FUTURE TECHNOLOGY

The connection of devices, machines, and things allows generating, analysing, and communicating intelligent data, increasing operational efficiencies and powering new improved business models. It opens avenues to create strong partner ecosystems which include solution providers, independent software vendors, technology partners, and consulting firms. They can provide solutions that address changing market conditions, enable flexible consumption models and help customers achieve desired business outcomes.

Designing solutions for IoT requires deep understanding of solution spaces and an ability to connect hierarchical systems. It requires understanding specific usage models and domain expertise to translate those user models into sensors, actuations, control logic, data aggregation, and local network connectivity and service layers.

Partners developing applications for a specific line of business or vertical market can win huge because IoT is largely about selling to customers on business outcomes. Analysts say by the end of the decade, 90 % of IT spends will be controlled by line-ofbusiness, so the ability to deliver business outcomes becomes really critical.

Opportunities for partners Safety and security

As more devices get connected to the internet, security will be one of the major challenges for enterprises looking to converge unrelated networks, traffic demands, advanced data analytics and a new class of intelligent applications that increase productivity without sacrificing security.

There will be a heightened need to secure the complete networking architecture. Partners who can provide integrated security solutions will stand to gain the most.

Manufacturing Global competitive pressures are challenging manufacturing companies to drive inefficiencies out of their systems, manage workforce skill gaps and uncover new opportunities. To simplify and address complexities and adapt to market changes, there is a need to intelligently connect all parts of the value chain, quickly and easily share information with every department, employee, partner, and customer.

Connected systems reduce maintenance costs and downtime, enhance the ability to aggregate data and present dashboards accessible on the web that allows effective monitoring of operations. Partners will be needed to provide nextgeneration cybersecurity, secure-access, and compliance solutions for critical infrastructure.

Oil and gas Collaborative solutions that help accelerate workflows with improved information gathering and expert communications will be needed. This will help improve decision making and business outcomes for energy companies, and reduce expensive operational issues. Partners providing integrated solutions will help customers gain secure industrial automation and control systems environment to protect workers and facilities in the energy industry.

Channel success Visibility By developing a vast array of market leading solutions spanning hardware, software and services, vendors can enable their solution partners to get access to channels where solutions can be integrated and taken to market to enable differentiation.

Business outcomes << sub sub head >> Partners can use new solutions to reach a broader set of customers and increase their relevance beyond IT. They can strengthen their role as trusted advisors and capitalise on new market opportunities with horizontal, vertical solutions and services resulting in higher revenues and profits.

Connections Partners must connect with each other so that they can create a repository of solutions that enable improved business outcomes for the enterprise across applications, products and services.

IoT provides opportunities for partners to derive greater value from connections amongst people, processes, data and things. Partners need to jump on the IoT band-wagon and enable themselves for future success.

Shadi Salama is Channel Leader, Middle East Theatre at Cisco

41