Introduction IoT Represents Transformational Opportunities and Signficiant Complexity

Transcription

1 Enterprise Strategy Group Getting to the bigger truth. Solution Showcase HPE and IoT Services Date: April 2016 Author: Eugene Signorini, Senior Analyst Introduction IoT Represents Transformational Opportunities and Signficiant Complexity In the Internet of Things, things stream large volumes of data from diverse sources like wind farms, cars, copper mines, and hospitals. The Internet of Things (IoT) can be viewed as gathering data from sensors and devices, deriving meaning from that data, and taking action based on those insights. Organizationally, IoT can be viewed as the intersection of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT), from which the Internet of Things emerges. IoT is becoming top of mind for so many organizations because of the promise it holds for creating new business value. ESG s recent 2016 IT Spending Intentions Survey of 633 IT and information security professionals revealed that significant IoT activity is already occurring within most organizations. 1 While just 19% of firms claim they already have IoT initiatives underway, an additional 39% are currently developing IoT initiatives that will be launched in the next 24 months. IoT will also force technology leaders to rethink their traditional IT approaches. Furthermore traditional IT approaches have already begun shifting, largely due to the impact of cloud, analytics, and mobility. The introduction of IoT also has large implications across the entirety of the enterprise IT landscape, including infrastructure, applications, security and analytics, and data management. When planning IoT initiatives, organizations must consider three key objectives: Harness the power of IoT insights to create business value. Integrate multiple technologies and vendor solutions across IT and OT. Operate, manage, and maintain IoT solutions. More simply, business leaders can think about the three elements of IoT as innovate, build, and run. And as we ll see, IoT services will become a critical component to achieving these objectives. 1 Source: ESG Research Report, 2016 IT Spending Intentions Survey, February All ESG research references and charts in this solution showcase have been taken from this research report. This ESG Solution Showcase was commissioned by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and is distributed under license from ESG.

2 Solution Showcase: HPE and IoT Services 2 IoT is a Catalyst for Business Transformation Why are so many companies moving ahead with IoT in light of the complexity it introduces? They see immediate business value in the form of operational efficiencies (45% of companies asked), better and differentiated customer service (39%), creation of new products and services (38%), and development of new business models (26%). Let s briefly examine what each of these represent: Operational Efficiency This could include capturing data from sensors to analyze an existing process to find ways to improve, and using data to actuate equipment to optimize performance. A good example is the use of sensors and automation controllers on equipment in a manufacturing plant. In some instances, the majority of a manufacturing value chain can be handled by machines and computers autonomously, creating far greater efficiencies in production, while freeing up employees to handle exceptions. Customer Engagement The use of data from connected things to provide differentiated customer service comes down to improving customer engagement. An easy reference point here is the use of sensors within home appliances, automobiles, or industrial equipment to proactively detect required maintenance before something breaks. While this is often associated with consumer IoT products, there are extensive opportunities for industrial IoT, particularly around predictive maintenance in manufacturing, HVAC, utilities and energy, and transportation. Enhanced Products and Solutions An adjunct to customer engagement, connected products can be used not only to improve service but also to add value to those products. Again, smart home products (e.g., Nest thermostat) are a clear example here, as are connected cars. Product companies are using connectivity to allow customers to interact with products in new and compelling ways. While products such as connected refrigerators have been met with a degree of skepticism for their actual consumer value, the real benefit can come from using analytics to more deeply understand how appliances are actually used in order to improve product quality. A more industrial example is heavy construction equipment connected and embedded with various sensors that can allow customers to monitor fleet activity and track fuel efficiency, idle times, and location. New Business Models While the potential for new business models can be vast, for IoT this often manifests itself in a shift from a product-centric model to a service-centric model. For example, IoT-connected aircraft engines shift the model from selling equipment to airlines to a utility-based approach in which airline customers pay for the usage of jet engines and the services surrounding them. As a consequence, data gathered from connected devices can allow manufacturers to offer greater uptime and proactive maintenance. In this way, IoT can allow many product companies to reshape offerings as-a-service, SLA-based and pay-for-performance models. Unlocking these transformative opportunities is no trivial task. Successful initiatives call for an innovation process that can identify business processes and/or business models where IoT can have organizational impact. It necessitates organizational change across people, process, and technology. Furthermore, it requires a technology transformation at the intersection of IT and OT. Transforming Technology at the Intersection of IT and OT The intersection of IT and OT has significant implications, and IoT design must address the dynamics coming from both disciplines. This intersection has significant opportunities to drive new value to the organization. However, this convergence can challenge organizations, as the IT and OT differ across many dimensions, including business owners, primary function, technology lifecycle, reliability requirements, analytics needs, and the physical environment where the technology resides.

3 Solution Showcase: HPE and IoT Services 3 FIGURE 1. IoT at the Intersection of IT and OT EDGE Tackling this challenge requires individuals within organizations to recognize these disparities. IT needs to meet the needs of OT, and vice versa. Building an effective IoT solution that bridges the IT and OT environment will require the integration of new technologies (such as edge gateways, sensors, and various types of connectivity) with existing IT and OT technologies and legacy systems. It will also involve the coordination of multiple vendors to combine different competencies and products into a complete solution. Navigating an Evolving IoT Ecosystem The nature of IoT implies that it touches many parts of IT and OT, which in turn means that it requires vendors across multiple technology disciplines. As a result, the IoT ecosystem is vast, comprising hundreds of different companies, and the way these companies work together to deliver comprehensive solutions for customers is still evolving. In reality, the IoT ecosystem is the intersection of several existing value chains, which can broadly be grouped into four categories: IT vendors: This ecosystem consists of solution providers that have historically delivered core IT, core enterprise technology in the areas of networking and infrastructure, security, analytics and data management, applications, and systems integration. IoT solution providers: These are vendors that have emerged to deliver solutions focused specifically on IoT. Some of these vendors can deliver IoT platforms, which provide customers with technology aimed at solving challenges around device connectivity, management, and security; data aggregation and orchestration; application development; and data management and analytics. Other IoT vendors focus on the edge device, chipset, and OS aspects of IoT systems. Service providers and mobile technology players: Many existing participants of the wireless and mobility ecosystem operators, chipset developers, and networking and equipment OEMs are now part of an expanded information communications technology (ICT) value chain that is working in concert with other enterprise-facing vendors to deliver cohesive IoT solutions for customers. Source: Enterprise Strategy Group, 2016

4 Solution Showcase: HPE and IoT Services 4 Industrial technology companies: Companies that have built products and provided services around specific industries such as manufacturing, transportation, utilities and energy, automotive, building automation, etc. are increasingly becoming involved in sector- and use-case-specific IoT solutions. Many larger industrial technology firms are investing internally to become increasingly digital as the lines between IT and OT blur. This can be overwhelming for IoT decision makers, as they need to understand how their existing vendor partners (on both IT and OT sides) are addressing IoT, while evaluating the need for incorporating new vendor solutions into the mix. The reality is that there is no one-stop shop for IoT solutions; however, there is a need for enterprises to have the right guidance to identify the right mix of solution providers, integrate multiple technologies, and support and manage the system once it s been built. End-to-end Solutions Require IoT Services So how can organizations pursuing IoT initiatives identify business transformation opportunities, integrate legacy and emerging technologies, and navigate an evolving ecosystem? This is where a set of IoT services is needed to address the three specific elements that organizations should consider when embarking on IoT initiatives: innovate, build/transform, and run. Innovate: The innovation phase is ultimately about facilitating business process and technology change to achieve a positive business outcome. It involves making the case for organization change by examining how the business benefits of IoT (organizational efficiency, customer engagement, new products and services, and new business models) can be realized. The innovation phase requires internal assessment of business objectives and current technology, as well as an external view toward the competitive environment and critical gaps. Moving from innovation concepts to the next phase of building solutions may require some combination of services such as technical and architectural roadmaps; development of proof of concepts (POCs); economic validation such as ROI or TCO analysis; and solution design. Ultimately this will require identifying the potential tradeoffs and the right balance among business goals against the cost and ability to execute from a technological perspective. Build/Transform: This is where the heavy lifting of technology integration occurs for IoT solutions. Critically, it involves the coordination of IT and OT infrastructure including data center, cloud infrastructure, networking, and storage. Organizations also must consider how IoT will be secured across several dimensions: protecting the thing/device or endpoint from intrusion; securing network connections; and securing and encrypting data as it moves through the IoT architecture. Further, since data is the ultimatel value of IoT, solutions must address analytics design and big data strategies. Finally, IoT initiatives require more than just technology. Does the solution extend across international borders? This has implications for solution scale, as well as regulatory and compliance considerations. This phase not only includes the integration of bestof-breed technology that aligns with IoT solution design, but also the identification of and partnering with the right solution providers. Run: Of course, once an IoT solution is built, it still needs to be operationalized, managed, and maintained. This includes end-to-end solution support across all dimensions of the IoT system, which could incorporate vendor management. Given the transformational nature of IoT initiatives, change management will be an important consideration for organizations as they implement solutions. Additionally, organizations will want to explore multiple financial models for deploying IoT solutions, including equipment leasing options or buy-on-behalf agreements with solution providers.

5 Solution Showcase: HPE and IoT Services 5 Key Considerations in Selecting the Right IoT Services Partner While there is no single vendor that can comprehensively deliver all components of an IoT solution, it becomes critical for decision makers to identify a trusted partner who can steer them through the IoT journey. When evaluating a trusted service partner for IoT, enterprises should consider the following competencies: Innovation process: Does the partner have a proven model for identifying business transformation opportunities for IoT, as well as prioritizing initiatives against real-world technical scenarios? And can partners design concepts that can be executed as projects move to the build and integration phase? Industry expertise: Does the partner understand the organization s industry, and specific use cases for IoT? For example, although opportunities for operational efficiency, customer engagement, etc., can be found across many (if not all) industry sectors, the manner in which they are achieved may be different for each. Manufacturing may have different requirements from health care, transportation, or retail. Furthermore, the integration challenges and requirements between IT and OT will differ depending upon industry. Integration experience: Integration of multiple technologies and partner solutions is imperative in IoT solutions. Does the partner have experience with integrating technology across multiple dimensions, including infrastructure, networking, security, and analytics? Partner breadth and depth: Has the IoT services provider established tested partnerships across the multiple technology domains? Have they implemented real-world solutions with partners? And is there enough depth of partnerships where they can identify best-of-breed technologies that are relevant to the organization s specific solution and do they have sufficient neutrality to make the right recommendations for their initiative? End-to-end coordination: Is the partner focused on the full breadth of the IoT solution (even if they don t bring their own technology across all domains)? Do they understand the specific challenges from the edge all the way to the data center? Or are they only competent along one or a few pieces of the IoT value chain? Scale: Can the services partner deliver solutions at scale? Even if the initial implementation is small, can they help the organization grow rapidly if they desire? Can they operate globally to support large enterprise needs? No one IoT solution provider can deliver on every component on its own. However, organizations can strive to identify a partner who can deliver a set of IoT services that guides them through the process from innovation through build to run. This list of competencies is a starting point for evaluating the right partner for end-to-end IoT services.

6 Solution Showcase: HPE and IoT Services 6 FIGURE 2. HPE s Services Approach for IoT Transformation The Bigger Truth Source: HPE, 2016 The Internet of Things holds enormous transformational potential to unlock business value in the form of operational efficiencies, better and differentiated customer service, creation of new products and services, and development of new business models. However, IoT initiatives, due to their complexity, create new challenges for businesses. Organizations must first identify how to achieve business transformation through IoT. This will require an understanding of specific IoT use cases, as well as evaluating the real-world tradeoffs between business objectives and technology requirements. Solutions must be designed to actually move from concept to implementation. Implementation of IoT requires integration of multiple technologies from the edge to the core of the enterprise. This necessitates evaluation of the right technology across infrastructure, compute, networking, security, and analytics. And it also involves the coordination of multiple vendors that provide technology solutions across the IoT value chain. Once a solution is designed and built, it must be operationalized. This includes management, maintenance, and a roadmap to evolve and expand if necessary. When planning IoT initiatives, decision makers must consider services as a critical component to creating a complete endto-end IoT system. Enterprises should evaluate IoT services partners on their ability to navigate them through the entire IoT journey from innovate through build/transform to run. Qualities that an effective IoT services partner bring include industry and innovation expertise; integration capabilities; a strong partner ecosystem; an understanding of end-to-end IoT technology requirements; and the ability to deliver enterprise-scale solutions. By selecting the right partner, organizations can harness the power of IoT to significantly transform their business. All trademark names are property of their respective companies. Information contained in this publication has been obtained by sources The Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) considers to be reliable but is not warranted by ESG. This publication may contain opinions of ESG, which are subject to change. This publication is copyrighted by The Enterprise Strategy Group, Inc. Any reproduction or redistribution of this publication, in whole or in part, whether in hard-copy format, electronically, or otherwise to persons not authorized to receive it, without the express consent of The Enterprise Strategy Group, Inc., is in violation of U.S. copyright law and will be subject to an action for civil damages and, if applicable, criminal prosecution. Should you have any questions, please contact ESG Client Relations at