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  • Author Author: rscasny
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What Phase of IoT Are We In?

I recently attended an IoT conference where Sameer Sharma, General Manager, IOT Solutions at Intel, described The Three Phases of the Internet of Things, in the following way:

 

  • Connected: The first phase is about connecting the unconnected. 85 percent of assets being utilized today are not connected, and therefore can’t be digitally monitored, maintained, or upgraded.

 

  • Smart: The second phase is about making devices and networks smarter – more intelligent.  This enables raw data to be transformed into events or actions that are meaningful, whether that’s predicting when a tool is about to fail, or optimizing the supply chain.

 

  • Autonomous: The third phase, perhaps the most interesting, is when work flows and processes become more software defined and autonomous.  This will allow the world to move at the speed of software.  An example is the way Tesla can change features in cars in the field with software updates.

 

As I heard him speak, I thought it was a useful way to understand the progression of IoT. But there seems to be some cross over between them.

 

So, what phase do you think we are primarily in right now?

 

Please vote or add a comment below.

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  • I agree with Rod, from what I can tell, it seems that different businesses/industries/verticals are in different phases. "Software defined" is definitely occurring in some areas - as Rod says, we see this traction pioneered in universities, and now businesses want it, for the flexibility, ease of use, low cost, scalability, etc.. It means there is little risk trying new things, and if it doesn't work, the solution can be changed without ripping out equipment. Amazon and others are providing the tools to help do this too, at speeds measured in milliseconds nowadays - before it took hours, then 10+ minutes to deploy a solution (e.g. deploying virtual machines) but nowadays there are instant-on options to scale and move at the speed of software as you say.

     

    Some of the things that needed to be solved with IoT, like how to deploy thousands of devices securely and configure remotely, are now resolved in a lot of industries. Retail is one example, where things like gateways can be deployed in each site, with zero config, and they will power up and securely update and download their unique configurations.

    Some firms are making good progress with the first two phases, building out solutions that they can offer to their customers as "value-add", so that they can proactively monitor equipment, and let the customer know when a system needs servicing. Some stuff is very industry-specific, with machines costing huge sums, such as parts of a ship engine room etc. Another example I heard of (there is an IoT meet-up in the town next to mine every few months, I try to attend) concerned construction projects; apparently when building roads and things, hundreds or thousands of sensors can be deployed, to monitor the vast area during the construction phase and to do that they use an IoT solution.

     

    It's nice to see that most businesses are along these phases and also that surprisingly many businesses have been very open to sharing their journey so that others can learn from their experiences too.

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  • I agree with Rod, from what I can tell, it seems that different businesses/industries/verticals are in different phases. "Software defined" is definitely occurring in some areas - as Rod says, we see this traction pioneered in universities, and now businesses want it, for the flexibility, ease of use, low cost, scalability, etc.. It means there is little risk trying new things, and if it doesn't work, the solution can be changed without ripping out equipment. Amazon and others are providing the tools to help do this too, at speeds measured in milliseconds nowadays - before it took hours, then 10+ minutes to deploy a solution (e.g. deploying virtual machines) but nowadays there are instant-on options to scale and move at the speed of software as you say.

     

    Some of the things that needed to be solved with IoT, like how to deploy thousands of devices securely and configure remotely, are now resolved in a lot of industries. Retail is one example, where things like gateways can be deployed in each site, with zero config, and they will power up and securely update and download their unique configurations.

    Some firms are making good progress with the first two phases, building out solutions that they can offer to their customers as "value-add", so that they can proactively monitor equipment, and let the customer know when a system needs servicing. Some stuff is very industry-specific, with machines costing huge sums, such as parts of a ship engine room etc. Another example I heard of (there is an IoT meet-up in the town next to mine every few months, I try to attend) concerned construction projects; apparently when building roads and things, hundreds or thousands of sensors can be deployed, to monitor the vast area during the construction phase and to do that they use an IoT solution.

     

    It's nice to see that most businesses are along these phases and also that surprisingly many businesses have been very open to sharing their journey so that others can learn from their experiences too.

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