Tag: IoT


Tracking the Channel’s Role in the IoT and Cloud Opportunities – A Guest Blogpost in Sandhill.com

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19th October

The cloud and Internet of Things (IoT) are creating new business possibilities for value-added resellers (VARs), systems integrators (SIs) and other solution providers despite past predictions of the “disintermediation of the channel.”

However, the nature of the cloud marketplace and the way in which IoT initiatives are actually deployed also make it harder for hardware vendors and software developers to track how their systems and applications are sold and utilized.

This creates a myriad of channel sales, marketing, billing, compensation, support and compliance issues that need to be addressed if the cloud and IoT markets are going to continue to expand via third-party channels.

Click here to read THINKstrategies’ perspectives about the challenges of tracking these issues, and how Zyme is addressing these issues in Sandhill.com.



See THINKstrategies’ Analysis of Salesforce.com’s New IoT and Health Clouds on SearchCRM

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2nd October

Salesforce.com unveiled its Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities, the IoT Cloud, and new Health Cloud at Dreamforce 2015. See what I had to say about these new offerings at the event in this video interview with TechTarget’s SearchCRM.

Contact us if you’d like to discuss how these announcements impact your business.



Salesforce.com Launches IoT Cloud, Provides Path to Business Benefits – A Guest Commentary in Sandhill.com

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21st September

Last week’s Dreamforce conference brought together two former software industry adversaries to offer a new set of cloud-based services that promise to enable businesses and other institutions to capitalize on the flood of new data expected to be produced by the Internet of Things (IoT).

Salesforce.com has been promoting the idea of the “Internet of the Customer” for a couple of years. It employed its unparalleled aspirational marketing skills to paint a picture of a better world for the people (customers) who sit behind the things, if the companies that serve them tap the data to build better products and deliver better services. Microsoft has also been promoting the virtues of a more mobile and connected world that requires greater collaboration and productivity software tools along with greater database systems and information services.

Salesforce used Dreamforce to unveil a new IoT Cloud … Read More »



SaaS’ Next Wave: Customer Lifetime Value Management (CLVM) – A Guest Commentary in E-Commerce Times

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4th September

Today’s rejuvenated Cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) solutions are nothing more than glorified Web-based customer records management systems unless they are properly integrated with back-end systems to ensure that customers get the products and services they expect.

This is especially critical in a brave new world in which the Internet of Things (IoT)  will expand exponentially the ways companies are expected to engage with their customers.

In an era in which customer loyalty is a fleeting commodity and customer churn is intolerable, it isn’t too soon to think about the next Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) wave.

THINKstrategies believes Customer Lifetime Value Management (CLVM) in the Cloud inevitably will supplant the market focus on CRM to ensure a seamless customer journey.

Click here to read our views in E-Commerce Times about why it is imperative for corporate decision-makers to take a more holistic approach … Read More »



THINKstrategies’ Latest Strategic Thinking Profile Examines Devicify’s Connected Products Management Solution for the Internet of Things

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2nd September

While the idea of the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) has generated plenty of promising market forecasts, many organizations have been hesitant to initiate IoT deployments because they’re apprehensive about how to properly execute their plans so they can gain a meaningful ROI.

Successfully deploying connected products and services requires a new level of asset tracking and monitoring to capture a continuous stream of data that can better inform nearly every business process, ranging from product design and development to manufacturing operations to back-office financial systems to front-office sales and support.

THINKstrategies’ latest Strategic Thinking Profile examines how Devicify’s Cloud-based Connected Products Management™ (CPM) Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) suite helps organizations plan, design, deploy and manage IoT networks so they can capitalize on the unprecedented business opportunities created by the IoT. Click here to download the profile.

You can visit Devicify at Dreamforce 2015, September 15 – … Read More »


IoT: Time to Get on Board – A Guest Commentary in Datamation

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18th August

The ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) may be the most confusing idea conjured up by the tech industry since the advent of the ‘cloud.’ But a recent survey clearly shows that the first round of IoT deployments are already generating meaningful business results, which will encourage others to get onboard the IoT train.

I’ve been warning IT executives and other professionals to get ready for their responsibilities to dramatically change for a couple of years. Rather than ‘just’ being responsible for managing hardware systems and business applications, IoT puts IT in the middle of the product/service development process. It also makes IT responsible for ensuring the timely delivery and maintenance of products and services. And, as a result, IT is now directly impacted by the success or failure of new products and services in the marketplace.

The good news is that a majority … Read More »



GE Blazes Trail to Industrial Internet – A Guest Commentary in E-Commerce Times

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15th August

The Internet of Things (IoT) market has been struggling to get untangled, despite the hype regarding unprecedented business opportunities. GE’s latest initiative to capitalize on those IoT opportunities might be the catalyst many corporate executives have been waiting for to advance their own goals. GE has been in the vanguard of efforts to fortify the Web — to build a new, more scalable and secure Industrial Internet.

Read THINKstrategies’ perspectives in E-Commerce Times regarding GE’s recently announced Predix Cloud platform-as-a-service (PaaS) that promises to help enterprises capture and analyze IoT data.



AWS Poised to Succeed in Evolution of IoT – A Guest Commentary in SearchAWS

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10th August

The widespread availability and adoption of cloud-based services has accelerated the development and acceptance of the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT takes advantage of cloud infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS).

And, because Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the undisputed leader in the IaaS segment of the cloud marketplace, it is a significant player in the evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Click here to read THINKstrategies’ latest commentary in SearchAWS regarding AWS’ role in the IoT market.



Waiting for the Internet of Things – A Guest Commentary in E-Commerce Times

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15th July

Despite all the attention being given to the extraordinary opportunities promised by the Internet of Things (IoT), many software and technology vendors are still waiting for demand to match the predictions provided by analysts, press and their own PR campaigns.

If you were simply to read the latest market forecasts and executive surveys, you’d believe that the IoT revolution was well under way. The fact is, many organizations across a variety of industries are aggressively pursuing IoT strategies to improve product and service quality, streamline their operations, uncover new business opportunities, and gain a competitive advantage.

However, a greater number of enterprises are still reluctant to move down the IoT path. Click here to read THINKstrategies’ views in E-Commerce Times about why these organizations are hesitant to pursue today’s IoT opportunities.



Five Reasons IoT Isn’t Happening – Guest Commentary in Sandhill.com

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13th July

Despite the unprecedented opportunities promised by the Internet of Things (IoT), many IoT vendors are teetering at the top of Gartner’s hype cycle because they’re struggling to generate the sales they expected.

Although security concerns are generally considered the primary impediment to IoT deployments, I think there are five more important contributors to the slower-than-expected adoption of IoT solutions.

Click here to read my latest commentary in Sandhill.com regarding the obstacles THINKstrategies believes stand in the way of near-term IoT growth.






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