The Internet of Things provides a host of opportunities for enterprises to introduce and integrate innovative connected devices, advanced analytics, and new cross-platform applications with enterprise systems. These innovations offer enterprises new and exciting capabilities to design and launch products with value-added services. Consequently, this creates further opportunities for enterprises to develop new business models, customer engagement structures and revenue streams. The broad-ranging impact of Enterprise IoT (also called Industrial Internet of Things or IIoT) is set to change the rules of the game.
Service Benefits from Enterprise IoT [Source: Machina Research, 2015]
To realize these service opportunities, enterprises will need to identify, select and prioritize machine-to-machine (M2M) and the Internet of Things (IoT) related opportunities and technologies. As part of this process, enterprise executives should consider a number of crucial questions and recommendations to inform the design of a technology architecture that ensures the scalability, agility and flexibility necessary for a successful IoT implementation. Whether this is achieved through a ‘build or buy’ approach will need to be assessed by the executives of the enterprise.
Successful Enterprise IoT implementations are not just the result of technology innovation, but also the intelligently coordinated innovation of products, services, and business models. By integrating new data streams from connected devices with workflows, legacy systems and new technologies, Enterprise IoT implementations ultimately help build and redefine a business’ customer and partner relationships.
In a three-part White Paper series for ThingWorx, Machina Research looks at Enterprise IoT from the viewpoint of enterprises and develops a blueprint to guide enterprise executives to effectively address and make the most of this disruptive business and technology force.
The first paper in the series examines Enterprise IoT in closer detail through use cases that explain and illustrate some of the top IoT opportunities available for enterprises. One such case describes a connected “reefer”, or refrigerated shipping container. The paper explains that sensors embedded in the container are constantly monitoring its status, its surrounding environment and its contents, generating information for future analysis.
This information allows for transport companies to confirm the quality arrival of refrigerated products, or to take immediate action should temperatures rise or fall above desired levels, travel times be extended, or products are incorrectly handled. Near real-time information enables many business processes to be more responsive, with swift reaction times that can help companies recover from an adverse incident and still deliver a positive outcome.
Get the full white paper: “A new agenda item for enterprise executives: Enterprise IoT (Part 1 of 3)”
