News in the Channel - issue #24

INTERNET OF THINGS

Trends There are various trends among SMB customers for IoT devices currently. Mike Barron, managing director at SYNAXON UK, says that there has been interest in smart security devices and cameras from SMBs. “We’ve also seen more interest in smart management products – sensors that sense when people are present and enable you to control lighting and heating, for example,” he adds. “While it got off to a fairly slow start, this part of the market is certainly picking up now. There is a growing realisation that the products work and are quite easy to install and use – and that they help to reduce costs and save energy. Several of our partners have actively started taking smart systems to market and with some success.” Richard agrees, saying that physical security is one of the biggest trends Nebula has seen this year. “This covers a plethora of devices from video surveillance cameras through to vape sensors and door entry systems,” he says. “Following this demand Nebula has invested a significant amount of resource in becoming a global premier services partner for Verkada – a physical security emerging vendor, where we provide onsite services from surveys and installations through to ongoing maintenance.” Phil Huang, business development and field application manager at D-Link UKI, adds that there are two current dynamics influencing uptake of IoT. “The first is the evolution of the BYOD [bring your own device] movement,” he says. “While it used to be the case that employees used one or two devices for work – like their laptop and mobile – many today now use four or five devices including smartphones, tablets and wearables. The network must be able to accommodate those additional internet-connected devices. “The second shift we’re seeing across SMBs is an increase in the number of internet connected sensors, cameras or access control devices that are being added to the network. Those are usually installed to drive security, convenience and efficiency to ensure consistent quality or ensure effective energy management. “While both of those trends mean that the network infrastructure needs to have the capacity, coverage and security to support those devices, customers in the SMB space are even more budget conscious than, say, the corporate market.

“Therefore, they typically seek solutions that match value with performance, and D-Link’s range of switches and access points provides SMBs with the right solution that suits their current and future needs at a budget-friendly price point.” Efficiency gains IoT can have a positive effect on a business in terms of efficiency, and this is often a major selling point. “As IoT products are often built on cloud-based, AI-enabled platforms they provide a significant opportunity to drive efficiencies through the data that can be captured an analysed,” says Richard. “Whether that be managing power consumption, automating common tasks, providing proactive enhancements or monitoring performance.” Phil adds that IoT enabled devices help drive efficiency by providing real-time data and insights into business activities and processes. “This means decisions can be made on-the-fly, based on current data and status,” he says. “This can save money and the wrong decisions from being made based on out-of-date information. Furthermore, the data can be analysed to look for patterns that may predict future outcomes so they can be anticipated in advance and planned for.”

Kristian Torode director and co-founder

crystaline.uk

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There is a growing realisation that the products work and are quite easy to install and use – and that they help to reduce costs and save energy.

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Network management But the proliferation of IoT devices means SMB customers are facing a new challenge; how best to effectively and easily manage a network that now has significantly more endpoints, notes Phil. “That means that networks must accommodate the surge in devices without compromising performance, so SMB are seeking solutions that deliver enhanced capacity and coverage,” he says. “SMBs will also have to consider that, with more devices connected, the potential attack surface for cyber threats expands. Therefore, we expect to see growing demand for device

Mike Barron managing director

synaxon-services.com

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