8 Things Partners Need To Know About Dell's New IoT Effort

Dell’s recently signed Internet of Things agreement with several independent software vendors that will soon form the basis of an IoT-focused overlay to its PartnerDirect channel partner program, the vendor says.

The agreement includes several tiers of ISVs, about 30 so far, which include GE, SAP, Software AG, Microsoft, OSIsoft, Azeti, Blue Pillar, Datawatch, Eigen Innovations, Flowthings, Flutura, GE, Kepware, Lynx Software, OSIsoft, Relayr, and ThingWorx.

The aim of the program is to create and present a unified IoT strategy to a fragmented market in order to help customers identify the technologies that will best serve their needs. Dell partners tell IT Best of Breed that the company's effort will help partners get into a space they know they'll have to play in.

Jason Shepherd, Dell’s director of IoT strategy and partnerships, said the ability to scale is important to partner success in the IoT market, even though many partners begin with a regional focus. "We realize that channels in the IoT market are sometimes even more regionally focused than traditional IT, but scale is important," Shepherd said, especially as partners advance through the tiers of Dell's program.

And Dell IoT execs say the market is becoming fertile ground for channel partners that approach the opportunity the right way. The following outline eight important aspects of the effort, as well as a few things Dell says it needs from its partners in order to make the most of the opportunity.

8. It’s Built Around Dell Edge Gateway

The Dell Edge IoT gateway allows users to collect, analyze and make decisions about IoT data at the edge of the network. It also supports Windows 10, and is Microsoft Azure-certified for IoT. Dell says Gateway offers seamless, secure interaction with the Azure IoT suite, which allows partners and customers to get IoT-related projects running quickly.

7. Use Case Blueprints

Dell and the ISVs are creating use case blueprints to help customers speed up IoT projects and make sense of the ISV landscape. Dell, Kepware and Software AG are collaborating to develop IoT-enabled predictive maintenance models to address operational challenges such as unplanned downtime, equipment effectiveness, maintenance cost and return on assets, opening opportunities for partners to move beyond just IT and help customers with their business problems.

6. Domain Expertise

Dell’s IoT efforts are focused on commercial and industrial use cases, including building automation, remote asset management, energy management, fleet management and logistics. Shepherd said the company's channel partners should build their expertise in these areas, too.

5. Utilities For Utilities

With Microsoft and Blue Pillar, Dell is developing automated demand response solutions, which help utilities maintain grid reliability and allow ratepayers to realize value through the dispatch of on-site power generation or reduction in energy consumption. The idea is that customers will cut costs through demand-response technology and reduce operational risks through proactive notification from a utility of potential power disruptions.

Partners that work with utility companies could see significant upside with the program as more of those customers turn to IoT to improve operations.

4. Environmental Studies

Shepherd said partners that will succeed with IoT will be those that become familiar with the demands of installing equipment in industrial environments, not just in data centers. That includes networking experience, especially with industrial standards such as BACnet, Modbus and OPC, and experience with SCADA systems, Shepherd said.

3. On The Edge

Dell and SAP are collaborating to bring business to the network's edge with models designed to help meet operational challenges such as business continuity and overall equipment effectiveness, and, by extension, control maintenance costs and improve return on assets.

2. Tight Relationships

Existing relationships with other IoT solution providers are key to partners’ success, Shepherd said; for example, a systems integrator that has relationships with telcos or ISVs, or an OEM that already has a network of system integrators for deployment. "We'll help our partners build these relationships with each other through the partner program, too," Shepherd said.

1. Handling Heat In Industrial Environments

Dell is also touting the resilience of its Edge Gateway 5100 model in t¬he wide temperature ranges found in the industrial environments where they're often deployed. It has also launched five new accessories for the Edge Gateways that are available to partners looking to help customers with their IoT plans. Those products include input/output and power expansion modules, ZigBee module, CAN bus card, and IP65-rated rugged enclosure. Dell has also introduced new cloud-based manageability software, the Edge Device Manager (EDM), which provides centralized reporting and control of edge gateways from a single cloud-based console.