In the telecommunications world, each new year presents new opportunities, challenges, and possibilities. The businesses aiming to have the most success will do so by discovering the best technology strategy.
It’s never too early to begin anticipating what will arise in such a high-tech space which is ever-evolving, and it’s imperative that business leaders explore all options when it comes to the solutions and services they utilize.
With this in mind, Call One’s executive team joined forces to share their predictions for 2017. In part one of this series they examine the benefits and challenges the Internet of Things (IoT) presents for both small-to mid-sized businesses and Internet service providers.
The IoT has seen extraordinary growth in 2016 and will continue to do so in 2017. Research firm, Gartner, predicted that the IoT market would consist of 6.4 billion connected devices in 2016 and 20.8 billion by 2020. How does this benefit businesses?
According to Call One Chief Executive Officer, Chris Surdenik, in 2017 business leaders will have a greater ability to control more things on the go. It will allow monitoring from anywhere and enable any administrator, manager or director to be on top of their business at any time.
“Now, with the Internet of Things, I can check in, monitor, arm or disarm an alarm system – whatever I need to do,” Surdenik stated.
Surdenik also affirms the IoT growth endorses interconnected systems which grants the ability to more intelligently manage the business. No longer are the days of needing to physically be at each location to ensure all is running properly. Monitoring, upgrades, and adjustments can be done remotely saving a business owner both time, money and sanity.
Ed Wynn, Call One’s Executive Chairman, finds this to be a huge benefit. Wynn explains in this time constrained culture everyone lives in, people are always in search of ways to get more done in less time.
“Where we see technology going helps able achievement of the goal of time compression,” said Wynn.
The IoT market doesn’t only benefit businesses and organizations. Internet service providers are taking advantage as well. The theme of time compression is just as relevant to said providers as it is to businesses.
Call One Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Derrick Havis, contends the time it takes to alleviate an issue has now decreased.
According to Havis, “It is now easier for internet service providers to diagnose and fix issues in this world, which allows for us to deliver a better customer experience.,”
All of this sounds great, so what are the IoT downfalls? Businesses will need to ensure they have an appropriate network in place to interact with all of those things in the IoT. This may include a massive and complicated transition from Internet Protcol version 4 (IPv4) to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).
“We’re talking about a 32-bit address versus a 128-bit address and IPv6 is done in hexa-decimal in order to make enough IP addresses for all these smart devices that [Wynn] was referring to with the internet of things in order to keep them all interconnected. We’re talking about complexities rising from a networking standpoint to degrees we’re just starting to scratch the surface on,” Surdenik said.
Another issue that businesses may face is having the technical know-how and the money to replace older equipment for the next generation of IP. Having the right people, with the right knowledge, to ensure as smooth a transition as possible is not something that every company can guarantee. In addition, the cost of conversion of older equipment to transition from IPv4 to IPv6 is higher simply based on the number of devices in circulation.Havis explained, “Five years ago, the only thing in the office that was IP were the computers. Now it’s every phone, every fax, every postage machine – everything.”
These issues can create some challenges for internet service providers as well. With all the complexities that an IPv4 to IPv6 transition can bring, in addition to the need for a capable and appropriate network, internet service providers will have pressure to help ease the pains that businesses might feel.
“it’s incumbent upon us to make sure that our network management on the back side of this is all managed professionally and perfectly. We have to make sure that’s all covered from a security standpoint, from a bandwidth standpoint, from an interconnections standpoint – all of these need to happen,” concluded Surdenik.