An estimated 50.1 billion “things” are expected to be connected to the internet by 2020, according to CompTIA’s Sizing Up the Internet of Things research report. That translates to more than six connected devices or sensors per person worldwide. Consider the implications of that statistic from an IT industry professional’s point of view: the potential “points of failure” are astronomical. With so many devices, sensors, connections, applications and communications, logic (and the law of averages) dictates that a fair number of system breaches will originate with these technologies.

Of course, that’s both a concern and opportunity for those in the channel. 47% of the survey respondents believe the opportunities presented by IoT justify the hype, but slightly more (53%) still say it’s more hype than substance at this point in time. The business case for IoT is certainly still a work in progress, with a growing number of vendors and providers evangelizing the prospects of these technologies. Both groups have been working feverishly to develop the infrastructure as well as the vertical market-specific applications that are just begging to drive overall demand. The opportunities are coming, especially for those who take a more holistic view of the technology offerings.  

Those who have been successful with IoT offer more comprehensive solutions and support options Consider this: the solutions that incorporate RFID tags or smart cards (think E-ZPass) have been around for years, and the IT firms that have prospered with those technologies generally do deeper and broader with their infrastructure support, with a wider portfolio of services. As the industry rolls out more advanced IoT-related offerings, the end users’ need for these high-level experts is likely to rise exponentially. IT firms following the “plug and play” solution approach, with few or no customization options for their clients, could struggle to gain traction (and profits) as this market heats up.     

The Biggest Differentiator is…

Quite a number of these internet-connected solutions are focused on the consumer side, from baby monitors that provide real time health data to medication caps that alert family members if prescription schedules are missed and refills are needed (they can notify the pharmacy as well). While a very useful first step, IoT has much more to offer. It could drive the manufacturing plant of the future, handling everything from order input to inventory management and quality control. A properly configured arrangement of sensors, computing/communication devices and applications could process all the information and manage the machinery efficiently; adjusting output and equipment settings in the blink of an eye.    

The capabilities of these platforms are practically limitless, and the vast majority of these innovations are expected to come from vendors that have not traditionally been involved in technology solutions. Many of those companies will rely on IT professionals who can turn their ideas into useful, fully-functioning business-enablement platforms. That includes everything from the design and implementation processes to their long-term support and maintenance needs.

Of course, security skills will be a key differentiator for solution providers, especially when the vendors and the businesses adopting these IoT technologies have little experience (or interest) in network and data protection schemes. With so much information being generated, collected and analyzed, and so many potential devices and sensors connected through various networks and systems, IoT presents a perfect target for hackers and other evildoers.

The data has to be highly available and every system must be tightly protected. Security is at the top of IoT policy concerns list, according to the CompTIA research. With the projected growth of connected devices and the corresponding increase in potential vulnerabilities, protection methodologies simply have to be flawless.

IT services professionals can truly differentiate themselves by being the IoT security specialists their clients need. Those who understand the robust safeguards needed to support this infrastructure will be in high demand, as will those who can develop and service every aspect of these systems.

Don’t overlook what the Internet of Things could mean for your IT services firm, as well as what it could mean for your clients’ long-term business plans. According to the research, the future of IoT starts now. Those who hope to capitalize on the opportunities it presents have to get started very quickly ─ there’s simply no time to lose.