Amnimo Inc. - Easy remote control of thousands of IoT routers

amnimo Corporation has adopted Remote.It as a remote control system for their "IoT Router (outdoor version) AR20". We interviewed Mr. KOJIMA of the company's Development Department.

Easy remote control of thousands of IoT routers

Problems we want to solve

A mechanism for secure communication that is easier and less expensive than a VPN

We are a wholly owned subsidiary of Yokogawa Electric Corporation, and in our fourth year of operation, we provide IoT and AI-based services under the brand name "amnimo" with the mission of "contributing to a world connected by IoT and AI.

The company develops IoT devices such as routers and gateways, as well as cloud applications that manage these devices, in-house and flexibly combines them with components owned by partner companies to create solutions sought by customers in collaboration with partners. The three areas in which we provide solutions are video, IoT, and AI, and we help our clients reform their business processes while creating synergy among them.

Specifically, we provide IoT devices that integrate power supply and video processing for surveillance cameras installed outdoors, and applications that work with these devices to remotely control camera settings.

The challenge we faced was that conventional security measures were becoming increasingly difficult to deal with the ever-increasing access routes and traffic, as well as the threats that occur both internally and externally.

Since we are accessing surveillance video remotely, we naturally need a mechanism to view it securely. Dynamic DNS" has been said to be an effective security measure for remote cameras for more than 10 years. However, even if the global IP changes dynamically, the number of IPs is small and changes in short cycles. This was not the case 10 years ago, but the dramatic increase in the number of surveillance cameras over the past few years has increased this risk.

Another countermeasure is a VPN, but there are operational issues: VPNs require precise route design, and if equipment is easily replaced, it may suddenly stop working. The person who first designed the VPN understands this, but it is difficult for other people to deal with it, and SI vendors are reluctant to make changes.

This may not be a problem for systems that do not require frequent configuration changes, such as mission-critical systems, but for devices and solutions used in the "field," such as those required by our customers, VPNs, which require advanced network technology and cost, do not match security measures. We were looking for a simpler and less expensive mechanism for secure communication.

Background of Introduction

Engineers can focus more on solving customer issues

We first learned about remote.it through an introduction by one of our partners. When I first heard about it, I remember thinking, "How could such a solution really exist? I remember that when I first heard about it, I couldn't believe it.

"remote.it" was compatible with LTE lines provided by telecommunication carriers, and it was a good match with the LTE router that Amnimo was developing. With an LTE router pre-installed with "remote.it," the installation location is not limited, and the system can be used immediately without complicated network design.

In particular, the engineers who had to build VPNs for individual projects were very pleased with the service, saying, "With remote.it, we can focus more on solving our customers' problems," and the implementation went smoothly.

Points for evaluation

Easy to propose because it definitely reduces costs and makes operations much easier.

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It is easy to propose in terms of sales and solutions because costs can be reduced because there is no need for expensive systems and troublesome design, and it is easy to operate and design. This is especially important for business managers, who appreciate the low cost and ease of operation. In addition, our engineers love the fact that they do not have to spend time on tedious network design. The fact that we can connect in an environment that we previously thought was impossible seems to tickle their desire for technological exploration in itself.

Implementation effect and future prospects

We want to support the field by securely connecting all devices to the network.

We are currently using Remote.It as a remote control system for our IoT routers "AR10" and "AR20" and edge gateways "AG10" and "AG20. The Remote.It client application is pre-installed, enabling simple remote control using PCs and other devices while greatly reducing the time required to set up and start using the system. It will also be used in the "AC10" IoT router, which is currently under development.

Since Remote.It can be used in any environment, including devices and platforms, we believe it can be used for communication in all applications that require a high level of security. We are currently in the process of making proposals to security companies and manufacturers that operate thousands to tens of thousands of devices for applications such as surveillance cameras and remote maintenance. Since remote.it can replace existing networks without modification, we are able to propose a more secure and inexpensive solution.

There are still many devices that have not been connected to the network, so we would like to support sites all over Japan by ensuring security with "remote.it".     

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Corporate name: amnimo Inc. (100% subsidiary of Yokogawa Electric Corporation)

Industry:Manufacturing

Company Size： Capital 90 million yen, 88 employees (as of December 31, 2021)

Goal： Security measures in IoT, AI, and solutions

Keyword： Surveillance camera solution

Introduction： Easier, less expensive, and less burdensome than conventional VPN connection, and easier to operate

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