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Rackspace Technology, Inc.: Rackspace Technology and AutoPets Reimagine Pet Care With IoT Solution

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SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 05, 2020(NASDAQ: RXT), a leading end-to-end multicloud technology solutions company, today announced the results of its Internet of Things (IoT) centered cloud infrastructure and cloud native application development collaboration with automated pet care company AutoPets.

Working closely with Onica, an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Premier Consulting Partner and a Rackspace Technology Company, and AWS, AutoPets reimaged pet care in an IoT world. The project goal centered on AutoPets leveraging the AWS infrastructure to bring the speed and scale needed to support the launch of AutoPets updated iOS application and upcoming Android app.

“The biggest challenge facing the AutoPets team was harnessing the power of next generation systems,” said Tolga Tarhan, CTO, Rackspace Technology. “It’s incredible to see the efficacy that AWS provides, even when it comes to improving peoples’ and pets’ lives. AWS solutions can limit disruptions and lower costs while simultaneously enabling next generation technologies to become more tangible in everyday life.”

Rackspace Technology partnered with the AutoPets team to focus on stabilizing the existing AWS infrastructure and optimizing the AWS IoT service, updating the IoT firmware in just 45 days, and re-releasing both the Android and iOS apps. By changing its infrastructure dramatically, AutoPets has greatly improved their reliability.

While the initial project with AutoPets focused on goals related to the Litter-Robot project, through this process AutoPets learned more about AWS serverless and IoT technologies, enabling them to add to Feeder Robot to their product portfolio.

With so many Litter-Robots sending messages every few seconds, the previous infrastructure was unable to handle the rate of messaging. Using Amazon Kinesis for buffering allowed AutoPets to run messages in batches rather than processing them individually, eliminating previous infrastructure overload. The native use of AWS IoT services has greatly decreased server costs, while allowing for greater scalability as new Litter-Robot and Feeder-Robot units are released.

In order to support AutoPet’s new mobile application, the organization needed to modernize their IoT backend. Rackspace focused on supporting the existing AWS infrastructure and optimizing the AWS IoT service, updating the IoT firmware in just 45 days, and re-releasing both the Android and iOS apps.

Rackspace Technology worked with AutoPets to update their application in preparation of the launch of the Feeder-Robot. The team designed and provisioned the onboarding process, implemented the communications firmware, built the cloud infrastructure for native use, and updated the applications to ensure that communication with the new device was an intuitive process.

Ultimately, these application improvements have given pet parents the peace of mind they need with access to features such as being able to choose when they update the firmware, anti-jamming technology and reliability backed by AWS.

Through the partnership with Rackspace, AutoPets now utilizes AWS IoT Core, Amazon API Gateway, AWS Lambda, and Amazon Kinesis, solving all of these problems and adding new features.

This Rackspace Technology solution has improved AutoPets’ infrastructure, providing greater reliability and scalability while also lowering the costs to power their Litter-Robot and Feeder-Robot devices through one streamlined application.

“When faced with the initial challenge of improving the user experience, we realized we needed to change our core infrastructure. This felt like changing the wheel of a car while driving at 60 miles per hour,” said Jacob Zuppke, Chief Operations Officer and EVP, AutoPets. “From the start, we viewed Rackspace Technology as our partner to help us overcome these challenges. Now that Rackspace solved this problem together with us, their focus is developing our software technology and mobile products that are used by people all over the world and we continue to be increasingly satisfied.”

About Rackspace Technology
Rackspace Technologyis a leading end-to-end multicloud technology services company. We can design, build and operate our customers’ cloud environments across all major technology platforms, irrespective of technology stack or deployment model. We partner with our customers at every stage of their cloud journey, enabling them to modernize applications, build new products and adopt innovative technologies.

About AutoPets
AutoPets, the inventor, manufacturer, and retailer of the Litter-Robot, is an international leader in developing highly functional pet products that make pet care easier and more enjoyable. Launched in 2000 by founder and President Brad Baxter, the Litter-Robot is the highest-rated automatic, self-cleaning litter box on the market. AutoPets is a 2017/2018/2019/2020 Inc. 5000 company based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, with 130+ passionate employees who are dedicated to improving the future of pet care.

Media Contact
Natalie Silva
Rackspace Corporate Communications
publicrelations@rackspace.com

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Google Nest Hub Max Smart Home Assistant (Chalk, Refurbished, Plain Box) – EXPANSYS Japan

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July 15, 2021

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IoT

Which Smart Home Heating Should You Choose?

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2 years ago

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June 25, 2021

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Not all smart heating control systems are suited for every lifestyle and home, with some more and less beneficial than others. SMART stands for ‘Self-Monitoring Analysis & Reporting Technology’, and differs from standard heating controls by allowing you to control every aspect of your heating schedule from either a phone or tablet. Although room thermostats and timers allow you to control each room instead of your whole home, as long as you have internet access, smart home heating devices let you control your heating from your phone, no matter where you are in the world.

Today, we’re running through 7 of the best smart heating thermostats and systems, comparing features, benefits and what type of home they’re most suitable for.

– 7 day, & 5/2 day scheduling with a pre-configured schedule included
– Choice of up to 4 time periods a day
– Minimum On-Time & Cycle Rate settings ensuring compatibility with many boilers
– Table stand for ease of positioning
– Alert messages to assist fault-finding with a fail-safe mode
– Wireless technology makes upgrading easier and the installation time shorter with less wiring involved

Best for:

– Homes that require high levels of automatic control that provide significant energy efficiency for a wide range of boilers and systems.

– Single Heating Zone Control
– 7 Day, 5/2 Day, or 24 Hour Control
– Programmable Room Thermostat
– Easily Programmed With The Associated App

Best for:

– Homes that are just starting to take the first steps into using smart home heating
– Homes that need a single heating zone control
– Homes that have either combination or standard boiler systems

– Touch-screen interface simplifies scheduling, changing and overriding temperature
– Location-based programming (geo-fencing) adds an automated layer of control, adjusting the customer’s home heating based on their location
– Scheduling features include 7 and 5/2 day bespoke scheduling with up to 6 time periods a day
– Simple flip-up wiring bar for easy access and an easy-to-install boiler or zone valve interface
– Direct wall mounting or wall-box mounting
– Optimisation features include optimum start and stop & delayed start boiler control. Allows the thermostat and boiler to work more efficiently together

Best for:

– Homes with any boiler and almost every heating system
– Homes with 230V on/off OpenTherm appliances (gas boilers, combi boilers and heat pumps)

– Ability to control water temperature and heating
– Self-learning functions to make every experience a unique one, helping it to understand your home’s needs
– Using a smart weather compensation feature and weather data, the vSMART can tell your boiler how hard it has to work to get your home to your required temperature
– You can connect multiple vSMART controllers to one app

Best for:

– Homes with Valliant ecoTEC system/open vented boilers
– Households that want to be able to control water temperature from anywhere too

– A 7-day full programmer that gives great flexibility offering up to three on/off switchings per day
– LoT display, providing text feedback that gives help and programming hints
– Automatic Summer/Winter 1 hour time change
– Choice of 3 different built-in programmes
– ‘Holiday’ button

Best for:

– Homes with heating and stored hot water in complete systems
– Homes with older gravity circulation stored hot water systems, where there’s no interlocking control valve
– Households with different heating needs from day-to-day

– One channel thermostat system with two radiator thermostats to start zoning your system
– Smart heating & hot water control
– Quick & simple to install using an industry-standard backplate
– Easy Zoning with the addition of extra Wiser Radiator Thermostats

Best for:

– Homes with combination boilers
– Households that want to start a zoned system to control individual zones within the home

– Automatic time and temperature control of domestic heating premises
– Optimum Start, Optimum Stop and Delayed Start
– No installer links or switches on the back of the unit means no adjustment is required for combi boilers and most central heating systems
– Scheduled maintenance alert
– Automatic Summer/Winter time change
– Up to four independent time & temperature settings
– Auto, manual, holiday, override and off (frost) modes

Best for:

– Domestic premises
– Most central heating systems and combi boilers

For more smart home heating controls, check out our full range today at MonsterPlumb. If you’re not interested in smart technology when it comes to controlling the heating and water temperature in your home, take a look at our selection of heating controls and valves.

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IoT

Purina to Take Guesswork Out of Pet Nutrition With IoT ‘smart Bowl’ – Smart City

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2 years ago

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June 8, 2021

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“Our Purina Chekr smart bowl is managed by our Purina intelligence engine built on and powered by AWS IoT services. “This system allows pet owners … To Read More, Please Visit Source

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