IoT has proved its mettle. The ability to connect hardware with software and extract data that gives vital insights into key operational processes for industries and enterprises is priceless. The contribution that IoT has brought to the software domain cannot be discounted or overlooked. IoT has clearly created its mark, and its here to stay. But why is it that many companies are still shying away from incorporating IoT into their daily operational functions? What is holding them back?
There’s a saying “All things are difficult, before they become easy.” And that’s the case with many enterprises who are yet to step into the new world of IoT technologies. The key is in taking things slowly; gaining knowledge, building skilled resources and expertise in this field, building experience by trying small proof of concepts, failing as many times as possible and learning from those failures, till you’re confident and ready to make the transformation.
We look at some of the companies that have pioneered the use of IoT to take their companies’ capabilities further, and how they’re benefiting from this decision today:
Automobile Industry:
Dailmer, manufacturer of some of the most notable automobiles brands like Mercedes, Maybach, Smart and Freightliner wanted to use IoT to provide more intelligent services to its customers. They partnered with IBM to create a smart IoT driven car service called Car2Go. An on-demand fleet of eco-friendly, smart vehicles that can be booked through an app. The sensors and wireless communication allow the company to track the performance of each vehicle, how many kilometres its been driven, the route that it has travelled to analyse and improve efficiency of the vehicles. So that customers can book them on-demand or for a future time when they need it. This allows customers to have access to cars as per their requirement, without having to invest heavily in buying and maintaining a vehicle of their own.
Shipping Industry:
Ericcson Meritime ICT is another good example of the use of IoT technology to solve a problem that has been integral to the import export business integral to the shipping industry. While ships have been the go-to medium to transport large amounts of cargo across continents, it’s also the most risky. With large amounts of cargo worth millions travelling for long distances over several months, it can be really stressful for all parties involved. Ericcson’s Meritime ICT uses the cloud to transfer data related to individual operational activities, right from monitoring the route, to the refrigerator temperature on-board, the employee duty tracking and other vital activities that ensure the cargo is safe and the people involved are working in tandem to ensure safe delivery of the packages.
Real Estate Industry:
Silverstein properties, one of the leading real estate builders of America learnt its biggest lesson from the Hurricane Sandy that left almost 24 states in massive damage, including the big cities of New Jersey and New York. They used this as an opportunity to implement a combination of mobile and IoT technologies that would allow tenants to raise the alarm in case of anything unusual, this technology also enabled emergency-alarm system, portal to raise tickets for maintenance and overall the ability to monitor complete buildings. They are also able to track the use of electricity, food and other utilities, allowing them to decipher data to bring in maximum efficiency and reduce wastage of any kind. Silverstein is one of the few real estate players to have successfully implemented the use of IoT in their properties, and they’re seeing multiple gains in the field.
Many companies are apprehensive about how to go about incorporating IoT into the system. The best solution would be to start with a proof of concept, maybe one division of a particular department or one set of activities within a team. You can partner with IoTWorks by HCL, Losant, SogetiLabs, Anykey , happiestminds and other IoT experts to help you identify the easiest way to do an IoT proof of concept for your firm.