Overkiz
IoT Optimisation for Connected Environment

The human spirit has always been on a never-ending quest to build better, smarter and now more “connected.” The idea of connected buildings is an empowering approach to connect disparate building systems and control them through a single operating system. By integrating multiple point solutions into a single connected environment, connected buildings allow unlocking the power of building data and gaining maximum control over the building to meet the needs of manufacturers, operators, and occupants alike. However, the coexistence of multiple brands and services is an obstacle in the way of this integration.

Rising to this challenge is Overkiz—an IoT infrastructure vendor making connected homes and buildings a reality. “We supply white-label solutions to large organisations and help them craft a connected strategy for the smart home and smart building environment. Our B2B solutions linking multiple brands, protocols, and products provide an IoT framework to set up a marketplace of compatible brands. Our IoT platform enables companies to unify technologies, manage the interoperability and the interactions between brands and products without sharing a massive amount of data,” says Matthieu de Broca, International Business Development Director, Overkiz.

With an aim to simplify maintenance and monitoring in connected buildings, Overkiz IoT platform empowers manufacturers, service providers, developers and retailers with its Building as a Service model whereby users can aggregate data and share information between different brands of devices using different technology and service operators.

In essence, Overkiz' comprehensive IoT framework includes smart controllers, a cloud, an API library, and mobile apps that can be used to transmit information over the Internet. Overkiz’ offerings stand on a pyramid model wherein the bottom of the pyramid constitutes the software cloud library. The library offers rich APIs to design IoT applications and also collect, manage, and share data securely between applications and the cloud, or with third-party environments. Essentially, the base collates all the virtual profiles of each device so that it can be identified with a command in a specific language. “For instance, these APIs can be immensely beneficial for a professional who is at the edge of installing a device and making it work on the digital level. This is where we present ourselves as a digital Swiss knife in the IoT sector. We are the guys fixing interconnection with our best tool kits—from implementing software connectors to taking charge of maintenance. Our team specialises in custom design, custom implementation whereby we can add protocols, device, and features to the ecosystem,” adds de Broca. The apex of the pyramid consists of abstract APIs, which can hide the complexity of the products. “Service vendors can always use the same solution like ours, the same API. Our mobile data platform aggregates as much complexity and as much technology as possible, presenting almost a universal language for eliminating the service standardisation issues,” he explains.

Overkiz is currently working with Nexity, a real estate development company in developing its smart building solution. In partnership with Somfy, Overkiz is managing the “connected home” part of the solution. Installed directly in the electrical panel at the time of building construction, with no Internet connection needed, the home automation box supports multiple protocols, multiple products, and numerous brands, enables interoperability between different types of equipment within the same home. Besides its secure IoT cloud and its smart gateways, Overkiz empowers Nexity with its APIs to develop its own mobile app, while focusing on building a streamlined mobile UX that its customers enjoy using. Scalability of the solution lets occupants add new products to their home at any time, regardless of the brand.

Scripting similar stories, Overkiz currently supervises 260,000 homes through its unique model. Overkiz looks forward to becoming a valuable partner for B2B customers at the product levels who want more data at the fairest cost possible.