Launch your IoT Project
Time to get your IoT Project off the launch pad.
Even with today’s landscape of Internet of Things products and solutions, it’s hard to find the one that meets all of the promises that IoT has made through the hype. I think, as do many people in the industry, IoT was just oversold, the Internet of Things was supposed to change all our lives it just failed to meet all of the hype and expectation that we were all sold on. While 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 still feels so custom to each problem, but why is that?
One primary reason for the custom implementation per solution is because IoT end devices have not adopted a standard. In the world of IoT, standards are about as absent as my date on prom night. Just like when it comes to building a house, we have a code that must be followed to produce a “safe” structure.
Well, in IoT it’s the wild west, and anything goes. Companies or developers can create there own standards on the fly with little to no oversight on how it impacts your safety. Imagine if the builder of your house was merely some guy who started building homes a year ago and has never even seen nor heard of building codes! Also, imagine that this builder did not tell you any of that information and built the home you live in today. That sucker could collapse at any moment, endangering you and your family. This is what is happening in IoT today, builders building devices that have not had to worry about security (AKA building codes) nor have they ever seen them.
An even more significant challenge to the custom solution problem is that everyone’s idea of what IoT should be is different, and with the notion that Artifical Intelligence along with other things are all getting into the mix, it just muddies the water on what IoT really is and does.
While all this is going on how do you get your project off the ground? How do you bring everyone’s expectations and imagination to the correct solution to your business problem?
Same page
The first step is to get everyone on the same page with a single issue your company has. This can seem like a daunting task or even an impossible one, but it will be well worth the time spent. If you are having issues with this step read this article from Fast Company: 7 Ways To Finally Get Your Team On The Same Page. Then it’s essential to stay away from the technology because 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.
Educate yourself and your group
Now that you have an idea what the outcome should be, its time to get educated on what the Internet of Things is and what it can do for you. This involves:
- Studying use cases
- Looking at early adopters
- Books, Blogs, and Videos
To start getting a grip on IoT and it’s use cases it will be essential to follow blogs such as this one or read the latest in IoT Books like “Untangle the IoT Mystery” that gives you IoT information and examples. Doing so will allow you to start understanding IoT better and when it comes time to produce a use case for your company, you’ll be ready.
Get additional help
Echolo is an IoT consultancy that takes IoT education seriously, that’s why we have sources for additional training like our newsletter and eBooks. We want out customers to be well versed and educated in the IoT space and how it can help their business. Ultimately we want to see significant returns for our clients, that’s what we would want from a partner. Let’s have a chat!
