The Battle of the IoT Platforms is over. Now focus on building apps!

The Battle of the IoT Platforms is over. Now focus on building apps!

In 2015, I wrote an article about the Battle of the IoT Platforms. 2017 has come, and there isn't - and will probably never be - a single winner of that Battle.


However, the many market share studies and analyst reports regularly highlight the same 4 or 5 leading providers of IoT platforms.

Unsurprisingly, they all are among the world's largest software vendors, because only they have already invested - and have the financial capacity to continue investing - hundreds of millions of dollars in device connectivity, rapid app development, analytics, and augmented reality technologies.


Enterprises around the world, from startups to large multinationals, can safely pick one - or more* - of these 4 or 5 platforms/technologies to confidently build and deploy their connected solutions.

* indeed, some IoT platforms nicely complement and run on top of others.


In 2017 and further, these 4 or 5 IoT platform leaders will continue battling to take a bigger share of a market poised to grow to $1.6 billion by 2021.


Their goal will remain the same: enabling their partners and customers to easily build compelling connected solutions, and bring those to market faster than the competition.


"Compelling Connected Solutions" : that is what all enterprises should focus on building in 2017, should they want to stay in business in this digital age. Because the world does not need another IoT platform...

Fred Simkin

Developing and delivering knowledge based automated decisioning solutions for the Industrial and Agricultural spaces.

7y

The title got it right but then we just got some more "platform speak" where's the discussion of application development tool sets?

Gianluca Dianese, MBA

Senior Program Management Specialist (EMA)

7y

I could not agree more! At the very end the real value is given by "what you can do with them (the platform)", so let's build more and more meaningful use cases.

Arto Makkonen

Head of Sales Excellence, New Markets

7y

Agree - there are a handful of very good platform picks out there and sticking with one of the leaders is a future proof strategy

Luc Perard

Map your software inner workings!

7y

I agree with you, Jaume Rey. All enterprises have business challenges that IoT can solve TODAY. Connected solutions are exactly about solving those challenges. However, 99% of enterprises will not build those connected solutions themselves: they will buy them from solution providers. As a consequence, 99% of enterprises couldn't care less about which IoT platform the connected solutions they're buying are built upon, or which sensors, gateways, or connectivity they are running upon: they simply buy what best meet and adapt to their evolving needs, at the lowest possible TCO. To be successful, a connected solution provider better picks the best tool to be capable of building and deploying its solutions faster than its competitors, evolving them as fast as the needs and technologies change, all of this in a secure and scalable fashion. The 4-5 IoT platform providers, regularly ranked at the top or placed in upper-right quadrants, offer connected solution providers such tools. Those tools increase development velocity while reducing complexity, and are getting simpler and simpler to use. And their commercial model keeps evolving to follow the solutions' life cycle.

To view or add a comment, sign in

Insights from the community

Others also viewed

Explore topics