I hear this phrase a lot when we present the IoT opportunity in partner training sessions. Some partners get fed up of hearing the latest buzz word. They immediately think of smart meters when we reference the predicted 28 billion devices to be connected globally over the next three years. When we get to the part about the worldwide market for IoT solutions predicted to be worth £5.6 trillion, they have switched off completely because they don’t believe they will see a penny of it.
Current opportunities
Other partners in the room are engaged. They have customers connecting mobiles, tablets and routers to 4G already. They are productising satellite replacement services in rural areas of traditionally poor fixed line services and are offering cost-effective 4G replacements. They have customers wanting short-term connectivity contracts for temporary offices on building sites and have customers with recording equipment travelling abroad at a moment’s notice. They have the knowledge and experience in-house to create bespoke solutions, sourcing hardware from multiple suppliers and already have JolaMobile SIMs and Mobile Manager.
Future opportunities
These partners have forward-thinking customers looking to connect other devices such as CCTV cameras and vending machines and are asking about fixed IPs. CCTV customers are asking to view their cameras remotely over the internet in real-time. Vending machines now take cashless payments and can be managed remotely to check they are working. Low stock alerts are sent in real-time. The ability to connect devices to the internet has changed behaviour, increased efficiency and improved the customer experience.
Jola are productising simple IoT solutions so partners can service customers in areas of poor fixed line connectivity with faster, more reliable 4G services. We are testing routers, have a range of cost-effective data packages and bolt-ons and have developed Mobile Manager for partners and their end users to be able to set up alerts and add bolt-ons to help avoid high monthly overage charges. We have fixed IP SIMs in the pipeline on Vodafone and O2 networks.
Whether you are engaged by the term or not, if you have customers who could benefit from solutions available, speak to Jola.
