Oser Communications Group

IBS19.Feb19

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Construction Marketplace Tuesday, February 19, 2019 3 4 AcuRite Launches Atlas Weather Station Chaney Instrument Co. has announced the release of a new weather station, the AcuRite Atlas. Built with high-precision sensor technology, Atlas allows users to connect to hyperlocal weather condi- tions. Atlas has the ability to track UV exposure, light intensity and lightning, in addition to monitoring temperature, humidity, rainfall, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction. Along with these new features, Atlas offers an enhanced accuracy rating within one degree, improved durability and more frequent readings. "AcuRite Atlas is the future of per- sonal weather monitoring and our most advanced weather station yet," said AcuRite Meteorologist Kari Strenfel. "Atlas provides consumers with a weath- er system they can depend on to accurate- ly predict a variety of weather conditions in their exact location, rather than relying on a weather report that's generated at the nearest news station or airport." The launch of products like AcuRite Atlas is part of an increasing smart home technology trend providing home and business owners with highly accurate, actionable, personalized information. Weather stations are sought-after by a wide variety of audiences from industry professionals like landscapers and farm- ers, to personal at-home users interested in outdoor activities and the latest tech- nology gadgets. Atlas allows users to quickly and easily access their data, archive it so they can look back and analyze historical information, and share it with fellow weather enthusiasts. Consumers are able to choose how they view their informa- tion, either on a high-definition touch- screen display or through remote monitoring, or both. The high-definition indoor touchscreen dis- play offers a quick snap- shot of the day's high and low records and graphs for each measurement to track trends. The display features an SD card slot for long-term storage of weather data. Atlas can provide remote monitoring from any device – mobile or desktop, including via the My AcuRite smart- phone app. This feature lets users view data from anywhere, even at work or on vacation, allowing them to stay connect- ed. Customizable alerts and notifications inform of changing weather conditions that might need attention. Atlas has the capability to integrate with Amazon Echo for convenient, personalized weather reports from Alexa. AcuRite Atlas retails start- ing at $249.99 and is available at www.acurite.com. About AcuRite The AcuRite brand is owned by Chaney Instrument Co., a sub- sidiary of the Primex Family of Companies (PFOC) and a fami- ly-owned business headquar- tered in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Founded in 1943, Chaney Instrument Co. and its AcuRite brand are leaders in weather and home monitoring solutions. In addition to weather stations, AcuRite offers a broad line of home and environ- mental monitoring devices. The company is known for developing products with intuitive designs that fit seamlessly into day-to-day life, keeping people connect- ed to the things that matter most. For more information, visit www .acurite.com. Security Concerns for Growing IoT Ecosystem By Bodil Josefsson, Head of IoT Security at Ericsson As an IoT network grows in size and complexity, so grows the attack surface and its vulnerability to advanced and per- sistent threats (APT). The number of connected devices is forecasted to reach 20 billion by 2023 (www.ericsson.com/ en/mobility-report/reports/november- 2017). This is a growing nightmare for both service providers trying to keep their networks secure, as well as for the enterprises collecting data from all the devices. Security must be a top priority for all stakeholders whose technology is a part of an IoT network. It must be taken into consideration from the start and cannot be an afterthought. This includes the service providers who need to maintain secure uptime to meet service level agreements as well as the device manufacturers who'd like to avoid having their products mentioned in the next round of botnet headlines. Responsibility also lies with all parties in between, such as the organizations managing and gathering data from all the connected devices. Here are the top four security con- cerns for our customers as they form end- to-end, IoT security strategies. How will I manage identity and access management? Humans are not the only entities sub- ject to identity and access management (IAM) requirements. Devices and applications that access network resources need to have the legitimacy of their connection requests verified as well as to what databases they want to connect. Any device out in the wild – whether it's a tablet or a sensor – in the wrong hands can be used to access an organization's network. Should a breach occur, fail-safes need to be put in place to control and limit the damage an attacker can cause. How do I ensure my data's integrity? Data is the lifeblood of any organization. Collecting data and converting it into actionable intelligence is one of the key purposes of Internet of Things. The integrity of data is paramount, as is the need to ensure it is not manipulated while in-use, in-transit or at-rest. Also, personal data is particularly important to protect and should always be encrypted. How can I stay ahead if no IoT network can be 100 percent secure? Unfortunately, all stakeholders in an IoT ecosystem, including consumers and end-users, have to accept the fact that no IoT network will ever be able to achieve 100 percent security. There are simply too many potential access points and other vulnerabilities. However, this does not relieve any party of the responsibility they have to maintain security best practices. How can automation help me keep up? IoT networks and the volume of devices comprising them all require management. No human has the capacity to manually accomplish this, thus requir- ing automation and machine learning to assist that person. Providing IT teams with the tools they will need to manage a large and complex network and minimize its attack surface is critical. Any CISO knows, when it comes to an attack, it's no longer a matter of "if," but "when." Being well-prepared for an attack will go a long way to speeding the recovery process and ensuring business continuity. While it may be impossible to completely secure an IoT environment, paying attention to these four areas is a good starting point to achieving end-to- end security. For more information, visit www .ericsson.com. The Power of Marketing Mail in a Digital World Breaking through digital noise to reach consumers is increasingly difficult. One solution? Bridging the gap between digital and physical platforms to create interactive, omni-channel experiences for consumers. Marketing mail remains highly val- ued at America's residences – in terms of response rate it outperforms all digital channels by nearly 600 percent (Direct Marketing Association, "Response Rate Report 2015") and 92 percent of con- sumers surveyed have a strong or extremely strong attachment to mail (USPS Mail Moments Study, 2016). Marketing is evolving quickly – and so is the role of mail in integrated cam- paigns. There are numerous opportunities to combine marketing mail with digital mediums. For a more impactful con- sumer experience, here are a few ways to integrate marketing mail into your next marketing campaign: 1. Deliver a physical, digital experience. A piece of paper can be the gateway to an immersive digital experience when tech- nology such as near field communication (NFC) or augmented reality (AR) are integrated. NFC chips can be inserted into a sticker, and by using their smartphone, consumers with NFC-enabled mobile devices can connect to a brand online without downloading an app. Utilizing AR, consumers can superimpose a digital image onto a smartphone's camera screen. This feature provides practical and interactive uses – imagine the benefit to a furniture company allowing con- sumers to place a 3D couch in their home to see how it looks before purchasing. 2. Think outside the envelope. Marketing mail goes beyond the standard mailer you likely envision. Services like MarketMail ® help separate your mail from the competi- tion with lightweight, 3D or shaped mail and shippable designs that open by folding, pulling or popping up into a dynamic piece. Go a step further by immersing your mail with electronics to deliver a recorded commer- cial on a mailer. Paper pockets can include a battery, shatter-resistant screen, speaker and all necessary wires to control buttons and video, and built-in Wi-Fi connection will track how many times each piece is activated. 3. Know your audience – on and offline. Research from the USPS Mail Moments 2016 Review reveals Americans continue to be engaged with their mail, with 81 percent of participants acknowledging that receiving a handwritten letter, note or greeting card holds significant value to them. This emotional connection to mail can be valuable in telling a meaningful brand story. Similarly, understanding your target audiences' shopping tendencies both on and offline – and connecting them – can help you create customized, omni- channel campaigns. For exam- ple, 66 percent of consumers make purchases from catalogs received in the mail by going online to a store's website (April 2017 Catalog Research). Success of omni-channel inte- gration can be measured by providing per- sonalized URLs or QR codes that track direct traffic to your website from mail marketing pieces. No marketing medium so reliably reach- es the American consumer as mail does. When developing omni-channel market- ing campaigns, consider harnessing the power of mail to help your business boost engagement and create a unique – and tangible – consumer experience. For more information, go to www.usps.com.

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