Page 12 - AeM_July_2017

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

plies to the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 as well. investing a fortune into technical tools and manpower,
It's just a pity that most SMEs don’t do enough to show “focus on proofs of concept, sandboxes, pilots and nar-
their strengths and lack a clear positioning that helps to row use cases for the initial go-round for IoT deploy-
stand out and highlights their unique selling proposi- ments”, the expert suggests. “Learn from mistakes, and
tions. Especially, technically oriented companies often be emboldened by success, but don’t try to transform the
find it difficult to describe the customer's needs convinc- enterprise in your initial project. Furthermore, ensure that
ingly. But that’s exactly what’s needed in the IoT and the organization’s human resources are properly aligned
Industry 4.0 - talks about the concrete advantages for and deployed and don’t forget to take a nuanced view of
the user, rather than abstract technical solutions: User managing endpoints and devices on the network,” Aruba
reports, case studies or longer whitepapers help if more concludes.
details are required and can even be used as printed
information for sales ot for downloads on the web- The already large and fast-growing Internet of Things
site. And keeping in mind that decisions are often made clearly changes the rules, with workplaces becoming
on recommendations, reference marketing will be of increasingly digitized by ubiquitous connectivity, inno-
increasing importance in IoT or Industry 4.0 product and vative applications, and endpoint proliferation and di-
service marketing, too. versification beyond almost anyone’s wildest imagina-
tion. And since it will continue to be nothing short of
Aruba Networks recommends in its whitepaper “IoT astonishing and challenging, we should attentively keep
our eyes on the future. ◊
deployment best practices”, for instance, to tackle IoT
slow and steady rather than fast and furious. Instead of By Daniela La Marca

12 July 2017 - Internet of Things (IoT) & Wearables