Frequently Asked Questions
How important are the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and applications?
There is a consensus in the industry that the Internet of Things (connecting the physical world to the digital world through collecting sensor data and translating it into services and applications) is one of the most important mega trends that will shape a number of industries in the coming few years. The business impact of IoT is expected to be in the range of a few trillion dollars per year starting in 2020.
What is Labeeb IoT?
Labeeb IoT is an Internet of Things (IoT) services platform and a set of associated enablers. Labeeb IoT can facilitate the collection and storage of data from any object (or device), translate the data into actionable insights, and enable delivering a wide range of IoT services to various market segments like oil & gas, healthcare, utilities, and many other verticals.
In addition to the platform, the Labeeb IoT initiative provides different SDKs (software development kits), an application development environment, and online and customized training to facilitate the development of IoT services and to eventually create a community of developers and adopters of IoT services in the region.
The Labeeb IoT initiative will be used to set up an IoT Smart Living Lab which will allow QMIC and its partners to lead the industry in realizing the full potential of IoT technologies.
Why Labeeb IoT is needed and how it can be used?
Labeeb IoT is the first internet of things platform developed locally in Qatar and the region. By using Labeeb IoT, new startups, entrepreneurs, university students and researchers, and research centers will be able to expedite development and deployment of new IoT services while reducing time and cost to market.
Who are the target initial users of Labeeb IoT?
QMIC will focus initially on entrepreneurs, start-ups, university students, research centers, and incubating centers to promote the use of Labeeb IoT for all new innovations projects within the IoT space. Later in the year, QMIC will expand its Labeeb IoT platform capabilities to support the needs of enterprises and to focus on the needs of some vertical industries like utilities, smart cities, and healthcare.
Has anyone started using Labeeb IoT platform?
Yes, a number of startups in and outside Qatar started using the current version of Labeeb IoT platform to develop their IoT services and applications. In addition, the platform will be used by some master students in local universities and is being used to support a number of NPRP projects being carried out at QMIC.
Furthermore, QMIC is in active discussions with key stakeholders in Qatar to create a Labeeb IoT consortium to fully benefit from Labeeb IoT and influence its development and deployment roadmap.
How can Labeeb IoT help the research community?
Labeeb IoT provides new opportunities for research scientists and innovators to accelerate the development and evaluation of their innovative ideas, technologies and concepts. Indeed, setting up experimental test-beds can be a tedious task, in terms of providing connectivity to devices, collecting and storing data, analyzing data and managing devices. In this context, Labeeb IoT provides an attractive environment (i.e. platform, SDKs, APIs, documentation and tools) for researchers and innovators to help them focusing on experimenting their concepts, instead of reinventing the wheel.
How Labeeb IoT can help entrepreneurs, startups, and SMEs?
The initial stage of any IoT project is very crucial and there are a lot of challenges to be overcome before the developed IoT solution can become technically feasible and commercially viable. In this context, Labeeb IoT provides an attractive environment (i.e. platform, SDKs, APIs, documentation and tools) for entrepreneurs and SMEs to accelerate the development and testing of their new IoT applications and services, while cutting development costs by streamlining their processes, enhancing their customers satisfaction and diversifying their services and revenue streams
Which IoT applications can be built using Labeeb IoT?
Labeeb IoT can enable a wide range of new cloud-based services in a number of vertical markets, such as healthcare, transportation, urban mobility, utilities, industry, environment and more.
Did QMIC partner with any other entity to develop Labeeb IoT platform?
No. Labeeb IoT Platform was fully developed by QMIC as an enterprise initiative. QMIC utilized its extensive experience and expertise in developing and deploying IoT services (like Masarak and Hawaak services) to develop a stand-lone IoT platform that will be delivered to the market using Platform as a Service (PaaS) Concept. However, QMIC will be interested in working with local and global partners who can contribute to realizing the technology roadmap of Labeeb IoT.
How is Labeeb IoT Platform different from IoT platforms launched by Telecom Operators?
QMIC’s IoT platform mainly focuses on enabling target users to develop and deploy IoT services quickly and with the least possible effort and will support monetization of these services at a later stage. Telecom operators IoT platforms, on the other hand, tend to focus on facilitating management of SIM cards (connectivity) and leveraging billing and configuration capabilities of telecom operators to support the deployment of IoT solutions offered by third party developers.