IOT FOR SMBS
The shape of things Small- and medium-sized businesses are increasingly turning to IoT devices to help improve efficiency, reduce costs and improve competitiveness and this means there are plenty of opportunities for resellers.
For many small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), times are tough with a moribund economy and strong competition from others meaning that many are seeking ways to improve their competitiveness and reduce costs, and increasing numbers are turning to IoT solutions to help achieve that. “IoT solutions, from smart sensors and energy monitoring systems to connected security devices, are increasingly seen as practical enablers of automation and data- driven decision-making,” says Markus Rex, general manager – SYNAXON Services. “Falling hardware costs and simplified deployment models are lowering the entry barriers for SMBs.” Keith Kakadia, CEO of Sociallyin, agrees that utilisation of IoT devices is increasing. “Simple tools, like sensors that track stock or cut down on energy use, make everyday tasks a lot easier,” he says. Lawrence Dudley, co-founder and director of IoT and technology at Parallax, notes that
connected devices are getting cheaper and easier to use as well as more application specific. “You can buy a GPS tracker for £40 or a fill level sensor for £30,” he says. “There’s just a lot of applications where adding a bit of task-specific technology makes people’s lives easier. “We’re also seeing a spillover of smart home technology into commercial uses where prosumers are coming to work and seeing problems that they’ve already solved in their homes and applying that technology with some tweaks to solve business problems.” Trends While demand is growing, there are certain solutions that are driving the uptick. “The desire for greater efficiency and sustainability makes energy monitoring and predictive maintenance solutions appealing, and smart building systems are becoming a typical entry point into IoT,” says Markus.
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We’re also seeing a spillover of smart home technology into commercial uses where prosumers are coming to work and seeing problems that they’ve already solved in their homes and applying that technology with some tweaks to solve business problems.
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