The Internet Of Things, sometimes considered as the 3rd Web revolution, is at the heart of the digital transformation and is very challenging for business. Benoit ANDRADE explains the beginnings and the reasons behind IOTs current boom.
Launched in 2005, this rabbit, connected to the Internet, emits signals, spreads music and reads e-mails out loud. Nabaztag has become the icon of the connected objects.
Enthusiasm about IOT has become recently even greater with the improvement of each of its ecosystem parts :
- Democratization of the access to the Internet;
- Various access technologies (Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee, etc.);
- Sensors with unlimited capacities (level of stress, temperature, etc.);
- Miniaturization and lower costs of electronics components.
Today, the first goal of connected objects is not to be a peripheral device or a web access interfaces, but to create value in term of features, information and interaction with the environment.
Fields of application are multiple ! The connected house or Smart Home (home automation, management of the energy consumption and of the household electronical appliances, the security, etc.), the urban areas or Smart Cities (lighting optimization, household waste management), the clothes and the accessories (glasses, watches, gloves, etc.) etc.
Connected objects are valuable contributors and have major incidences in various domains such as :
- The improvement upstream to the production and to the logistics (performance and quality);
- The improvement of products and services;
- The improvement of the customer knowledge and relations.
To conclude, we can say that the IOT represents both a technological and a strategic shift, because business sectors and industries are going to be challenged by the development of this ecosystem. Compagnies will see their business models transformed in the next years and, right now, they have to take positions as not to be overtaken by challengers or competitors.
ARROWMAN Key Insight
According to Benoit Andrade, companies and managers must acquire new key skills in order to make a success of these new challenges :
- ? Integrate different sets of skills to bring more expertise and broad outlook;
- ? Focus on the use value for the final customers and find the most adapted technologies;
- ? Propose solutions that are easy to use, transparent and immediately successful;
- ? Ensure the link between traditional solutions and brand new technologies.
Benoit ANDRADE, Associate Director of ARROWMAN Executive Search.
