QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE EMBRACING IOT TECHNOLOGY

Have you considered what the added value of connecting your products is , and is it meaningful ? The IoT industry is littered with examples of gimmicky products , with tenuous business cases . The usual rules apply : ‘ Does connecting the product solve a real problem it didn ’ t solve before it was connected or add value in some other way ?’ If you are increasing productivity , adding useful functionality , reducing maintenance and repair costs , or providing something people don ’ t already have then chances are that you will have a solid business case and a viable connected product .

By 2016 53 percent of manufacturers will offer smart products , but the biggest gamechanger for these companies will arguably not come from the added product value , but from the data created by the end-user . Companies considering an IoT strategy must ensure this information is collected , and used to discover deep and meaningful insights into the end-user , their behaviors and how they use the product , to drive product development .

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