Cisco tries to break down IoT silos (CSCO)

Challenges providers face developing IoT service

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The development of silos around IoT data, a key issue that’s holding back wider expansion of connected devices, is fueled by a lack of experience in the IoT, Cisco Australia CTO Kevin Bloch explained to ZDNet.

The networking giant is creating a new foundation for connected devices, “IoT Phase 2,” that it's hoping will be able to serve as a platform where companies can combine data and applications from disparate IoT solutions to generate actionable insights.

Bloch estimates that three-quarters of all IoT projects are failing. Here are two key reasons projects aren't having the transformative impact companies are hoping for:

Solutions are being implemented on a piecemeal basis. Companies that are looking to solve a single issue by using IoT technology often turn to a vendor that specializes in solutions for that issue. Say, for example, that a firm wants to reduce electrical costs, so it turns to a smart lighting company to install and manage an intelligent warehouse lighting system. Should the company want to explore additional IoT projects to track goods within that warehouse, however, it could be difficult to put those two solutions in contact with one another, leaving the company with siloed data and limiting the benefits of scaling its IoT deployment.

IoT solutions aren’t incorporating sufficient cybersecurity protocols. IoT devices are spreading around the world, impacting companies’ workflows. But each new device creates a potential breach for a would-be hacker, with the company’s security dependent on the security protocols used by device makers and other vendors the company is turning to. Bloch explains that many startups offering IoT solutions don’t have a solid background in cybersecurity, and that inexperience can create openings and exploits.

A key promise of the IoT is that it will allow companies to leverage data from various connected devices to streamline operations. Silos between different IoT solutions, though, stymie that goal and can actually increase the load on employees. Companies developing IoT solutions are cognizant of the difficulty of integrating an IoT solution into existing systems; in an exclusive BI Intelligence survey, 46% of IoT solution providers said system integration was a challenge in developing a service. Overcoming this challenge is critical for the continued expansion of the enterprise IoT.

BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has conducted an exclusive study with in-depth research into the field and created a detailed report on the IoT that:

Provides a primer on the basics of the IoT ecosystem
Offers forecasts for the IoT moving forward and highlights areas of interest in the coming years
Looks at who is and is not adopting the IoT, and why
Highlights drivers and challenges facing companies implementing IoT solutions

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