Internet Of Things: Hype Or Opportunity For Resellers?
By Allen Proithis, President and Founder of wot.io
With the emergence of a new technology, hype often precedes true value. This fact could not be any more apparent than in the case of the Internet of Things (IoT). However, despite the hype, the opportunity offered by IoT is real. With myriad solutions available and no centralized distribution method or recognized central authority, the industry is ripe for resellers looking to bring order to the chaos.
In a lot of ways, the current IoT hype is reminiscent of the 1960s, when everyone waking up to what a computer was started talking about flying cars and robot dogs. That’s the kind of hyperbole that is present in IoT today, especially in the consumer space where 90+ percent of the ideas discussed will not exist in the next few years. The core issue is that there is no clear definition of how to translate the ideas into revenue yet. If a reseller tries to make money on the hardware, they’ll price themselves outside of the market. Even if they focus on services, they will struggle to couple those with differentiation and scale.
The initial IoT hype has focused on the consumer market, but the opportunity for innovation and revenue lays elsewhere. The true potential for resellers and solution providers in the Internet of Things revolves around smart cities, the industrial Internet, and enterprise-focused solutions.
Smart Cities
The typical American city can benefit immensely from IoT. Even the most basic forms of measurement quickly reveal the inefficiency of current infrastructure by monitoring data collected from logistical processes within the city. For example, one midsized city found upwards of a third of its total water supply was not making it to the city, and another third was lost before it got to the tap. This sort of waste is unacceptable in our modern times, and the Internet of Things can help.
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