Is it new?
IoT is not new, in fact it has been around for years and is an area of continued growth across almost every sector, as it can really be all things to all men.
But it needs to be simple enough to solve a problem (or many), powerful enough to scale with success and easy enough to do both of the latter. We all hear that anything is possible and in principle it absolutely is, but how do we navigate this minefield of possibilities to get to the promised land (a raft of working, life changing, valuable IoT services)?
Well, IoT still is your answer but there is still maybe one more hurdle to have to jump in how you move forward. Everyone wants something different, from the look and feel to the capability, and at every decision point is often a compromise. Also the capability of those using the system, their understanding of the many facets of how a system of this type even works. Then there is the literal value it creates because pretty graphs butter no parsnips (I feel like a more technology driven proverb might have landed better there). The final challenge of course is that we all want something different to power our unique business and its challenges.
So how about productised IoT as the answer?
Taking this approach means you could be running a POC (proof of concept) of your idea in no time at all, maybe even a week or two. It offers a simple way to trial without error, in that you try, iterate, try, iterate, try at almost zero cost of time and money. It tells you what you didn’t know you liked or didn’t like. It is very much like the days when you gave a kid a bucket of Lego and they built something, or just tore it down halfway when they realised it didn’t fit and then went again.
It really follows the agile way of working rather than a long, process driven (and potentially debilitating) strategy that might fail from the outset. If you can list the processes or services you wish to create, productised IoT is perfect. If you only want to do one thing, you aren’t trying hard enough, or you just don’t know about the others that compliment it yet!
Maybe a real life example below will help.
The FM company install a new emergency lighting system and use AssetBook as they want to visualise, monitor and report (alongside other systems already unified). Any and every service offered could be as below, unified and within one pane of glass view.
The services become more user friendly, efficient and valuable but below we drill into the wider picture.
Building the above example is where productised IoT is so powerful. Use clever building blocks to create your own system. Add to it as you want to use more technology or amend it to generate new automations or reports. Really elevate your business in terms of service, transparency and quality. Take out manual process to avoid bottlenecks or human error and generate new revenue streams for your business.
Will I need a ton of technology to do this?
Well, yes and no (but mainly no). The real power of productised IoT is in the software. An IoT software can often run a set of predetermined devices in a certain way, allowing a user to create a service or system they can operate. It may also have the ability to use an API (or Application Programming Interface) to either pull or push information to or from other systems in a limited way. The upside is easily productised IoT, the downside is often the siloed approach that means many systems operating in a disparate way without any visibility or dependency.
Is it really that fast?
Yes, it is. The power of the software makes easy work of the tasks and the architecture of many systems allow for a modular approach to solutions. There will be maybe a few limitations and frustrations but the learning curve and speed to market will be worth it alone. You often can’t know what you don’t want until you know what you want? Using available hardware (devices, gateways etc) it really can be simple to create a POC for you or your client. You can try to report, remotely access, monitor and debug while your system is in a safe and professional environment. As you develop you may find you want to move on from purely productised IoT and create new devices that work specifically in your market, or build more complex services to bring further revenues or set your business apart on service.
Ask us about AssetBook and the power we can bring to your productised IoT journey and beyond. No silos, no borders and no restraints on devices, hardware or other dependent systems you wish to unify.
Ask us about AssetBook and the power we can bring to your productised IoT journey and beyond. No silos, no borders and no restraints on devices, hardware or other dependent systems you wish to unify.