Skills Shortages, Project Complexities and Security Challenges Holding Back IoT Adoption: Microsoft Report

by | Aug 8, 2019

IoT, Microsoft

Microsoft has launched a new report – IoT Signals – that provides an industry pulse on the state of IoT adoption to help inform how the company can better serve its partners and customers, as well as help business leaders in development of their own IoT strategies. Microsoft surveyed more than 3,000 IoT decision-makers in enterprise organizations to give the industry a holistic, market-level view of the IoT ecosystem, including adoption rates, related technology trends, challenges and benefits of IoT.

The study found is that while IoT adoption is on the rise and opening the door to business transformation, companies are being held back by skills shortages, project complexity and security challenges. To summarize the findings:

  1. IoT is seen as profitable and critical to business success and is creating opportunities to leverage more advanced cloud and networking technologies.
  2. Nearly all respondents (97%) have security concerns when implementing IoT, but this is not hindering adoption.
  3. There is a skills gap for IoT solutions which is compounded by solution complexity.

IDC expects that by 2025 there will be 41.6 billion connected IoT devices or “things,” generating more than 79 zettabytes (ZB) of data. These billions of devices are creating unprecedented visibility into a business leading to a transformation of operations, energy, products and workplace safety, to name just a few areas.

Looking Ahead: Recommendations for a Successful IoT Strategy

With security concerns mounting and IoT becoming more complex with the rise of AI, 5G and edge capabilities, how can companies create a digital strategy to transform their business with IoT successfully? Microsoft partnered with the BCG Group to narrow down the seven key ingredients for success:

  • Business strategy and rationale
  • Leadership and organization
  • Technology roadmap planning
  • Talent
  • Operations and core business processes
  • Partnerships and ecosystem
  • Security as foundational

To know more about this, read this blog by Sam George – Head of Azure IoT.

More IoT stories on Digital Creed

Podcast: Dr. Rishi Mohan Bhatnagar on the Future of IoT and 5G in India

How Piramal Glass is using an IoT platform and RTMI to revolutionize specialty glass manufacturing

Microsoft will invest $5 billion in IoT over the next 4 years globally

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Brian Pereira
Brian Pereira
Brian Pereira is an Indian journalist and editor based in Mumbai. He founded Digital Creed in 2015. A technology buff, former computer instructor, and software developer, Brian has 30 years of journalism experience (since 1994). Brian is also the former Editor of CHIP India, InformationWeek India and CISO Mag. He has written for India's leading newspapers such as The Times of India and The Indian Express. Presently, he serves the Information Security Media Group, as Sr. Executive Editor. You'll find his most current work on CIO Inc. Brian writes on a wide range of topics like aviation, drones, cybersecurity, tech startups, cloud, data center, AI/ML/Gen AI, IoT, Blockchain etc. He is also a certified security professional - EC-Council and ISC2. Follow Brian on Twitter (@creed_digital) and LinkedIn. Email Brian at: [email protected]
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