Renesas announces a strategic alliance with Alibaba to accelerate the growth of IoT market in China
Renesas has announced a strategic alliance with Alibaba Cloud that will empower Internet of Things (IoT) developers to accelerate the growth of China’s IoT market in areas such as smart cities, smart homes, and smart factories.
Under the collaboration, the AliOS Things IoT operating system (OS) will be embedded in the Renesas RX65N/RX651 microcontroller (MCU) lineup. It will also include expanding online sales channels, and Renesas joining Alibaba’s IoT ecosystem.
Embedded AliOS Things in RX65N/RX651 MCU Lineup
Following the recent launch of the 16-bit RL78 MCU Family supporting AliOS Things’ basic version, Renesas is now launching its 32-bit RX65N/RX651 MCUs to support the AliOS Things’ advanced version.
“By embedding AliOS Things into RX65N/RX651 MCUs, developers can easily connect IoT node devices and gateways to the Alibaba Cloud”, the company said in the announcement.
The RX65N/RX651 MCUs feature integrated Trusted Secure IP (TSIP), which can implement Root of Trust for IoT devices using encryption key data protected by TSIP and a flash memory-protected authentication program.
Renesas noted that the RX65N/RX651 security features enable customers to protect their IoT devices and firmware updates against external cyber threats. The company also said it will offer new products and development kits that support AliOS Things.
Renesas’ Flagship Store Officially Opens on Tmall
Renesas is also expanding its online sales and has opened its flagship online store on Tmall.com, China’s leading B2C retail shopping website. This will help to provide IoT users with Renesas MCUs and board kit solutions that support AliOS Things.
Joint Development of an IoT Ecosystem
Renesas said it will also assist in the creation of a superior IoT ecosystem by joining Alibaba Cloud University and the IoT Connectivity Alliance (ICA). Renesas plans to offer online and offline Alibaba Cloud University training courses related to developing IoT devices.
“The Renesas/Alibaba collaboration will speed time to market for IoT developers by providing complete solutions from chips to cloud connectivity,” said Tomomitsu Maoka, Senior Vice President, General Manager, China Business Unit of Renesas. “Combining our rich MCU lineup and comprehensive semiconductor solutions with Alibaba’s powerful IoT ecosystem will help customers achieve China’s growth plans for smart cities, smart homes, and smart factories.”
