FPT Slovakia is behind the development of the core platform for electromobility, which is currently the topic of every major carmaker.

There are already quite a few models of electric cars available on the market and new ones continue being added. Competition is growing and prices are gradually falling. In addition, 4 out of 5 customers say they do not plan to return to the internal combustion engine. The transition to an electric car is also an opportunity to approach the environment in environmentally and economically friendly manner and to use renewable energy sources.

We are one of the companies behind the development in this area and we actively contribute to a greener future.

These innovations are often used in countries such as Germany, the USA, France, the UK and Japan. And they are exactly our main markets. Our projects in the field of electromobility comprehensively address issues related to electric cars. Charging them, charging invoicing, message, up to the payment itself. We apply these solutions not only in public but also in private charging stations.

GREEN TRANSFORMATION = THE FUTURE

"Due to the ambitious goals of the European Union in the field of CO2 emissions, individual car manufacturers will have to increasingly switch to the production of electric cars. We are specialists in IT and energy, we have been involved in the topic practically since the founding of the company, which means that we have a lot of experience and a great team. Our mission is green transformation. Veríme, že práve IT, je jedeným zo spúšťačov efektívneho prechodu dopravy z využívania fosílnych palív na efektívne využívanie zelených energií,” povedal Dodan Vojtko, Head of Delivery Center Fpt Slovakia.

SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT FOR CHARGING STATIONS

The aim of our project is to develop a system for charging stations so that we can streamline the entire process from connecting the car to the charger, starting charging, monitoring it (for example, via a mobile phone), to payments when recharging electric cars. We use the latest technologies in development, such as Java, Kotlin, Groovy, Angular, Microunaut, AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform and others.

KNOW HOW TRANSFER

The team consists of architects, developers and testers. We are constantly expanding and improving the platform we have helped to design, develop, and manage.. A large enough team ensures that new members have someone to learn from.

„On the other hand, we expect them to bring to the team new ideas, creativity and a desire to do things that have a real impact on our future“, said Dodan Vojtko.

AGILE APPROACH

We can map all chargers in a city or state. The process looks relatively simple thanks to several innovations. The user comes to the charger, authenticates, for example, via a mobile application or RFID card and starts charging automatically. He chooses the method of payment and after charging he can drive ecologically immediately.

"The development of such a complex platform is a work that requires a rational but also visionary approach. Our work is agile, we develop software in two-week phases, constantly test it to prevent mistakes and continuously check whether we are moving in the right direction." Peter Chlebák, Program Director for electromobility at FPT Slovakia.

JOIN US

Currently we have more than 300 employees, we are growing and we have an open door for other experienced IT specialists, developers, but also students and enthusiasts interested in information technology. We supply innovative solutions and provide IT services for several major multinational companies.

You will work in a team of highly specialized IT professionals, developers and testers on the electromobility project. You will develop mobile applications or program a system that controls the charging process, processes data, provides invoicing.

You can find more about open positions in the field of mobility HERE:

Fullstack Developer for Electric Vehicles | Fpt Slovakia

Frontend Developer for EV | Fpt Slovakia

Java Developer for EV | Fpt Slovakia

Fullstack Developer with Angular 7 | Fpt Slovakia

If interested or in case of any questions do not hesitate to contact recruitment@fpt.sk

Technology is advancing at an incredible pace. Fifty years ago, we started with small steps with the internet. Today it is available to almost everyone. With increasing acclimatization to the age of information, user requirements are growing as well. Music used to be shared via Bluetooth or IrDA. Today it is streamed over the internet. Users are increasingly demanding that nearby devices be connected to the network and interconnected between them. The age of IoT has come. Companies producing equipment of all kinds are facing a challenge they have to combat.  

How to connect your devices to the internet?  How will the communication with the usertake place? How to ensure data security and secure communication? How to deal with the management of such devices on a large scale? What other possibilities do they have thanks to the internet? What pitfalls are there still hidden in the course of implementation? 

Many companies started from scratch and struggled with every problem. Unfortunately, it often happened that end users had to suffer every inconvenience. The solution has often been inefficient and highly costly.

Could it be done differently?

Know-how

Imagine a company that makes home appliances. For example, refrigerators. Until recently, the refrigerator needed to perform two, maybe three, functions. Cool at constant temperature and freeze in a separate section. The users have requested more. And so they enriched the functionality with a group of sensors that monitor humidity, icing, temperature, door opening and much more. But the competition went even further and provided its customers with a mobile application that allowed them to control the refrigerator and monitor its activity. Our company could therefore hire an "army" of programmers, designers and managers to create a solution similar to the competition. But again, they will have to go through experiments on customers who do not have to tolerate it. The delivery time of the solution will be long and may eventually be obsolete. Convincing customers about this choice will be difficult, especially when there is competition that has already gone through the process.

They also have another option. They can use the know-how of another company to help them implement the connection of the device to their customers.

Such a company will already know well what to do. They will already be aware of every pitfall and challenge and be able to offer an effective tailor-made solution.

And that's exactly our story. We help the customer create a unique product that will help other companies cope with connecting to the world of the Internet of Things. This cloud solution will provide device connectivity to millions of users.

How We Do It

The solution consists of three parts. Cloud, Firmware, Clients.

Cloud

The role of the Cloud is to enable the communication between users. Whether it's mobile devices like Android and iOS, or voice assistants like Google Home and Alexa. In addition to communication, the Cloud also provides user and device management, device registration by the manufacturer, device assignment to users, and more.

From a technical point of view, Cloud is built on a multiservice architecture using Microsoft Azure technology. Services communicate with each other using the Azure ServiceBus messaging provider. Communication directly with the device is secured using Azure IoTHub and it is possible to communicate with clients using the REST protocol or using WebSocket communication via SignalR.

Firmware

It consists of a wifi chip, which manufacturers must incorporate into the production process of the device and the firmware itself, which opens up the possibility of controlling the device via the Internet. The manufacturer will not have to deal with its operation in the background, everything will be communicated directly to the manufacturer.

If new functionality is made available, the firmware supports OTA update, thanks to which it is possible to update the firmware on the device via the Cloud.

Clients

Mobile applications and voice assistants are considered clients. A customized mobile application will be created for each manufacturer, adhering to UX principles and a UI design that matches the manufacturer's design. The application is created in a multiplatform using React.Native, which rapidly speeds up development and thus reduces costs.

With Rest communication, devices can also be controlled using voice assistants, opening the door to millions of active users for each manufacturer.

The entire solution is based on security, scalability and expandability. Each section contains shared functionality or a core that is optimized and reusable with each new application for a new manufacturer.

Connection of Producer Devices to Millions of Users

The solution relieves manufacturers from embarking on something they do not primarily focus on, leaving this issue to experts in the field. At the same time, space if being created for them to develop things that they really understand.

Thanks to this unique solution, manufacturers will no longer have to rediscover the wheel, but get on the train already in motion towards the world of the Internet of Things.

Automation and robotisation have recently become more and more common. This is most true for repetitive, time-consuming business processes. An effective answer to these routine computer activities is RPA (Robotic Process Automation) - automation of processes through software robots. These virtual employees are able to relieve people from repetitive tasks that do not require specific knowledge. These activities account for approximately 10 to 30% of employees' daily work responsibilities, mainly in the areas of finance, human resources and public administration.

Solution is suitable for any company

Currently, large companies and corporations reach for RPA, but this solution is suitable for any company. It is also irrelevant whether it is necessary to automate only one report or process, or all company departments. The necessary tasks can be performed once or regularly, on a daily, weekly, monthly or even quarterly basis, such as the mentioned creation of reports. Automation has a wide application, from processing invoices in an accounting firm, checking received forms by the local government or flipping data between systems in a manufacturing company.

It saves time and costs

The great advantage of RPA automation is that it eliminates the human error rate that could occur with these repetitive tasks. An equally interesting benefit is the significant savings in time, financial costs and relatively easy use, as it includes an intuitive graphical user interface. RPA is able to work with all types of applications and systems, but as all automation takes place at the presentation layer (OSI model), the company's infrastructure and security measures remain intact.

RPA is usually always associated with the automation program itself, and there are currently several RPA software providers. The best known are BluePrism, UiPath, Automation Anywhere or akaBot, which is developed by our company FPT Software..

The coronavirus pandemic did not change the fulfillment of the RPA potential, on the contrary. According to Gartner analysts, by 2022 RPA will be used in some form by up to 85% of large companies.

We at Fpt Slovakia have been working in the area of smart home for several years. Now we have decided to present it from a different angle. Tomáš has prepared a series, in which he will be continuously introducing the secrets of an intelligent household to you. You will learn what smart means and we will also include the term Internet of Things and tell you where and how to start with solutions for an efficient home.

#introduction

Surely many of you remember, or even still use landlines. At a time when almost every household had them, they were an inseparable friend. They connected us with the outside world, with family, acquaintances, authorities, customers. They carried out their mission bravely. We were able to hear and speak to the person on the other side of the line. And nothing more (Unless I also include playing Crash Bandicoot inMaxihra). 

If this fact is still not limiting enough for you, then may I remind you that during the phone call, we could not perform any other activity. Mainly due to the length of the cable and the need to hold the phone next to your ear. Later, with the arrival of dial-up up internet, we couldn't even make phone calls and surf the web at the same time!

With the arrival of mobile phones (although the first ones could even be used as a tool for self-defense), we added a new dimension to telephoning. We didn't have to be in one place on a given time and we could be reached everywhere provided that there was a mobile signal. However, the mobile phone continued to perform mainly its primary function, telephoning.  

#smart_phones

Nevertheless, we were not unhappy for very long, because with the arrival of the internet, the so-called smartphonesstarted to appear. Thanks to the possibility of connecting to the internet, they have opened the door for us to do everything that the phone actually "does not serve" 😊. We can read the news, check the weather forecast, share photos with friends and not to mention a million other things. 

#smart_home

It is important to realize that with the arrival of smartphones, we suddenly held the first piece of our smart home. That is, until the moment we realize that we will not actually do much smart at home with this clever piece of aluminum, plastic and glass. However, the concept is clear. We have a device that opens the door to possibilities by connecting to the internet. So why not do it with a refrigerator, for example?

#internet of_things

And so, after three lengthy paragraphs, we get to the heart of the matter, a smart home. By deducing from the example of the telephone, it is already clear to us that by adding an internet connection to a device, we can use it much better, more diversely and more efficiently. It doesn't matter if it's a washing machine, refrigerator, toaster or rice cooker. In fact, the term partnership home is a subset of the increasingly well-known term Internet of Things. It describes a network of physical devices (things) that, thanks to sensors, software and other technologies, can connect and exchange data with other devices via the internet. 

In 2018, there were an estimated 10 billion "connected devices",connected devices" in the world, i.e. devices connected to the internet. This number is expected to exceed 64 billion in 2025. What devices are involved? These are mainly partnership light bulbs, thermostats, security systems (cameras, various sensors and alarms), and large appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators. Last but not least, assistants also belong to this group. Namely Alexa, Siri or "Hey Google", which in most households connect these devices under one roof in the form of an application such as Apple HomeKit. Interestingly enough, last year these technology giants (Apple, Google, Amazon) formed partnership for a mutual communication of the individual smart home products. 

Smart home, or smart home devices can make our lives a lot easier. Illuminate the corridor with a dim light, but also save money, for example by timing the air conditioning or heating correctly so that energy is not wasted.

#stay_tuned

After such a surge of information, only one question remains - how to start? You’ll find the answer for this question in the next article of this series.