Fujitsu CTO: IoT Is A Tech Issue Not A Business Problem

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a technology issue not a business one, Fujitsu’s chief technology officer, Dr Joseph Reger has declared, flying in the face of other industry rhetoric.

Just a few weeks ago Microsoft declared the IoT to be a business revolution masquerading as a technology issue. But speaking at a Fujitsu Forum 2016 in Munich, Reger appears to rubbish such a declaration.

“IoT is not a business issue; IoT is a technology issue,” he said. “The business side is digital transformation and that’s important.”

Technology adoption versus digital transformation

Reger claimed the IoT is more about accelerating the adoption of modern technologies and doctrines such as connected devices, cloud computing, advanced cyber security and the use of big data.

But he said the championing of IoT as the way to bring about so-called digital transformation, runs the risk of losing the attention of enterprises in technology issues and jargon.

“This is not just mixing words; this is a very important distinction because the world’s confused with these terms and they are using them interchangeable and I think its chaos,” he explained.

“Vendors are trying to sell to the business representatives of customers IoT that they are not very interested in and probably will not be able to follow the conversation because it is to techie; it is using the wrong language to the wrong person.”

He added that when IoT discussions get round to the need to undergo digital transformation, the targeted customers are already disinterested.

This could go some way to explain why despite the relative maturity of IoT systems and platforms, the use of large networks of smart and connected devices has yet to become common place in the enterprise world.

Reger concluded that digital transformation is a the goal of IoT, the cloud and emerging technology such as artificial intelligence, and needs to be approached in a way that takes a considered and step-by-step approach for large companies whose hierarchical structure means they cannot move as fast as some start-ups that take a very ‘digital native approach’ to IT.

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