Enterprise IoT Momentum Builds: Survey

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When it comes to deploying Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, businesses appear to be shaking off their security worries and other concerns.

IDC polled 4,500 professionals this summer for its third Global IoT Decision Maker Survey and found that nearly a third (31.4 percent) had already launched an IoT solution. Another 43 percent said they’re planning a deployment in the next 12 months, meaning that by this time next year, most enterprises will have at least one IoT solution up and running.

Part of the reason IoT is on the fast track at most businesses is that internal power struggles and the tug of war over budgets are being resolved, said Vernon Turner, senior vice president of Enterprise Systems at IDC.

“Setting strategies, finding budgets, and supporting IoT solutions have contributed to an ongoing tussle between line of business executives (LOBs) and CIOs. However, that race may be over, because in many cases LOBs are now both leading the discussions and either paying in full or sharing the costs of IoT initiatives with the CIOs,” said Turner in a statement.

IDC’s research also shows that providers of cloud-enabled IoT solutions are poised to rake in those funds.

“This year we see confirmation that vendors who lead with an integrated cloud and analytics solution are the ones who will be considered as critical partners in an organization’s IoT investment,” said Carrie MacGillivray, vice president of Mobility and Internet of Things at IDC, in a statement. “We also note that network and traditional IT hardware vendors are slipping down the charts, as software and systems integrators makes strides in customers’ minds.”

More than half (55 percent) of organizations view the IoT as part of their competitive strategy. Most are seeking to reduce costs, improve productivity and automate processes, indicating that at least in the short term, businesses focused on the internal and operational benefits of the technology not its consumer-facing potential.

Businesses are understandably concerned about the cost of deploying IoT solutions, along with its effect on data security and privacy. This year, there’s a new worry that some fear may derail their IoT ambitions: a skills gap. Much like big data, which shares some overlap with the IoT, business leaders may struggle to find the right talent to implement, manage and secure the technology.

Pedro Hernandez is a contributing editor at Datamation. Follow him on Twitter @ecoINSITE.