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Behind IoT stands an
AWS cloud service
IoT Platform for Grohe
Scenario
Grohe, a Global Manufacturing Company, decided to evolve from a traditional market positioning towards the digital and connected space, with the launch of a complete solution for managing water-security connected devices: Grohe Sense. Grohe Sense detects flooding and a pipe break, shuts off the water and instantly sends an alarm. The main challenges of the development of this IoT system were:
scalability, from 0 to potentially millions of devices connected;
reliability and high availability, it has to be dependable;
flexibility and elastic, due to high restrictions of device’s hardware and different types of sensors;
widely used protocols, compatible with most end-users, from companies' network to households;
security by design, secure mobile app interface and device’s interface.
The solution
In order to fulfill all of these requirements, Storm Reply, the Reply company specialized in the design and implementation of cloud-based solutions and services, in collaboration with Concept Reply, focused on IoT solutions, implemented an IoT platform using native AWS services. This enabled a high scalability and high flexibility of the IoT architecture, which could be seen as two high level flows: the one derived from the IoT sensors and the other from the mobile apps.
In order to maintain the Security standard requested, Live Reply included also a Security API Gateway and an Identity Provider for identity and access management (IAM) functionalities. The IoT serverless platform on AWS is the innovation phase, the last stage of the cloud adoption path. Few years ago Grohe started its cloud journey supported by Storm Reply, like many companies: migrating simple web workloads.
First IoT platform AWS native
In the selection of a strategic partner for the commercialization of connected devices, Storm Reply has demonstrated a clear technical ability on edge-technologies in combination with a deep understanding of the business needs, especially in terms of large scale of volumes, cost reduction, flexibility of the Infrastructure as a Service, completeness of the solution, security aspects.
The solution developed for Grohe has been the first IOT platform AWS native in the European market and has been recognized with the Innovation Award 2017 by AWS. Since the successful project completion, Grohe and Reply are still continuously collaborating to improve the existing architecture and innovate by developing new business cases, through the power of collected and stored data. In order to support and accelerate this larger Digital Transformation program Storm Reply works in synergy with Concept Reply, Live Reply, Portaltech Reply.
Grohe
Grohe is a leading global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings and has a total of over 6,000 employees, 2,400 of which are based in Germany. GROHE has been part of the LIXIL Group Corporation since 2014. As an international brand, GROHE pursues the brand values of technology, quality, design and sustainability, seeking to offer the “Pure joy of water”. GROHE has been developing new product categories since its inception. This includes the GROHE Blue and Red water systems and the recently-introduced GROHE Sense water security system, which is an innovative component in the growth market of smart home technology. Innovation, design and development are closely aligned with one another and are enshrined in the German site as an integrated process. As a result, GROHE products carry the seal of quality “Made in Germany”. In the last ten years alone, GROHE has received over 300 design and innovation awards as well as several top rankings as one of “Germany’s most sustainable large brands”, confirming the success of the brand. GROHE was the first in its industry to win the German government’s CSR prize and was also featured in the renowned Fortune® magazine’s ranking of Top 50 that are “Changing the World”.
Storm Reply
Storm Reply is the Reply company specialised in the design and implementation of cloud-based solutions and services. Storm Reply supports the leading industrial groups in moving their systems and applications to the Cloud. Through a well-established expertise in Cloud solutions, Storm Reply provides end-to-end support for Cloud Strategy and Migration services, Cloud Applications Development and Cloud Service Management.