CIOs beware, IoT is coming

The Internet of Things revolution is under way, and CIOs need to consider ways to incorporate IoT devices, apps and platforms into their company.
Azmi Jafarey, CIO at Ipswitch, offers some areas for CIOs to consider when contemplating an IoT deployment, in a Computerworld article. 
"At the business level there will be two imperatives. For those manufacturing physical goods, there will be the pressure for 'smart everything'--what should be measured and why, how the data should be used and when, and how such sensors can be made virtually invisible," Jafarey wrote. "The second imperative, and this will be for all: How can IoT data be used to understand and optimize business processes, tools, communications and buying and selling behavior?".
CIOs will need to seize the initiative and use IoT to their firm's competitive advantage, Jafarey advised.
But the task will not be easy. The quantity, collection, analysis and employment of the data generated by IoT devices will be challenging. In fact, SanDisk is forecasting a 14-fold increase in enterprises data by 2020, even without include IoT in the forecast.
To help handle the data volume, cloud computing will be vital for IoT data transmission, storage and analysis.
Jafarey noted that IoT data will also bring issues about privacy, security and theft, particularly when the data is coming a wide array of sources.
So what is a CIO to do? "The leading IT departments will embrace IoT as a green-field for partnership with the business to explore how new business models and predictive customer knowledge can evolve," he concluded.
As with any new enterprise technology, CIOs need to get ahead of the IoT curve or be overwhelmed by it.

Fred Donovan - http://www.fiercemobileit.com