The Internet of Things:

Harnessing the Power

of an Ever-Connected
Enterprise
may 2015 Market Report

In A ssociation with Exclusive Partner:

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The Internet of Things: Harnessing the

Power of an Ever-Connected Enterprise

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The next monumental phase of technology could arrive sooner than expected, with the internet of things (IoT), and
the myriad of connected devices generating significant interest among enterprises throughout a diverse range
of industries.
The potential benefits of bringing IoT, along with wearables, sensors, beacons and other powerful solutions into
the workplace is raising interest with the majority of organisations. Despite mixed opinions regarding the substance
behind this expected influx into businesses globally, IoT could soon become a universally recognised force within
the space.
This report will discuss which industries are set to gain the most from IoT, which use cases may be the most innovative,
and how business leaders can strategically move towards an ever-connected enterprise landscape.

About the Author

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Emerging Landscape

Page 3

IoT Solutions Page 4

Challenges for the Enterprise

Page 4

Inherent Benefits

Page 5

Thinking Vertically

Page 7

Conclusion Page 8
Sponsor Spotlight

Robbie Westacott, Editor of the

Enterprise Mobility Exchange, graduated
from Loughborough University, with a
BA (Hons) in Publishing & English. Upon
leaving university, he gained valuable
experience in copywriting, editing and
online journalism through a number
of different opportunities. Robbie is an ambitious and
enthusiastic writer, focused on covering all aspects of
enterprise mobility.

Page 10

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The Internet of Things: Harnessing the

Power of an Ever-Connected Enterprise

Introduction
The internet of things, or IoT, has become an
extremely popular buzzword among anyone interested
in technology both consumer and enterprise in
recent years. When considered simply, this virtual layer
of connectivity which covers a seemingly unlimited
number of physical objects, through embedded
software and sensors, and allows them all to
communicate with each other independent of human
interaction, is a fascinating concept.
With that said, this should not be considered just
another trend, as it is quickly becoming essential for
businesses striving to remain competitive to embrace
IoT, not only to keep up with rival companies, but with
increasingly fickle consumer attitudes as well.
As with the adoption of mobile apps before it, enterprises
that are not preparing a robust IoT strategy, whether it
be through the deployment of wearable devices or the
re-engineering of automated business processes, risk
losing their position in the market.
As a result, businesses, albeit still a minority of
businesses at this stage, have already begun to find
ways of using IoT as a catalyst for unique improvements
to the efficiency of their operations, and are beginning
to experience reductions in the cost of producing
goods and services for their customers.
Some of the most prominent areas that IoT is
already playing an important role in todays business
ecosystem includes restaurants, healthcare, shipping
and manufacturing, to name a few.
However, the possibilities are almost endless, and the
adoption of IoT in the enterprise space is growing at
a rapid pace, from aviation to retail, now being used in
obscure settings such as public waste bins, building
maintenance and even to connect entire cities.
We anticipate continued developments in IoT
technologies, and as more and more IoT solutions
are adopted in the professional environment, we
will see continued improvements in productivity,

and thus products and services will continue

to see costs decline. This will also translate to
better products, with improved reliability, and
better services being delivered to consumers,
said Godfrey Chua, Principal Analyst, Machina
Research.

emerging landscape
Many manufacturers of IoT hardware and some of
the larger solutions providers have thus far been
approaching IoT from their own perspective, and
positioning the developing market for solutions in a way
that will primarily benefit their existing areas of expertise.
While understandable, this could prove to be a
misguided strategy in the long-term, as one of the most
important factors which will decide how and when
the full potential of IoT is realised, is that the collective
approach to the technology comes from the point of
view of the users.
For example, the growing ecosystem of massconnectivity will need technology giants such as Apple
and Google, who are expected to have a significant role
to play in the field of IoT, to embrace this potential next
frontier in technology innovation side-by-side, rather
than in competition. This is because IoT could be in
danger of struggling to realise its full potential among
organisations, if the devices and sensors which will
support it are limited to closed platforms and exclusive
to just one operating system.
The marketplace for enterprise use of IoT and machineto-machine (M2M) technologies will need guidance and
support from solution providers over the coming years,
as the space explodes into life. Connected devices,
like the first smartphones before them, will have an
immeasurable impact for companies by helping to solve
long-standing business problems and evolve missioncritical processes.
In order for this positive impact to be maximised,
planning and development of solutions must be carefully
executed from the angle of how they can best serve the

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The Internet of Things: Harnessing the

Power of an Ever-Connected Enterprise
needs of the users, and enterprises must be aware of
this when strategically adopting their chosen iterations
of technology to deploy throughout their workforces.
As many different verticals begin to embrace the
proliferation of connected devices, with different
business drivers and a myriad of different use cases, IT
professionals need to look at it from their organisations
point of view, determining how M2M solutions can
benefit their employees, and how to leverage IoT to
fundamentally improve operational performance across
the board.

iot solutions
Perhaps the main reason that IoT is now almost
synonymous with words such as immeasurable,
limitless and other like-minded superlatives, is because
of the vast umbrella it casts over so many different
classes and types of technology, in so many different
ways.

We need to move to a space where we have a

mechanic who is being treated more like a surgeon
in an operating theatre, where they dont need to
think about where are their forceps and where are
their gauze, but where he can hold his hand out and
IT is able to notify them of the tool they need at any
given time, and pass the tool directly into their hand
at the exact moment they require it.

challenges for the

enterprise
Despite projections that the market for total IoT revenues
(including M2M) could reach as much as $4.3trillion
by 2024, according to Machina Research, enterprises
could face many obstacles and challenges in achieving
that staggering level of growth.
Despite some issues that the consumer market is
experiencing, such as the cumbersome and unattractive
form factor of wearable devices, organisations are
challenged by problems ranging from a lack of broader
application appeal, technology costs, ergonomic design,
worker safety and business-wide
acceptance.

Currently, the majority of existing mobile technologies

and devices contribute towards IoT, including
smartphones, mobile apps,
wearable devices, beacons,
IoT revenues (including
sensors, and even data collection
devices
that
mainstream
M2M) could reach as
consumers wouldnt be familiar
much as $4.3 trillion by
with.

Perhaps
most
importantly,
as with the introduction of
mobility in the form of apps
and smartphones, the influx
2024, according to
The task at hand for many
of IoT and connected devices
Machina Research
enterprises is identifying the use
into the enterprise will raise
cases and business workflows
many questions of existing
where IoT can be introduced, to make valuable additions security systems and infrastructure. Security has been
and positive transformations to achieve goals faster, identified as the most significant challenge in this area,
easier and cheaper.
as organisations will need to increase their efforts even
Dr. Brian Laughlin, Technical Fellow for Architecture further to protect corporate assets, information and
and Strategic Planning, The Boeing Company, data being accessed by so many different things.
commented at the Enterprise Mobility Exchange,
One of the really interesting features IoT brings to
us is being able to provide context for people that
are actually building our aircrafts. Largely in the
past, we have not been very assistive; IT doesnt
really matter a lot to people on the shop floor.

Consequently, IoT should be approached meticulously

with caution and care regarding security strategies, and
measures should be taken to ensure the appropriate
levels of defence are in place against potential
vulnerabilities.

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The Internet of Things: Harnessing the

Power of an Ever-Connected Enterprise
With so much communication occurring between
devices and back-end systems, security incidents
will happen. Godfrey Chua points out that security in
IoT must be ubiquitous and consistent throughout all
solutions, comprising device, protocol, processing,
cloud services and every other necessary factor. This
must also be proportionate, and should lead to a focus
on end-to-end security, rather than simply securing
each horizontal element, which will be a reassuring
method to take with IoT security.
Linking disparate IoT solutions is challenging and
adds a layer of complexity that enterprises are
reluctant to take on. To be sure, they are looking to
their key technology partners to help in reducing
this complexity. Godfrey Chua, Principal Analyst,
Machina Research
Furthermore, the complexity of the solutions will likely
present difficulties for many organisations. This wont
derive directly from specific or individual solutions
themselves, but rather the fact that a multitude of IoT
solutions will be in constant communication to help a
business achieve its strategic objectives.
Again, this is another indication that IT departments
must be aware of the inherent needs of the business
when introducing solutions, and look to their key
technology partners for help and support in reducing
this complexity.
From an adoption stand point, in environments such
as utilities, manufacturing and field-based industries,
business leaders are faced with the challenge of having
to accommodate older workforces that are traditionally
resistant to technology.

new employees into difficult teams and job functions.

Mechanics or engineers that are inexperienced can
use IoT to gain the experience of 20 years in an
instant, by using these powerful solutions to leverage
the information and data they need in real-time, and
accelerate their learning on the spot, whilst completing
difficult tasks.
A less tangible obstacle which may prevent many
enterprises from being able to capitalise on such
opportunities is the aversion to taking risks with
investment. Senior decision makers within businesses
are traditionally held back by the fear of failure,
something that limits many business strategies in the
area of innovation. Testing and rolling out IoT solutions,
along with the adjustment to business processes which
would follow in many cases, could be stalled by a
hesitance from senior leadership, but mistakes should
not be used as an excuse not to innovate.
Organisations must be prepared to tolerate failure
when implementing technologies such as IoT, M2M
and the endless connected devices which are involved;
otherwise they will find themselves scrambling to make
up impossible ground on their more forward-thinking
competitors.
In this case, it is important to remember that investments
should seek out solutions with integrity and quality, but
crucially with scalability and the practical relevance
to make genuine improvements to their business
processes and employees working capabilities.

inherent benefits

As with all technology, the clearest and most simple yet

most valuable benefit is the time which can be saved
by putting it to use. IoT is set to accelerate the channels
through which organisations can achieve these timesaving benefits such
as efficiencies and
8.5% increase in productivity
productivity.

Organisations must place the appropriate training

within the deployment process and work with their
employees along the way to ensure solutions such as
wearable computers are adding value to workflows that
have often been around longer than
mobile technologies.
It is also notable that the ability to
have these solutions at the point
of use, and time of need, can be
transformative in the assimilation of

among 80 workers who used

wearable devices for a range of
work-based tasks

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For example, 2014

research entitled the
Human Cloud at Work
(HCAW), conducted

The Internet of Things: Harnessing the

Power of an Ever-Connected Enterprise

Other factors which were analysed in this particular

research were employee safety and job satisfaction,
revealing that over the course of the study, the job
satisfaction levels of the workers rose by 3.5% due to the
influence of wearables.
David Krebs, Executive Vice President, VDC
Research has also noted telling evidence of these
benefits. For example, organisations deploying
wearable solutions for voice-directed picking
applications in warehouses have recorded at least a
10% improvement in worker productivity, and a 10%
improvement in accuracy.
Where mobile phones and tablet computers are not
practical for hands-on tasks, wearable devices such
as smartglasses can deliver the information necessary
to workers in these scenarios, enabling more accurate
performances for employees that need to work with
their hands whilst putting complex procedures into
practise.
Equipped with virtually any required information or data
delivered by the IoT, in highly responsive and intuitive
user interfaces, will allow wearable technology to
impact the enterprise with large boosts in employee
productivity, which is firmly at the top of many
organisations prioritised results from their investments
in mobility.
From these efficiencies and higher levels of productivity
within an enterprise, a natural development of
other advantages will promptly and organically
emerge, refining services, improving line of business
performances and generating larger revenues. It is here
that organisations that take risks in their adoption of
innovative M2M technologies will gain a telling ROI.
Another significant advantage for organisations that
implement IoT lies in its pervasive, intuitive, predictive
capabilities to sculpt data into valuable patterns and
actions within the most important of workflows. This

creates impactful differentiators within business

processes that were never before possible with unassisted employees.
IoT can allow organisations to take analytics from
connected devices such as beacons, sensors and
wearables, and use them to dissect the data stored in the
cloud and other software infrastructures. For example,
the ability to have specific individual parts of a machine
report on their own condition in real-time presents
opportunities for maintenance and preservation on
hardware which could save organisations millions in
costs.
5.

IoT (and M2M) revenues USD Tn

by a team from Goldsmiths University of London,

discovered an 8.5% increase in productivity among 80
workers who used wearable devices for a range of workbased tasks over a three week testing period.

4.

3.

2.

1.

2014

2024

Device

Installation

Connectivity

M2M services

Platforms & Middleware

Applications

Data monetisation &

IoT services

Systems integration
& strategy

IoT revenues (including M2M), USD trillion, 2014

and 2024 Source: Machina Research, 2015
Enterprises should also identify opportunities for
insight into customer behaviour within their strategy for
leveraging these solutions. In addition to the

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The Internet of Things: Harnessing the

Power of an Ever-Connected Enterprise
aforementioned
operational
benefits
internally,
connected devices and IoT applications can act
as extremely perceptive tools for measuring and
understanding
consumer
behavioural
patterns,
allowing business leaders to reactively hone their user
engagement initiatives to maximise their relationships
with customers.

Emergency Services Wearable

cameras protect policemen and act
as recording devices for crimes which
occur, connected devices can then
analyse the live feed and can identify
offenders and provide police with up-todate information.

Again, drawing on the notion that strategies for

implementing IoT should be approached with a userfirst mentality, organisations can put advanced solutions
into place to provide services, then collect reports on
their success, to fully grasp what it is their customers
want, when and where they want it and how to give it to
them invaluable data to possess when attempting to
achieve customer satisfaction.

Healthcare Patient care is improved

by each care giver receiving automated
notifications fed directly from the
monitors of each patient under their
remit, prioritising each one by accurate
measurements of health and identifying
emergencies immediately.

Most importantly, in order for enterprises to take

advantage of the true potential of IoT, the strategy
must be fully embraced throughout the organisation,
allowing deployments to augment and transform the
conventional processes which businesses depend on.
Just as mobility has engulfed everyday life for so many
people, IoT will only realise its impact on the workplace if
organisations allow it to disrupt workflows to streamline
the entire business.

thinking vertically
Already a strong presence in industries such as retail,
manufacturing, healthcare, transportation and logistics,
and many field-based sectors, IoT is often analysed
vertically, based on its capacity to accelerate key
operational processes.
In terms of where the greatest opportunities for IoT lie,
there is no single industry which wont be touched by
these technologies, as the creativity and innovation
which are inherent in the available solutions will be
capable of propelling even the most basic and common
of business use cases.
Of course, IoT will be more applicable to some companies
and verticals than others, with the augmentation of
manual processes and technical field-based work
generally more transformative to a workers objectives
than for office-based employees.

Field Services Field technicians wear

connected glasses which can access
relevant data needed in real-time, giving
them step-by-step instructions for added
safety, accuracy and efficiency.
Restaurants and Bars Notifications
can be delivered to table staff, between
a device on customer tables and a
wearable device, alerting for another
order, such as a round of drinks, and
metrics are automatically delivered to
the areas of the restaurant that need the
most attention.
Factories Informing someone that
there are failures in manufacturing lines,
etc. to allow the correct type of service
technician to be immediately deployed
and fully equipped to solve the problem.
Retail Shelves in stores will be able to
become aware of what items they stock,
display changing prices and offers to
customers, automatically alert the stock
room staff of when the products are
running low, and automatically order
new shipments through sensors and
connectivity.

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The Internet of Things: Harnessing the

Power of an Ever-Connected Enterprise
However, adoption will be extremely influential
everywhere, and will only take time to be adopted
universally. It is possible though, that the use cases
which can be disrupted to the greatest effect have not
yet revealed themselves fully.

Taking this into account alongside more dynamic

solutions such as wearable devices, beacons, locationbased services and so on, IoT is clearly playing a
prominent role in how organisations globally are evolving
their business strategies to leverage technology.

The variety of business processes that will nurture the In essence, the connectivity and open communication
success of IoT in these industries already exist, it is simply of IoT is enabling mobility to function, and is gradually
the case that employees traditionally complete them gaining recognition as the focus for how enterprises
with paper, pens or even tools
can take the next step in
like tablets. Therefore, it should
terms of their technological
The key to success for any
be obvious, in many cases, where
advancement. As a result,
technology investments can
it is becoming abundantly
business looking to leverage
make improvements to speed,
clear that what the future
IoT is not in the connected
safety, and other mission-critical
holds for IoT in the enterprise
devices themselves, but
areas.
is growth and eventual
rather through leveraging the
widespread adoption on a
What this means for organisations
intelligence which is made
worldwide scale, as reiterated
is that when IoT is adopted, the
by Machina Research.
available
by
those
devices.
way that jobs are done wont
change, but more help will be
The promise of IoT for global
provided to workers through the data, analytics and business strategies and workflows is immense when
interaction with information that these devices provide. considering the benefits, in terms of real-time situational
intelligence at the point of interaction for all employees.
Most importantly, users want these changes to happen, The key to success for any business looking to leverage
and will drive these improvements themselves, as this IoT is not in the connected devices themselves, but
data delivered in the right context has the power to turn rather through leveraging the intelligence which is
the most ordinary workers into excellent employees. The made available by those devices.
challenge is that the device form factors are unfamiliar
to most people, which raises concerns about learning to Users must utilise the device capabilities to collect data
use new tools, but the intuitive nature of how IoT works and gather meaningful, up-to-date (or predictive), and
will invariably allow for a quick and easy transition.
highly relevant information out of the critical processes
that IoT augments.

conclusion

Many still perceive IoT as a new trend which is part of the

wider enterprise mobility spectrum, but those closest to
it will understand that IoT already incorporates mobility
as just one of the many foundations of its unique
composition.
Mobility, especially in the enterprise environment,
now comes hand-in-hand with analytics and big data,
connectivity, infrastructure and other categories of
solutions, and all of these can be considered a part of
the burgeoning internet of things.

By utilising solutions to help them complete their tasks

and goals, the level of insight organisations will gain,
along with the enhancements which will be experienced
in decision making processes, will present enormous
advantages.
Godfrey Chua reflected, We expect proliferation
will further accelerate as a better understanding
of IoTs implications on business models and new
revenue opportunities become more apparent.
Realistically, many will come to serve the IoT market.
In fact, many, with more to come, already do now.

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The Internet of Things: Harnessing the

Power of an Ever-Connected Enterprise
0

10

15

20

2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Car
Cities
Health
Industry
Living & Working - Building Automation

Living & Working - Building Security

Living & Working - Consumer Electronics
Living & Working - Smart Metering
Living & Working - White Goods
Living & Working - Other

Global M2M connections 2013-23 Source: Machina

Research M2M Forecast Database, 2015

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25

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The Internet of Things: Harnessing the

Power of an Ever-Connected Enterprise

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The Internet of Things: Harnessing the

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