Telenor Makes Some IoT Predictions

Telenor Connexion partnered with telecoms consultant Northstream (which is quite fond of predictions) to come up with five predictions, which probably means it got Northstream to do 99% of the work and then stuck its name at the end of it. For some reason they decided to conflate IoT with digital transformation – perhaps they could only think of three or four IoT ones. Anyway here they are.

1. Enterprise data will take the lead in data trading

Enterprises will generate loads of IoT data and they’re not as uptight about things like privacy as consumers so they can flog it to whoever they want.

2. Digital value will be unlocked faster

The work done by IoT trailblazers has lowered the barriers to entry for newcomers, which in turn will result in greater innovation.

3. Connectivity will be at the centre of digital product innovation

Right now connectivity is still a bit of an afterthought when developing digital products but increasingly it will be factored in right at the start.

4. Connectivity will push eCommerce even further

Logistics are improved by better connectivity, which in turn improves the service offered by ecommerce companies.

5. Managed connectivity will be even more important

As industries become ever more dependent on connectivity, the importance of reliability will increase.

As luck would have it Telenor Connexion can help with all this. “Beyond simply connecting products, Telenor Connexion is dedicated to helping our customers identify the business value in connectivity,” said Mats Lundquist, CEO at Telenor Connexion. “This report is part of that commitment, designed to help enterprises find their way in an evolving business landscape.”

“The business landscape is changing rapidly, which means all types of companies need to consider where they fit in to new digital business processes.” said Bengt Nordström, CEO at Northstream. “With this analysis we also want to highlight the challenge for businesses to face digital transformation on their own – and thus the need to build partnerships with other actors in the ecosystem.”

While it predates 5G, IoT is considered one of the major commercial justifications for moving to the next generation of wireless technology. Not only are the enterprise applications of it easier to monetise, they’re also more likely to be genuinely useful than smart plat pots or whatever. But it’s all about the big data at the end of the day.―Telecoms