Bluetooth SIG Announces Finalists for the 2017 Imagine Blue Awards

Submissions highlight next generation Bluetooth® technologies that are driving innovation in the IoT

March 07, 2017 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time, KIRKLAND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) today announced the finalists for the 2017 Bluetooth Imagine Blue Awards, an awards program that recognizes innovative Bluetooth enabled devices with the potential to alter how consumers experience technology in every facet of their lives. Applications for this year’s awards were accepted in two categories – Prototype and Student – and called for thoughtful, next generation solutions that push the boundaries of wireless connectivity.

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“The submissions received from students and innovators across the globe were truly impressive, and leveraged the power of Bluetooth to creatively design solutions for a broad range of challenges,” said Katy Scheck, Director of Marketing and Public Relations of the Bluetooth SIG. “From audio to smart home to consumer engagement to health and safety, the finalists represent forward-thinking inventions that have real potential to change and improve how we live and interact with technology and one another.”

Among the finalists for the Bluetooth Imagine Blue Awards was Cassia Networks, Inc., Cassia Telehealth Solution – Connects the Cassia Bluetooth router with smart medical equipment to create a more effective and automated IoT telehealth solution for at-home care.

Read the full press release at: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170307005513/en/Bluetooth-SIG-Announces-Finalists-2017-Imagine-Blue

Update May 2018: Cassia Networks would go on to win the Bluetooth Imagine Blue Awards, as described in the follow up Mar 29, 2017 press release:

“Prototype Winner: Cassia Networks, Inc., Telehealth Solution

Cassia Networks won for the company’s Telehealth Solution, which connects the Cassia Bluetooth router with smart medical equipment to create a more effective and automated IoT telehealth solution for at-home care. The Cassia Bluetooth router collects vital signs and other data from a Bluetooth medical device connected to the Cassia router and securely forwards it to a service provider’s cloud server. This enables remote patient monitoring in real-time, reducing costs to both patients and providers, while improving patient compliance and overall patient care.

“We found that 99 percent of smart medical devices use Bluetooth technology, so we created the Telehealth Solution to give patients a plug-and-play solution for in-home monitoring while giving healthcare providers an unprecedented ability to manage thousands of devices from one centralized interface,” said Felix Zhao, founder and CEO of Cassia Networks. “Our solution not only lowers complexity and cost for the provider, but improves care and makes life easier for the patient. We are honored to win this award and excited the SIG shares our vision in unlocking the potential of this technology.”

All Prototype finalists showcased their entry at Bluetooth World and, last night, presented their submission to the Imagine Blue judging panel – which included Mark Powell of the Bluetooth SIG, Stacey Higginbotham of Stacey Knows Things IoT Review, and Stuart Carlaw, Andrew Zignani, and Ryan Martin of ABI Research. The winner was selected based on the submission’s level of innovation, market potential, and overall impact the entry could have on the IoT industry.

As the overall winner of the Prototype category, Cassia Networks was presented with a $10,000 USD cash prize.