Welcome to our inaugural IoT Gravity Newsletter! On behalf of our contributing members and staff in the IoT Community, we endeavour to make this bi-monthly communique relevant and worth your read. I’m confident the content herein will aid in advancing your IoT and Edge-to-Cloud business and technical vitality.
There are several reasons, but let me call on two of Aristotle’s Four Causes* — the Efficient Cause and the Final Cause.
In this first prologue, I reflect on why our IoT Community is thriving. There are several reasons, but let me call on two of Aristotle’s Four Causes* — the Efficient Cause and the Final Cause. The efficient cause is our dedicated and credentialed IoT Community staff, advisors, CoE members, and content creators. There is no better coalition in the industry that can promote the IoT with such experience, passion, and impact.
To expound upon the Final Cause – e.g. IoT’s purpose — let me cast a memory back to twelve years ago. After an incredibly rewarding time in the data center industry with IBM, I joined National Instruments, an industrial OT company. It was there I was thrust into an industry and places that weren’t the data center. These places would later be called the “Edge”. And, residing at these remote places were “Things” — voluminous things — replete with valuable data, getting smarter, and becoming network connected. This was the “IoT”.
the “3 M’s of the IoT & Edge”
These experiences compelled me to ask why is the IoT achieving such celebrity status? What is the compelling value in connecting things, analyzing their data, and controlling them (or the business associated with them)? Customers and end users provided the answers, which I portion into three categories, the “3 M’s of the IoT & Edge”:
Monitor: Continuous monitoring which provides ongoing and real-time knowledge of the condition and usage of equipment, a product, or end user in a market or industrial setting. Examples in machine condition monitoring include reducing type-1 errors (conducting maintenance when it’s not needed) and type-2 errors (withholding life-extending maintenance when it’s sorely needed).
Maintain: Management tasks, upgrades, fixes, and patches can be pushed to end users. Automobile maintenance and warranty costs are reduced with automatic software upgrades that tune and calibrate operation, which also enhances customer satisfaction.
Motivate: Constant and ongoing connection to consumers or workers gives organizations a way to compel or motivate them to take some action, such as consume more goods and services. Upselling aftermarket accessories and economic complements can be guided by direct target marketing.
Yes there are risks with IoT deployments, but I continue to believe the greatest business risk in the IoT, is not having an IoT strategy.
Twenty-five percent less product defects in the field, one more automobile per day rolling off the manufacturing line, a savings of $450,000 USD per year, the discovery of a new subatomic particle – are all quantified business outcomes from IoT deployments, that customers have shared with me. Yes there are risks with IoT deployments, but I continue to believe the greatest business risk in the IoT, is not having an IoT strategy.
Good reading! Tom
By
Tom Bradicich, PhD
Chair, Board of Advisors, IoT Community
