Organizations are moving past pilot projects and toward scalable deployments of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, according to a survey from International Data Corp. (IDC).
The firm said initial results from its 2016 Global IoT Decision Maker Survey show that the market is pivoting away from proof-of-concept projects to scalable IoT deployments that are incorporating cloud, analytics, and security capabilities.
Among the key findings from the report: 31% of the more than 4,500 organizations worldwide surveyed in July and August 2016 have launched IoT solutions, with an additional 43% looking to deploy in the next 12 months; and 55% of respondents see IoT as strategic to their business as a means to compete more effectively.
While security and privacy and upfront and ongoing costs are top concerns for decision makers, the lack of internal skills is a new, top concern for organizations looking to deploy an IoT solution.
Improving productivity, cutting costs, and automating internal processes are viewed as top benefits of an IoT solution, according to the study. This highlights an internal and operational focus by organizations over the short term as opposed to external, customer-facing benefits, it noted.
"Setting strategies, finding budgets, and supporting IoT solutions have contributed to an ongoing tussle between line of business (LOB) executives and CIOs,” said Vernon Turner, senior vice president of enterprise systems and IDC fellow for the Internet of Things.
“However, that race may be over, because in many cases LOBs are now both leading the discussions and either paying in full or sharing the costs of IoT initiatives with the CIOs," Turner said.
