8 ways IoT is redefining the telecommunications ecosystem
The Internet of Things (IoT) is changing how we work, how we live, how we get value from our belongings and assets, and even how government and society function. And the connectivity layer for the IoT is usually provided by the telecommunications system, which means it will consequently become part of an ecosystem.
Looking at the way analytics is reaching deeper into the telecommunications industry, it seems IoT is one of the strongest forces for reimagining long-held beliefs. Here are my top eight:
This may sound like playing with words, but I think there is a genuine difference, and it is about focus and philosophy. Up to now, the telecoms industry has, as a whole, focused on making money out of its customers. It has not been thinking long-term, or about cost, control, convenience and co-creation. In the emerging IoT-enabled world, companies will succeed by working in partnership with customers to generate value for both parties by thinking about all these issues, or rather possibilities. This requires a change in mindset, sooner rather than later.
Crucially, telecoms operators will need to improve their analytics capacity to generate insights into network issues faster, or even before they happen, to enable predictive maintenance to improve network quality and keep cost down. Reliable network services delivery requires rapid assessment of the situation and effective decision making, followed by action. Automation and real-time analytics capabilities will be even more essential in the networks based on new technologies like 5G, SDN and NFV, where quality and dynamic intelligent capacity allocation are core requirements for services like autonomous cars, heart rate surveillance or diabetes pumps.
When we talk about the telecoms ecosystem, many people may still be thinking about operators, infrastructure providers and customers. However, the data generated from mobile devices and wearables connected to mobile and other telecoms networks has huge potential in other sectors, which some operators have started to explore. This means that the traditional concept of the “telecoms ecosystem” may soon become as outdated as the idea of only having a landline. Already the telecoms ecosystem for some operators’ partners in insurance and smart homes are all connected via the IoT, and I think the potential to find many new ways to increase value is endless.
Telecoms networks look likely to be the glue that cements together the IoT.
