Did the Internet of Things Miss the Mark?

The Internet of Things (IoT) has been a massive failure! Or has it? IoT has been so hyped that I feel like we have been promised fly cars and we got none of that.

We are also starting to see a massive shift in attention to IoT + AI or IoT + Blockchain, and others – I guess the Internet of Things alone was just not cool enough. I think as do many people in the industry – it was just oversold like my fly cars comment, IoT was supposed to change all our lives. The Internet of Things just failed to meet all of the hype and expectation that we were all sold on. IoT got confusing and complex when developers or product designers started sat down to build you something awesome, the easy thing to do is give up or sell it as something else but, more on that another time…

Now, don’t get me wrong, the Internet of Things has brought some good stuff too right? Like home or business automation that’s easy to implement and setup. While I agree IoT has made a good impact on the consumer side with our connected outlets and devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home, it’s not made the same effect on businesses, yet.

The Internet of Things is a complicated beast when it comes to integrating it into a business because it can be hard to determine what it will be used for and if you will get any return on your investment.

 

How to think about IoT

Ultimately, if you are thinking about the Internet of Things as a Technology, you are doing it wrong. Businesses care about outcomes and not so much how you get them (AKA the technology). This is why when getting your self into an IoT project in your company you need to focus and what you want the outcome to be. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes or whoever will be using or benefiting from the newly implemented solution. From that standpoint, what should they see, or feel? An acceptable answer could be “nothing” the customer might not see a change, it may be a way for your company to deliver or produce your product reliably. Regardless, focus on the outcome and leave the technology for a later discussion.

Understanding real business use cases for the Internet of Things is highly essential, educating yourself on what IoT is and, what can be done with the tools you have to create that fantastic outcome.

Starting an IoT project alone can be daunting, and if you don’t know all the hidden “gotchas,” it can be a dangerous and costly game. This is why most companies look to outside help versus looking internally. External IoT companies like Echolo who have already successfully implemented IoT solutions. Companies that do find assistance are far more likely to succeed at an implementation than companies that have a go at it on there own.

When trying to understand the Internet of things it starts to get confusing when you attempt to “swallow” the whole pill at once. IoT is a BIG pill and can get larger the longer you think about it or even search online for answers.

The Internet of Things should not be this complicated and in my latest book “Untangle the IoT Mystery” I cover the very basics of what makes up the Internet of things from a full blow product to the smaller parts of the project or product like hardware and software. When looking at this, I also dig into IoT security and how to avoid getting yourself into trouble. Security with IoT is relatively simple as long as you follow the easy to use rules I lay out. After many years in both the M2M industry along with IoT, my new Book provides you with a proven IoT Strategy Framework and the all-important IoT Checklist to keep you running smooth.

My new book is for someone that wants to understand how the Internet of Things works from basic understanding all the way to advanced use cases. In this book, I have also given you my IoT Strategy checklist that outlines how to start and ensure your project will not go in the fail column. I encourage you to use this book as a guide and reference when developing or getting involved in an Internet of Things Project.

Just remember, the Internet of Things Education is going to be the key to your success when implementing new IoT products. The more you know about its shortcomings and how it has impacted other businesses the better chance you have to get more considerable ROI’s and be 100% successful. Contact us today, and we can help you get on the path to making IoT work for you.