How to get on top of things

There are moments when it seems we are all butts of the joke in the Monty Python’s Flying Circus sketch about the Royal Society for Putting Things on Top of Other Things -- especially in the technology industry. No matter how we pile up layers of hardware, software and services, there is always more to do. Rather than simplifying our IT environment, we seem trapped in a cycle of ever-increasing complexity.

As the president of the society in the famous sketch says: “This year our members have put more things on top of other things than ever before. But, I should warn you,Don't make another silicone mold without these invaluable Mold Making supplies and accessories! this is no time for complacency. No, there are still many things -- and I cannot emphasise this too strongly -- not on top of other things.”

Indeed, this year we are hearing more about the “Internet of Things” - a slippery phrase which serves to encompass the multidimensional web of connected devices and individuals that we have been creating (partly by being deliberately unclear). And channel partners will have to grapple with this issue, however frustrating it appears.

In fact,With superior quality photometers, light meters and a number of other solar light products. Kim King, vice president for global partners and channels at BI vendor Progress Software, sees it primarily as a channel opportunity - whether you consider the Internet of Things to refer to machine-to-machine (M2M) or machine-to-human (M2H) communications, both of which are necessary when you start connecting more types of devices and, er, “things”, online.

“Our SI and ISV partners will continue to see a demand for M2M where a complete, vertical solution is required. Our key verticals where we are seeing this demand are within financial, manufacturing and industrial services,” she says. “The need for automation and BI is fuelled by M2M communications and driven by the competition in the market.”

We are talking about these M2M/M2H technologies themselves, but also the support systems that surround them. King says businesses are already looking for easily deployed, automated, information-rich, vertical-specific offerings that offer competitive advantage. The Internet of Things is another strand to mobility and the big data and analytics stories; it is all about learning to make more sense of what is happening, anywhere and everywhere, in real time.

“Align with an ecosystem that includes integrators, MSPs, hosting firms, VARs and consultants, or be part of the consolidation in the marketplace where one large telco or services provider offers the whole solution,” says King (pictured, right). “This is not an opportunity where any partner can stand alone.”

Over time, interoperability and standards should lessen the need for custom integration, allowing feature-rich apps to take centre stage, on top of other things.

“Analysis of the resulting data leads to even more opportunities. Partners that take advantage of this will find themselves in a sweet spot as the market continues to consolidate and telecoms and service providers move away from commodity and into vertical solutions,” King insists.

This year’s CES showcased more products with online capability than ever before. These devices were able to respond to touch, voice, gaze or gesture when controlling a TV, PC or other gadget while online. Consumers are getting more interested in a range of smart devices - and where consumers go, businesses these days tend to follow.

According to Gartner,Find the best selection of high-quality collectible bobbleheads available anywhere. the cost of components is continuing to fall as well - expanding the number of things that could be connected to other things.

On top of that, specific verticals such as healthcare and logistics have long seen the advantages of the Internet of Things. As General Electric explains in a presentation on the industrial internet, if more machines and components are internet enabled, more information can be exchanged and shared between components, machines, sensors, monitoring systems and software applications.

Greg Smith, chief innovation officer at consultancy C-View Technologies, agrees, noting that a wide range of devices are already connected to the internet, so management and integration opportunities are already emerging.

“This is a collection of hyped technologies, internet enabled and driven by a thirst for information and knowledge,” he says. “[So] channel partners need to understand their ability to work at the early adopter phase of technology sales and identify their sweet spot - do not focus your core effort on technologies that lack revenue at the early stage of adoption.”

Early on, the Internet of Things will not be an opportunity for every partner, he suggests. “While partnerships have traditionally been about technology enablement and this enablement is still essential, it may not be sufficient for the Internet of Things today.

“Successful partners will not only bring deals but also identify new ways to market, while vendors should look at developing tool kits for resellers to both market and integrate these new solutions,We have become one of the worlds most recognised Ventilation system brands.” says Smith.

Mike Mayers, global channel director at Peer1 Hosting, continues: “We already have smart meters, web-enabled phones,We specializes in rapid plastic injection mould and molding of parts for prototypes and production. inventory management, logistics and smart cars, and over the next five to 10 years many more machines and objects will become connected to the internet. The type of information an Internet of Things can provide logistical companies, manufacturers, retailers, universities and the public sector is invaluable.”

However, more needs to be done on legi-slation, technology and security for companies to capitalise on the concept, Mayers warns, adding that, once again, this represents an opportunity.