like manufacturing and retail, there are additional specialized devices such as handheld scanners and point-of-sale systems. Each department operates within its own silo, lacking a unified approach to life cycle management, cybersecurity and system integration. This fragmentation creates vulnerabilities, particularly in terms of cybersecurity, as devices are often unpatched and not regularly updated, making them easy targets for hackers. In fact, quite often, what is missing is even visibility and awareness as to which devices are actually on their network! Also, there’s no integrated method for handling edge data or providing a comprehensive operational view. Our SaaS and on-prem solutions address these challenges.
Many companies operate in a reactive mode due to a lack of visibility into their entire operations. When an issue arises, teams scramble to diagnose and fix it, often after significant impact has already occurred. For instance, if cold storage fails, the resulting spoilage leads to losses; if a surveillance camera goes down, it creates a security threat and costly downtime. Our solutions enable companies to stay updated, offering an integrated view of all systems. We monitor health and performance, providing alerts for any malfunctions or deviations from ideal thresholds.
By consolidating edge data from various systems, we offer comprehensive operational insights and predictive analytics on performance and potential failures. Our machine learning capabilities identify patterns, detect anomalies and manage configuration drifts during cybersecurity incidents and events. This proactive approach enhances overall security and operational efficiency.
Our solutions help intelligently manage:
- Uptime/downtime: Across operations and departments
- Asset ledger: Single source of visibility across IoT and other digital assets
- Remote management and diagnosis: OTA updates/patches, automated diagnostic sweeps, automated self-healing
- Secure: Vulnerabilities, risk score & conf. drift across endpoints beginning with basic visibility to OS/firmware, SSH status etc.
- Ops alerts and actions: Dynamic thresholds, learning and ML at the edge
- Advanced analytics: Predictive analytics and Preventative maintenance insights
- AI/ML ops: Ongoing learning and feedback loop for continuous improvement in operational efficiencies
Based on a detailed return on investment analysis that we did for one of our customer, for every $1 (USD) spent on our platform, our customer recovered:
- $1.8/device/month in savings from labor costs, automation, maintenance, productivity increase and OE categories
- An additional, $2.4/device/month savings through risk mitigation (compliance, liabilities, breach)
Our uniqueness lies in the huge repository of adapters and agents that interconnect with the edge devices. Our “Rapid Adapter Framework” can build integrations quickly for new original equipment manufacturers. Our innovative software solutions enable rapid digital transformation.
What’s something we might not know about your company – or something new you’re doing in security?
NM: SmartHub.ai is bringing in a transformative shift to enterprise edge infrastructure management and edge intelligence space. Our AI-powered software solutions simplify the complexity of edge/ IoT infrastructure life cycle management by breaking down silos, increasing operational efficiencies with automation and providing real-time visibility, performance and intelligence insights. Our customers achieve significant outcomes including zero downtime, continuous compliance and effective risk management. SmartHub.ai is trusted by the largest Fortune 500 companies across diverse verticals.
Key points:
- In audiovisual/conference room management, automated room sweeps offer a convenient solution. These sweeps can be scheduled before the start of business or an ad-hoc meeting to ensure seamless operation of every device within the collaboration suite, enhancing productivity and user experience.
- Our solution has transformed agriculture at a major agricultural university in the Philippines. Embracing a forward-looking approach to agricultural research, this university has integrated cutting-edge technologies, including edge computing, sensors and real-time edge analytics, through our solution, SmartHub GROW. This pioneering step into the digital era will revolutionize how professors and students conduct research on various crops. It provides real-time insights into factors affecting health, cultivation and yield, shaping the future of smart agriculture at the university. This investment positions the university as a leading authority in agricultural innovation.
Our top recommendations for safeguarding infrastructure focus on password rotation and certification management. Certificate management bolsters edge environments against unauthorized access and data breaches. It ensures thorough scrutiny and authentication of every interaction, regardless of location or device, thereby mitigating risks and elevating overall security posture. Mandating password changes reduces the vulnerability to data breaches, safeguarding sensitive information from malicious entities.
What is your company’s vision, and what are your goals for the security industry?
NM: Our goal is to help our customers manage their “edge” components beginning with visibility and all the way to management, monitoring and insights based on all the edge data leading to capability to automate based on edge AI/ML paradigm. We also help them implement the “zero trust” model to ensure 360-degree protection against cybersecurity threats.
What do you think are the biggest opportunities in the security industry right now?
NM: The rapid increase in cyberattacks is causing trillions of dollars in damage every year. This presents significant opportunities for managed security providers and IoT/operational technology solution providers.
Further, the plethora of edge IoT devices and sensors are servicing customers in unprecedented ways – AI/ML-based technologies will help enterprises automate at levels not done before – especially in security domain.
What are your predictions for the security industry in the short and long term?
NM: As cyberattacks continue to proliferate, more organizations will be compelled to embrace the latest technologies to safeguard their people, data and assets.
What are the biggest challenges facing your company and/or others in the security industry?
NM: Convincing organizations to opt for unified management and cybersecurity can be challenging, especially if they haven’t yet experienced a major threat that underscores its importance; however, raising awareness about the increasing prevalence of cyberattacks and their potential impact is crucial in today’s environment.
What do you enjoy most about being at your company – and in the security industry?
NM: I have always been passionate about the edge/IoT and cybersecurity space. Every day brings new challenges, opportunities, technological advancements and learning experiences. This ever-evolving industry promises continuous growth and innovation.
What does SIA offer that is most important to you/your company? And what do you most hope to get out of your membership with SIA?
NM: The most important aspect of SIA membership is the opportunity to participate in industry events and connect with leading professionals, stay abreast of news and trends and actively participate in forums. We look forward to establishing strategic partnerships to expand reach, drive growth and provide enhanced value to our clients and stakeholders.
How does your organization engage with SIA? What are your plans for involvement in the next year?
NM: We plan to participate in SIA forums and events, build networks and strengthen our connection with the community.
The views and opinions expressed in guest posts and/or profiles are those of the authors or sources and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Security Industry Association.
