Nearly one third–30% of businesses worldwide—have begun limited Internet of Things (IoT) deployments, according to an IoT 2015 Deployment and Usage Trends Survey from Strategy Analytics. The independent Web-based survey polled more than 450 businesses worldwide across 45 vertical markets in June 2015. All classes of businesses—SMBs, mid-sized, and large businesses were equally represented. Among the 30% of early IoT adopters, the majority of survey respondents indicated the main use cases were: IoT-enabled software and applications; IoT-enabled hardware and IoT standalone devices or systems. The survey results also indicated that interest in IoT is high and that 55% of respondents were familiar with IoT’s benefits and services.
Other findings from the survey include:
Some 32% or one third of those polled said their firms plan to deploy IoT compared to one in four survey respondents (26%) that said their companies currently have no IoT deployment plans. The remaining 42% of survey participants are still studying the issue and are undecided.
Office security/video surveillance; Smart Building Controls; Billable Services; Financial Analytics; Healthcare Analytics and Healthcare Diagnostics were among the top IoT applications cited by survey respondents who intend to use IoT.
Current and potential IoT customers plan to deploy the technology to solve pragmatic and pressing business issues that impact daily operations. These include: security of both the corporate data assets and physical facilities; receiving proactive alerts to avoid service disruptions; and remote control of equipment.
IoT Security; integration and interoperability with existing and legacy systems and the potential confusion arising from the need to deal with multiple IoT vendors and platforms, were cited by survey respondents as the biggest impediments to IoT deployments.
“The survey results show that enterprise interest in IoT is high, driven by the need to address and solve pragmatic business issues. But it’s equally clear that organizations are still assessing the myriad offerings and specific integration and migration strategies,” says Laura DiDio, Strategy Analytics’ director of IoT strategies enterprise research and consulting.
“Many respondents highlighted the value that can be derived from deploying IoT ahead of cost savings; from new service development and increased competitiveness, to a better understanding of their business that can be derived from data analytics,” says Andrew Brown, Strategy Analytics’ executive director of IoT and mobility.
Key vertical segments that were covered in this survey include Financial, Insurance, Real Estate; Manufacturing; Professional Services; Education/Public Sector; Healthcare/Pharmaceutical; and Telecom/Media/Technology.
