M2M/IoT
IoT Ahead
According to IDC we are now starting
Partners are starting to wake up to the opportunity in IoT but they tend to be the exception and not the rule. The
IoT supplier community have developed some interesting solutions for partners to make the step into IoT an easier
one. Despite all this, there is only one thing that matters … if your customers are asking for this type of technology
then why aren’t you supplying it?
to see the connected devices landscape
ramp up and by 2025, more than a
quarter of data created globally will
be real-time IoT data created by devices and
sensors. Connected solutions are becoming the
standard in a large percentage of businesses.
Automation of process, seamless data
transmission, monitoring, controlling and
measuring assets, people and products remotely
is delivering return on investment every day.
Current estimates project that by 2020,
50.1 billion ‘things’ will be connected and/or
have some level of intelligence. is modern
Internet of ings (IoT) is expected to have
massive economic impact, with the McKinsey
Global Institute anticipating $11 trillion in
global economic value-add by 2025.
e Internet of ings ecosystem is made
of four main parts. Hardware encompasses
everything from the newly connected devices
to the networks and servers needed to support
operations. Software includes all applications
that access or control these connected systems,
and those applications can come from a
variety of providers. Rules and standards will
be needed in order to realise the true potential
of the technology. Finally, services will be laid
on top of this complex landscape to provide
value for a broad range of companies.
The Approach
For channel players who haven’t leapt yet,
a stepping stone into a lite environment is
recommended. Here it’s about identifying
opportunities and then bringing in IoT
connectivity partners to help quote and deliver
under a revenue share agreement.
When channel partners become more
involved in the sale and technical process, ie.
Heavy touch, their own sales teams would
usually front the opportunity, identify the
need and scope out the entire communication
requirement. is is where trained and skilled
resource is necessary at partner level.
True end-to-end solutions should support
the whole life cycle of IoT, and successful
solutions pull from an ecosystem of
connectivity, applications, hardware, analytics,
and devices. Providing that might seem
daunting, but it’s key to note that you don’t
have to do all the heavy lifting.
Whether you go in heavy or lite most
partners will take either a vertical or horizontal
approach depending on their current o ering.
Specialising in a particular vertical has its
DID YOU KNOW?
As the healthcare market continues to
aggressively pursue technology to improve
patient care, the IoT healthcare opportunity
is estimated to be $163.24 billion by 2020.
advantages if you are already well established
in a sector. is lends itself to providing full
service, end-to-end solutions in one industry.
Alternatively providing one product across
many industries, such as connectivity or
backup, manufacturing devices, hosting a
platform, or providing analytics will have a
place in many di erent sectors.
According to Bernie McPhillips, Sales
Director at Pangea “IoT usually functions best
as an ecosystem, and ends up with partners
working as a consortium to provide the
individual components of a solution they’re
brilliant at, eventually creating an end-to-end
solution for an end-user. A ‘greater than the
sum of its parts’ type of deal.”
ED SAYS…
By accessing an established IoT ecosystem partners will save themselves a
lot of headache. Don’t underestimate what a good relationship with multiple
providers can do for you in IoT. Often partners will fi nd themselves selling a
small piece of the IoT solution but in an ecosystem there is more opportunity
to become confi dent in providing more of the value chain.
62 | Channel Profi les 2019 www..ccoommssbbuussiinneessss..ccoo..uukk
/www..ccoommssbbuussiinneessss..ccoo..uukk