Cross-industry collaborations leading to new turnkey IoT solutions

The rise of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Industry 4.0 initiatives has opened up new partnership opportunities for companies around the world.

By
December 20, 2018
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The rise of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Industry 4.0 initiatives have opened up new partnership opportunities for companies around the world. In part, this trend has been fueled by the need for advanced machine-to-machine communication systems, as the scope of IIoT requires stable networks to keep interconnected devices running efficiently. Of the key players, the industrial communication market has been at the forefront of the collaborative efforts.

According to an early December press release from ResearchandMarkets.com, the industrial communication market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.14 percent, reaching upwards of $141 billion by 2023. This market optimism is largely the result of Industry 4.0 deployments throughout North America and Europe, with the industrial manufacturing sector at the top of the pile.

While the predicted growth does bode well for IoT as a whole, innovation has been slowed due to the dissimilar standards used by equipment manufacturers. Companies that integrate equipment from multiple manufacturers are encountering incompatibilities that have restrained their data collection and info-generating activities. To help address this problem, several Tier 1 service providers have begun working closely with commercial businesses to ensure more consistent performance.

Man holding pen connecting different devices to a cloud.Cloud-connected networks are becoming more integrated as IoT technology advances.

Sprint launches "no-obligation" IoT trials
Leaders from a number of tech-related industries have come together to simplify the distribution and implementation of IoT networks for a range of commercial applications. A 2018 joint press release from Sprint, Ingram Micro and myDevices announced a new turnkey IoT initiative aimed at providing end-to-end solutions for remote monitoring and facility management. The collaboration hopes to attract customers in the health care, hospitality, food service and retail industries by offering a free trial of their linked service, which would include five sensors and one gateway. The IoT network would be installed at the customer's facility at no charge, giving them full access to the system for 30 business days.

"Through this collaboration, we are providing an industry-leading offering, along with all the sales collateral and tools necessary to meet customer needs and help them save money, reduce risk, and maintain regulatory compliance," said Ivo Rook, senior vice president IoT for Sprint.

While this offering has produced a good deal of interest, the free trial is only available to resellers inside the U.S. who have already registered for the program. To qualify, a reseller must have a pre-existing relationship with a commercial entity in one of the target industries. Additionally, the opportunity size for the end customer must exceed 25 sensors and one gateway.

The limitations of turnkey services
This partnership is a major turning point in the push for commercial IoT, but turnkey solutions come with a host of limitations. For one, these plug-and-play networks are not robust enough for large-scale businesses and industrial deployments. Instead, the collaborative effort is geared toward smaller facilities with only a handful of cloud-connected devices. Larger installations depend on fully integrated serial extenders and PoE Injectors to maintain high efficiency, but turnkey systems are more tailored for quick and easy implementation.

Perle offers high-performance networking tools specifically tailored for industrial applications. Our scalable and sturdy hardware enables second-by-second monitoring and reporting that can keep up with the needs of a  fast pace of manufacturing environment. Read some of our customer stories to find out how we've helped other companies take full advantage of IIoT.

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