TRENDING: Can IoT Bar Tech Help Sell More Brew?

From smart safety shoes to augmented reality training materials, consumers and companies are seeing greater potential in the Internet of Things (IoT) – and, unfortunately, so are hackers. Reportedly, 55 percent of IT professionals said that security is their top priority in IoT deployment.

The latest Intelligence of Things Tracker  charts how digital security companies are advancing efforts to counter threats to connected devices and systems.

Around the IoT World

Stepping up to the challenge, digital security provider Avast recently announced a new platform focused on helping consumers and small businesses foil security threats to their connected devices. The platform uses both artificial intelligence and machine learning to help it detect and block oncoming threats.

Other security companies are turning to teamwork to advance their efforts and reduce deployment complexity in IoT projects. Identity and secure technology solutions provider Entrust Datacard recently joined the Infineon Security Partner Network of associated and preferred security partners.

Investors are taking heed and laying down dollars to support security efforts. Recently, Israeli-U.S. security company CyberX raised $18 million in new inventory funding. The company’s security technologies for IoT and industrial control systems are in use in utility, pharmaceutical and manufacturing companies, among others.

Find the rest of the latest IoT headlines in the tracker.

Keeping the Beer Business Flowing

Across the U.S., bars struggle to better understand their business and inventory needs. When it comes to re-ordering beer, many rely on simply shaking a keg to guesstimate, since they’re unable to be opened for a spot check.

In the latest IoT Tracker feature story, Chris Lorkowski, CEO of startup BruVue, explains how his company uses IoT technology to shed light – and data – on the situation.

BruVue’s sensor system attaches to beer faucets and links them directly to an analytics platform, enabling bars to track beer pours, as well as compare pours to sales to monitor for waste or theft. The solution provides insight into when bartenders need to re-order each beer, and which brews are pulling the most profit.

The solution also helps breweries get detailed information on whether their marketing campaigns are successfully selling a certain brew, Lorkowski said.

“For the average bar owner in the U.S., because they have no way to accurately track their keg beer inventory, they lose on average $12,000 a year due to beer waste and beer theft,” he noted.

For the full story, download the Intelligence of Things Tracker.

About the Tracker

The Intelligence of Things Tracker showcases companies that are leading the way in all aspects of the Intelligence of Things. Every month, the Tracker looks at what these companies are doing across the ecosystem and in several categories, including personal, home, retail, transportation, wearables, mobile, infrastructure, data and more.