MediaTek and Microsoft have worked together to develop a specialized chipset with a Wi-Fi connected controller built around a processor designed to run Azure Sphere’s IoT operating system. It also includes built-in support for Microsoft’s latest unparalleled security protocols. These chipsets will be sold as part of the Azure Sphere solution, enabling customers across a broad set of industries to easily connect their MCU powered products and devices with confidence that they are protected and secured by Microsoft.

“MediaTek has a long history of working with Microsoft on specific SoC designs that meet demanding connectivity needs,” said Jerry Yu, MediaTek Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the Intelligent Devices Business Group, noting MediaTek is the reference chip partner for the Azure Sphere Partner Program. “On top of our close ties with Microsoft and design expertise, Microsoft had a vision we also believed in. Bringing trust and security into IoT solutions from chip to cloud, to make connected devices practical to sell and manage for businesses and consumers.”

Significant drops in the cost of connectivity mean that billions of Microcontroller Unit (MCU) powered devices, from household appliances and health monitors to children’s toys and industrial equipment, will be connected. With more points of connectivity come more points of possible vulnerability, which mean companies and individuals will only take advantage of convenient connected devices if they believe their devices, data and cloud are secure. That’s why MediaTek has worked with Microsoft to accelerate the market transition from standalone MCUs to secure, cloud-connected MCUs.

“Today, computing is more powerful and ubiquitous from the cloud to the edge. In the next decade we’ll see the democratization of connectivity to billions of devices,” said Galen Hunt, Managing Director, Azure Sphere, Microsoft.

“Azure Sphere brings together the best of Microsoft’s expertise in cloud, software, and silicon— resulting in a unique approach to security that starts in the silicon and extends to the cloud. MediaTek has worked in close collaboration with us on the silicon aspect of our solution, and we are pleased to share in this announcement of the MT3620, the first Azure Sphere certified chip. What we are delivering together will be the foundation for a new generation of secure intelligent edge devices and solutions.”

With Azure Sphere, Microsoft is building a new ecosystem, which consists of silicon vendors, original device manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers from a broad range of industries. As a group, they understand the opportunities and risks associated with the growing number of IoT devices and applications and have banded together to ensure that security standards are developed and upheld.