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THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017 • WATERLOO CHRONICLE • 19 By Bob Vrbanac Chronicle Sta� Terepac Corporation would like to start a conversation about the Internet of Things -- not about the concept itself but the Internet-enabled machines and devices attached to it. CEO Ric Asselstine said the company he co-founded in 2005 is moving to a new inte- gration model to give voice to the more than 90 per cent of devices out there that could be Internet enabled, but haven't been yet. "We came to life doing the electronics min- iaturization and we got it to the demonstra- tion level and proof of concept," said Assels- tine. "We demonstrated the functionality and now it's time to scale it up." It's drawn a lot of interest for the Waterloo- based company that recently returned from a trade trip to China, joining a dozen enter- prise companies from North America led by global connector Istuary to touring � ve major cities in China. The trip took place between May 15 to May 26 to build connections with China's local government sector while giving them first-hand knowledge of their market demands and the policies in place for China's rapidly growing tech sector. It's already resulted in an agreement last week with B.C.'s � omson Power, also on the trip, to explore the possibilities of connecting the west coast company's tech platforms to the Cloud using advanced sensor control and voice activated technology. It was technology the company was install- ing on a conveyor belt at a Toronto business Friday that would allow it to tell the opera- tor how it was functioning, if there were any problem areas or possible breakdowns. The conveyor line could quite literally tell the company that it was "ill" and in need of pre- ventive maintenance. � e move to talk to machines, or at least have the sensors installed being able to talk to computer monitors connected to the web and with the most secure system possible, began to become more realized in the last four years. � at's when two major corporations came to Terepac and asked them to take the first steps in building a system that allowed it to give support to that type of secure communi- cations. "Could you instrument our object, in other words give it an electronic voice," said Assel- stine. "� en can you network it and then can you help us manage the data, because we don't know how to do that, and then could you help us do the data visualization, the ana- lytics and the object socialization?" � at was a lot to bite o� for Terepac at the time. "The first time I heard it I said not a chance," said Asselstine. "I'm a little crazy but I'm not completely nuts." In the meantime, the team Terepac assem- bled in Waterloo was making inroads with small data, and it resulted in some new organ- ic revenue for the company and a future ave- nue to pursue. � e company is now preparing to open a production facility in California to produce a one-stop solution for parties who need it, while the engineering will stay in Waterloo and produce customized solution for clients based on their needs. "We architected the organization to deliver this full stack," said Asselstine. � ey added blockchain capability last year to monetize and secure the data, and the new model of providing those types of services has them ready to meet the needs of compa- nies looking to enable their Internet of � ings strategy. "We've looked around the world and we think we're the most complete, comprehen- sive IoT solutions company in the world," said Asselstine. "We basically go from the silicon right up to the app because of our pedigree and we were in a town where we can architect this type of � uid and very dynamic set of capa- bilities." He said they can provide o� -the-shelf solu- tions for customers, or they could work with companies to facilitate their technology and make it Internet of � ings capable. "We're like water," said Asselstine. "Wher- ever you're weak we'll seep in and support you whether you need hardware or analytics." Speaking of water, one of Terepac's hard- ware solutions is a device for fire hydrants that can monitor and report back water pres- sure and water loss. � e City of Waterloo just received more than $500,000 from the provin- cial government to support such a program, and the local company would like to be in on the bidding for the project. "Our massive transformative purpose is to give a voice to the world," said Asselstine. "As soon as anything can talk, then good things happen and bad things can be prevented -- or at least you can get out ahead of them." Helping the Internet of � ings talk Terepac wants to provide support and solutions to companies connecting devices to the web BUSINESS WATERLOO CHRONICLE BUSINESS WATERLOO CHRONICLE BOB VRBANAC PHOTO Ric Asselstine, CEO of Terepac, kneels in front of one of the symbols of the work the Water- loo-based company is doing, helping � re hydrants become smart enough so they can tell people monintoring them they are leaking or under pressure. Waterloo ChronicleVoluntary Pay Contribution Program We ask you to consider contributing $30 per year towards delivery of your Community Newspaper. Many of our Readers have made the decision to show their support for the Waterloo Chronicle. It is our pleasure to provide the Waterloo area with a Community Newspaper. 630 RIVERBEND DRIVE, UNIT 104, KITCHENER, ON N2K 3S2 fOR MORE INfORMaTION Call 519-623-7395 ext. 260 Yes! 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