15 Jul 2014
2 MINS READ
Just like with every new technology introduction, there’s a lot of buzz about Internet of Things or IoT. Several organizations are referring to it using different terms – Cisco uses ‘Internet of Everything’, IBM uses ‘Smart Planet’, GE uses ‘Industrial Internet’ and some others call it the ‘Cyber-Physical Systems’. All terms refer to the idea of using the internet to connect physical objects, thus extending the connectivity from people and organizations to the physical objects that are used by these people & organizations. These physical objects include the ones that are already connected – computers, phones, tablets and so on – but also the ones that are not connected today – home appliances, personal objects, factory machines, finished or unfinished goods.
IoT has a lot of impact on individuals and organizations alike. And a lot is being done on both fronts. However, the approach in both cases needs to be different because of the different needs of each. If we look from the perspective of organizations, the modern world has witnessed 3 industrial revolutions so far – starting with the Steam Engine around the 1800s, Electricity around 1900s and Information Technology around 1970s. IoT could very well be the 4th industrial revolution that would transform the industries and the world.
A very important point to keep in mind is the fact that each of these inventions (steam engine, electricity & IT) needed a lot of other things to fall in place for them to bring in the revolution. For instance, after the invention of electricity, it took a lot of time for industries to let go of their investments in the steam engine and the huge rooms that housed them. I call this phenomenon the “Law of Peripherals”, which suggests that an invention needs a lot of peripheral people, processes & technologies to change in order to be effective.
IoT is a new concept and applying the Law of Peripherals, it’ll take some time before it becomes completely effective (an argument can be made that the total duration for IoT to be effective will be much lesser than that for steam engine). Having said that, organizations should start thinking and talking about it. Most of the clients that I work with are either manufacturers or retailers. Each of them seems to be hearing & thinking about IoT. However, very few seem to have a strategy or a roadmap in place. Some of them, especially the retailers and consumer goods manufacturers, do have point solutions that use IoT.
To have an effective IoT strategy, an organization will need a lot of players – hardware providers (for the sensors & actuators), software providers (for the protocols & platforms), infrastructure providers (wireless, wired or mobile) and business process designers (mostly internal to the organization, but in some cases also external consultants). Most importantly, they’ll need an “IoT Integrator” who can put all these business, process and technology together and help integrate with the existing process & systems. And as the variety of the hardware, software & infrastructure increases with variations in business processes, the role of the IoT Integrator will be very critical in determining the success of the IoT strategy.
About the Author: Kejal Shah is a technology enthusiast and an avid blogger. He runs Hexaware’s Manufacturing & Retail industry vertical in BeNeLux & Nordics. He can be followed on Twitter @sanedevil and on LinkedIn
About the Author
Kejal Shah is a technology enthusiast and an avid blogger. He runs Hexaware’s Manufacturing & Retail industry vertical in BeNeLux & Nordics. He can be followed on Twitter @sanedevil and on LinkedIn
Manufacturing and Consumer
14 Apr 2020
27 Sep 2018
14 Mar 2018
07 Oct 2015
18 Jul 2014
30 Jun 2014
26 Jun 2014
Enterprise Solutions, Manufacturing and Consumer
31 Jan 2014
03 Jan 2014
28 Nov 2013
BI & Analytics
19 Mar 2009
26 Nov 2010
Digital Assurance
02 Jan 2012
17 Feb 2012
Infrastructure Mgmt. Services
02 Mar 2012
03 Jan 2013
04 Feb 2013
06 Feb 2013
Digital Assurance, Enterprise Solutions
14 Feb 2013
18 Feb 2013
21 Feb 2013
27 Feb 2013
Others
01 Mar 2013
04 Mar 2013
Enterprise Solutions
05 Mar 2013
18 Mar 2013
Digital Assurance, Enterprise Solutions, Others
22 Mar 2013
12 Apr 2013
26 Apr 2013
29 Apr 2013
13 May 2013
11 Jun 2013
17 Jun 2013
25 Jun 2013
19 Aug 2013
26 Aug 2013
27 Aug 2013
03 Sep 2013
10 Sep 2013
19 Sep 2013
24 Sep 2013
26 Sep 2013
30 Sep 2013
01 Oct 2013
03 Oct 2013
01 Nov 2013
19 Nov 2013
03 Dec 2013
20 Dec 2013
22 Jan 2014
27 Jan 2014
12 Feb 2014
13 Feb 2014
20 Mar 2014
24 Mar 2014
17 Apr 2014
11 Jun 2014
10 Jul 2014
16 Jul 2014
28 Oct 2014
13 Jul 2015
06 Aug 2015
26 Aug 2015
28 Sep 2015
26 Oct 2015
07 Mar 2016
22 Mar 2016
13 May 2016
23 May 2016
Application Transformation Mgmt.
11 Jul 2016
25 Aug 2016
03 Sep 2016
14 Sep 2016
15 Nov 2016
22 Nov 2016
25 Nov 2016
Business Process Services
25 Apr 2017
Banking and Financial Services
18 May 2017
30 May 2017
23 Jun 2017
27 Jun 2017
18 Jul 2017
26 Oct 2017
Healthcare, Insurance
28 Nov 2017
11 Dec 2017
25 Jan 2018
21 Feb 2018
( Mandatory field * )
The information you provide will be used in accordance with our terms ofPrivacy Policy
Please Check on "I Agree" to register for the blog.