Just as it is in the rest of society, the IT channel has its own bell curve representing a breadth of personalities and business innovations. At one end are the early adopters; those who jump at every opportunity to experiment with the latest technologies and processes in their businesses, to help their customers, or both. Whether their interest for innovation comes from client necessity or their own curiosity, their cutting edge capabilities become a factor of differentiation that gives them a distinct competitive advantage.
At the other end of the curve are the more reserved entrepreneurs; those who follow a more cautious and time-tested route to build their product and service portfolios. While some may dabble personally with the latest innovations, they rarely perform client implementations until a business case for that particular technology or service has been firmly established. These individual entrepreneurs make up a significant part of the IT channel, presenting a major hurdle to new industry entrants as well as those with groundbreaking ideas or state-of-the-art programs.
While gaining the acceptance of a few key industry players may not seem like an insurmountable challenge for a company with a novel opportunity, convincing the most reserved members of that community can be a much more difficult and time-consuming process. For example, in the IT channel, if a technology or program hasn’t proven its value to a considerable number of solution providers, as well as their customers, others are sure to give it a lukewarm reception.
That doesn’t mean VARs and MSPs are overly picky or unwilling to take any risks. Most are just savvy investors and entrepreneurs. After all, with a wide number of solutions and services to choose from, why wouldn’t providers take the conservative approach with new practice opportunities and partnerships? Industry experts suggest that cautious attitude is a key reason why one of the latest buzz technologies, the Internet of Things (IOT) isn’t even on the radar in most channel circles.
Gartner defined this IT arrangement as a “network of physical objects containing embedded technologies that are used to communicate and sense or interact with their internal states or the external environment.” Basically, the IOT will connect a wide variety of sensors and machines, allowing a variety of processes to be automated and centrally managed. For example, manufacturers can use a series of networked sensors, cameras and lasers to analyze critical assembly line parts based on their physical characteristics. That will help identify potential failure points, order the appropriate replacement components and schedule personnel with the ability to make the repairs.
As noted in the 2013 CompTIA IT Industry Outlook report, the IOT is expected to be a disruptive force in future technologies, the business community and our civilization. In our quest for faster, larger, easier and safer products and services, we will increase our reliance on machine-to-machine communications to eliminate errors and help improve delivery methods.
Though Cisco and several other vendors have thrown tremendous support behind the IOT, most channel organizations continue to maintain a wait-and-see attitude until the business case is more firmly established. Of course, many of the core technologies required to drive this Internet-enablement initiative are already here, including wireless networks, RFID and barcode readers, temperature sensors and other measurement systems. Auto-ID-specialized VARs have been offering a variety of machine-to-machine solutions for many years, especially in the healthcare and manufacturing communities, while the applications that make it all work seamlessly continue to advance.
Based on those early forays, the channel opportunity for IOT could be substantial. As machine-to-machine technologies gain greater adoption, collecting data and sending out notifications will not be enough. Organizations will need skilled professionals to help develop the processes and algorithms needed to drive intelligent automation. Experienced implementation and support specialists will see an increased demand for their services as IOT systems are rolled out. Those with wireless and traditional network expertise will be needed to ensure that the sensors, readers and computer systems in these infrastructures can properly communicate.
In effect, solution providers don’t have to be at the innovation side of the bell curve to profit from the Internet of Things. The technologies and business case are already proving themselves in the real world, and those who can get beyond the futuristic-sounding name will quickly find a number of opportunities with their existing client base.
Brian Sherman is founder of Tech Success Communications, specializing in editorial content and consulting for the IT channel. His previous roles include chief editor at Business Solutions magazine and senior director of industry alliances with Autotask. Contact Brian at Bsherman@techsuccesscommunications.com.
