Editor’s Note: With 2014 now upon us, RCR Wireless News has gathered predictions from leading industry analysts and executives on what they expect to see in the new year.
It’s the time of year when we reflect and prognosticate. 2013 was a fantastic year for the “Internet of things,” and 2014 will be better. What’s hot and what’s not for IoT in 2014:
Hot
1. The industrial Internet: Ok, it’s not sexy, but everyone deserves a little love. Connecting all those electro-mechanical devices in the industrial sectors will drive huge increases in productivity and cost savings. The industrial Internet is going to be a big area of development in 2014.
2. Creating a link between IT and OT functional areas: The need for IoT solutions are recognized by operations technology employees, but information technology employees must be involved in the selection and implementation process. Too often these two organizations – OT and IT – aren’t in sync so IoT projects are thwarted. Let’s change that in 2014.
3. IoT solutions for smaller sized businesses: Ninety-nine percent of the businesses in the world are small and medium-sized businesses. There are solutions – fleet management, security/surveillance, point-of-sale, building/energy management and others – that can be productized for smaller-sized businesses.
Not
1. Modules: I know they are an important part of an IoT solution, but being a necessary evil doesn’t mean you can make the “hot” list. We anticipate continued lack of differentiation from module manufacturers with ample product for just about all needs.
2. Partnerships without any sales potential: It never ceases to amaze me that partnerships happen when the channel-to-market between the two partners hasn’t been fully explored. In 2014, it’s time to kick those partners to the curb and move on.
3. Resellers without industry expertise: Gone are the days when a reseller, mobile virtual network operators or other selling partner could ignore the detailed needs of specific industry sectors or application requirements. Either have a tight game or leave the playing field.
Steve Hilton is the Managing Director at MachNation, the leading insight services firm for the “Internet of things,” “Internet of everything,” connected things, analytics and machine-to-machine. His primary areas of expertise include competitive positioning, marketing media development, cloud services, small and medium businesses and sales channels. Hilton has 20 years’ experience in technology and communications marketing. Prior to founding MachNation, he built and ran the IoT/M2M and Enterprise practice areas at Analysys Mason. He has also held senior positions at Yankee Group, Lucent Technologies, TDS (Telephone and Data Systems) and Cambridge Strategic Management Group. Hilton is a frequent speaker at industry and client events, and publishes articles and blogs in several respected trade journals. He holds a degree in economics from the University of Chicago and a Master’s degree in marketing from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
