Cisco recently launched ‘IoT System’ as its solution for connecting the unconnected. Does IoT System really matter to you? Here’s how the product can help four key stakeholders in the IoT ecosystem.
Enterprise and public sector buyers, there’s value in Cisco’s network management, security and edge analytics. IoT System is an amalgam of technologies that aims to make it easier for public and private sector organisations to connect and manage IoT devices. MachNation particularly likes the gateway and network management features of Davra Networks, one of the Cisco IoT System ecosystem partners. IoT System and ecosystem partners have components that leverage the security and analytics capabilities of an organisation’s network. In addition, IoT analytics does not always require heavy cloud-based solutions. IoT System presents a set of really strong use cases for using network-based analytics so customers can avoid expensive, complex cloud-based IoT analytics solutions.
Communications carriers, there’s value in Cisco’s wireless support, middleware and customer segments. Cisco’s solutions are complementary to a carrier’s IoT solutions in three ways. First, Cisco’s IoT hardware has support for 3G and 4G connectivity elements that fuel a carrier’s growth in IoT device connections. Second, the Cisco IOx middleware layer is helpful in connecting device data from Cisco hardware to a carrier’s chosen application enablement platform (AEP). MachNation particularly likes the AEP features of Cumulocity for carriers. Third, Cisco focuses on the connected factory, smart manufacturing and public sector — three customer segments where carriers generally do not have the strongest sales success. Working with Cisco’s sales teams on these sectors can help round-out carriers’ customer segments.
Systems integrators (SIs), there’s value in Cisco’s architecture that creates demand for value-added integration services. Large enterprises need SIs to design, test, deploy and manage IoT applications; connect various IoT devices to an AEP; and integrate IoT applications to existing on-premises and cloud-based enterprise applications. All of these tasks are best provided by SIs working in tandem with Cisco and its IoT ecosystem partners. Cisco provides the technology while SIs provide value-added services to large enterprise and public sector customers.
Application developers, there’s value in Cisco’s middleware layer and partners’ APIs. Cisco leaves the IoT applications layer of the technology stack to application developers. The ecosystem is ready for talented developers to build IoT applications that access data from myriad devices include Cisco devices running IOx. Many of the Cisco IoT System ecosystem partners that operate at the higher layers of the technology stack have robust APIs and SDKs to facilitate the transport of data between IoT platforms, IoT applications and third-party applications.
Maybe you have thoughts about IoT System, IoT technology or the IoT market? If so, please share in the Comments section below and let’s get the discussion started.
By Steve Hilton
Steve Hilton is a co-founder and President at MachNation, the leading insight services and application development firm for the Internet of Things, Internet of Everything, connected things, analytics and M2M.
