By Bob Slevin, Director of Product Marketing for IoT at OpenText

Enterprise IoT Deployments Will Continue to Expand

From predictive maintenance to pervasive visibility, IoT applications have proven its weight in gold, which is why it comes as no surprise that the Industrial IoT market is valued at over $770 billion by 2026.

In 2019, the type and range of IIoT devices grew significantly, giving rise to new generations of intelligent IIoT sensors, IIoT software and industrial IoT platforms. Consequently, there is now the intelligence and computer power to enable a whole raft of new IIoT use cases to radically transform many industry sectors.

So what can we expect in 2020? As we approach the end of this year, we take the time to evaluate the trends that will unfold in the brand new year. Here are my two key predictions for IoT trends in 2020 that organizations should note to ensure the successful deployment of their IoT applications.

1. Security will remain a challenge and barrier to broad, enterprise adoption of IoT

Enterprises will continue to struggle with the integration and security implications of disparate Information Technology (IT) / Operational Technology (OT) solutions deployed to solve specific tactical use cases in 2020. The introduction of IoT wearable devices, for example, whether under the auspices of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) or as a part of a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy, will highlight how data segregation and advanced governance will become needed for every person, system and thing attached to a corporate network in the near future.

Due to this need, wearable devices such as PPE will follow a new and improved response plan to unsafe conditions, especially in high-risk industries such as oil and gas, nuclear energy or government research.

In 2020, we will see IoT-enabled PPE form a "permitted uniform" that can deliver a multi-factor authentication. This will ensure more secure steps are in place to provide approved personnel access to hazardous environments and to track their whereabouts in the event of a plant-wide event.

2. Integration of early LOB IoT deployments will pave the way for enterprise IoT platforms to manage, govern and extend tactical data for further analysis

Utilities and other enterprises that have multiple Lines of Business (LOB) or OT deployments leveraging IoT are struggling to integrate and extend their data beyond its original systems. Each department has its own tactical mission and IoT has been providing the data to deliver on each mission.

Yet, when seeking to utilize data from another out-of-department system, departments will face challenges to do this securely without interrupting initial data stream value that must remain isolated. As a result, we will see wider enterprise IoT adoption in 2020, helping to accomplish this secure integration and data collaboration across operating technology silos.

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About the Author

Bob Slevin is the Director of Product Marketing for IoT at OpenText. Bob is an Internet of Things (IoT) architect and evangelist with more than 25 years' experience in telecommunications spanning Military and Private sectors. He has collaborated with partners to deploy millions of connected devices across business and consumer markets. An IoT thought leader with an MBA in Technology Management, Bob is focused on identifying business challenges and building innovative solutions to improve operational efficiencies, drive growth and mitigate risks.