Author: Blog Poster

Data is everything in today’s digital world. Simply put, those businesses without the means to accurately extract data from their processes adapt more slowly than those that do. And in a world with increasing customer expectations and constantly evolving technology, gaining access to this information is no longer just a choice.

There is a bright side to this situation, though. As technology becomes more accessible, so do your options for implementing and creating successful digital strategies. Today’s leading platforms like Microsoft Azure IoT are not only easier to deploy, but also more flexible in their requirements and maintenance, giving your company the choice of executing them in the way that best aligns with your objectives.

Subscribe now to learn how digital transformation and the IoT can put you in total control of your business, as well as how you can get started with Microsoft.

View: Measure value, efficiency, and cost effectiveness with accurate, real-time data. Subscribe now to learn more about Microsoft Azure IoT.

Many companies would view competing in industries where labor-intensive tasks, disconnected data sources, and paper-based processes are the norm as a hard challenge. Others, like Finning—the world’s largest Caterpillar dealer—saw this as an opportunity to disrupt and innovate within the construction industry through digital transformation.

Watch this video to learn how Finning collaborated with a Microsoft Gold Partner to enable the unification of disparate data sources using IoT devices, and how this strategy allowed the company to substantially upgrade its customer service experience.

By now, you’re very aware of the hugely successful IoT implementations some companies have released into the market. Wearables, smartphones, smart cars, and even smart traffic lights have made headlines across the world. But what about the stuff that doesn’t make headlines? Some IoT applications—such as those we use around the office—may not be as exciting as others, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t as useful or interesting.

In this article, you’ll learn about IoT applications that are revolutionizing the workplace and how each of them can add value to products and services we didn’t even know could be automated. From coffee machines to smart office heat mapping, these are 8 ways your office could be getting smarter in the near future.

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Imagine you’ve worked hard to plan and strategize your IoT roadmap. You’ve finally established what devices you want to connect and how you’re going to use that data to drive growth for your business. You’ve also convinced the board and other stakeholders about your strategy and have gotten the green light to begin ASAP. So you’re all set, right? Well, not exactly. What’s missing is one of the most challenging and crucial steps for most companies—one that can completely make or break your entire initiative: choosing the correct platform on which to execute your IoT program.

Ideally, you want a platform that allows devices to connect seamlessly —of course—but you also need flexibility, scalability, security, and the ability to transform data into dashboards to obtain insights.

In this infographic, you’ll learn how Microsoft IoT Central meets all of these requirements while delivering an intuitive and highly customizable UI that can and will adapt to your business, not the other way around.

View: Create a connected business powered by Microsoft

The IoT is changing today’s organizations into digital businesses. It’s also creating innovative business models, boosting efficiency, and fostering engagement in both employees and customers. Change is not always smooth, however. Sometimes the only way to adapt and stay relevant is by radically reinventing the way things have been done in the past, which can be a painful process for some companies.

There are other barriers to entry for IoT as well: most enterprises don’t know where to start implementing the technology; moreover, if strategies do exist, there’s almost always a conflict regarding who owns them. During these discussions, it’s the job of the CIO to fill the resulting IoT leadership void.

This book provides CIOs and IT leaders with a solid foundation for starting business conversations, developing initiatives, and creating successful IoT strategies with a quick time-to-market. Subscribe now to download your copy.

View: Leading the IoT: Gartner insights on how to lead in a connected world

Every role within an organization needs specific tools and data to do their job as best they can. This task is more complex than it sounds, though. Without the required scalability and customization options, even small businesses can struggle when obtaining relevant information, let alone large, multinational corporations.

If done right, however, the payoff is well worth it. Companies gain access to previously untapped data sources and the ability to filter such data according to each person’s role within the organization. When combined with the right integrated productivity tools and digital collaboration software, this allows for unparalleled levels of adaptability, efficiency, and risk management.

In this video, you’ll learn how Finning has utilized IoT to connect its entire organization, enabling each person to view relevant data depending on their role within the company.

As author Peter Daisyme accurately puts it, “While many people debate whether little computers in wrist devices, clothing, refrigerators and vehicles will truly change our lives, actionable change is already occurring on the business application side of the IoT.” Regardless of which side of the argument you’re on, the impact the IoT is having in our societies at a macro level is undeniable.

While you’re reading this, devices that measure and predict air pollution, vehicle traffic levels, machine failure rates, fire warnings, and crime rates are being employed to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. And as cities and businesses become more interconnected by the hour, we’ll find more and more useful ways in which the IoT can help us better utilize our resources and lift the burden we put on our environment.

In this article, you’ll gain deeper insights into how IoT devices are being used by companies and governments alike to obtain accurate data across many potentially life-saving use cases. You’ll also learn about what the future holds in store for us as cities powered by artificial intelligence become near-sentient beings capable of reacting in real time to the habits and living conditions of their inhabitants.

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IoT is quickly becoming the most important business revolution of the digital age, with its implications being felt across all industries worldwide. However, unlocking the true potential of IoT requires not only a clear roadmap with specific objectives, but also a solid front-end and back-end infrastructure that’s capable of making sense of the data obtained. It’s for this reason that both public and private organizations sometimes struggle when implementing a successful IoT strategy and fail to reach the desired return-on-investment (ROI).

To address the risks you may encounter with IoT, we’ve created this short, insightful infographic. After reading it, you’ll have a better idea of the tools and actions you should be executing during each of the three stages of IoT implementation to overcome challenges and maximize effectiveness. You’ll also obtain a straightforward checklist that your teams can refer to when establishing or optimizing their strategies.

View: The 3 phases of an effective IoT strategy

Digital technology has forever changed the dynamics between customers and companies. Companies must continually reinvent their business by going one step ahead of ever-evolving digital trends or risk becoming silent observers while their industry is led by other businesses more adept at digital transformation.

Subscribe now to learn how your business can leave behind inefficient processes, duplicate tasks, and a reliance on physical workplace tools to become an active player in today’s digital game.

View: Replace labor redundancy and manual tasks with digital efficiency. Subscribe now to learn more.

In 2015, Finning decided to upgrade its customer experience strategy. The goal: to double down on interconnectivity and integration by using IoT devices to obtain data from all available touchpoints.

Watch this video to learn how Finning managed to overcome two of the construction industry’s main challenges—disconnected data and paper-based processes—and reap the benefits of digital transformation with Azure IoT.