Software-as-a-Service company Seebo has launched a virtual hardware environment to accelerate development of smart products, reducing cost per unit and enabling the introduction of IoT-enabled devices to market sooner.

Dubbed the ‘Simulator’, it forms part of its IoT Creator platform and eliminates the need to code with the actual hardware.

According to the company, it will allow developers to build smart applications that can interface with hardware, without requiring the skills and tools usually reserved for hardware fabrication.

In the same way that device ‘digital twins’ in existing IoT environments simplify the interaction between legacy IT infrastructure and newly-connected IoT devices, virtual devices can also assist hardware manufacturers in enabling development of product interfaces without requiring the devices themselves.

Seebo’s IoT Creator uses a unique proprietary algorithm that matches the right hardware combinations based on product concepts, design and other technical specifications specified on the platform.

It is able to automatically configure SDKs, establish the Simulator environment, provide development kits and facilitates testing to shorten the often long and labour-intensive IoT planning and development phases of product creation.

Seebo’s CEO Lior Akavia said in a statement: “Building IoT products can be complicated, expensive and risky, and it is a comprehensive task to coordinate the world of hardware, sensors, software, firmware PCBA (printed circuit board assembly) factories, mobile apps, cloud and security – while integrating them into a smart, connected product.”

“Seebo bridges that gap for manufacturers by providing the resources, skills and tools to easily and seamlessly incorporate IoT technology thus helping them to create or revitalise products and manufacturing processes for our connected world.”