ABI Research discovered this week that IoT partner programs and their member companies are evolving their IoT offerings, with 54 percent of listed organizations receiving a high IoT maturity grade, according to analysis released this week ranking over 450 companies on their IoT service capabilities.
IoT partner programs are ecosystems of companies focused on assembling end-to-end solutions around a supplier product portfolio. The programs streamline the IoT adoption process by enabling collaboration among hardware, software, and service providers across different technology sectors to deliver comprehensive IoT solutions for enterprises.
ABI Research has amassed a database those that offer IoT services. This database also includes IoT SIs and VARs that also participate in partner programs at Cisco, Dell, IBM, Intel, Kepware, Microsoft, Oracle, PTC/Thingworx, Salesforce.com, SAP, and ThingLogix. The SIs/VARs are categorized by IoT services offered, partner program affiliation across the 11 listed partner programs, and vertical markets served.
Finally, in this list of over 450 companies is a ranking of their IoT maturity providing insight into the breadth and depth of their IoT services, the degree to which they actively market themselves for IoT expertise, and history of IoT project expertise.
Dell is expanding its partner program ecosystem with its series of IoT gateways, relying on partners like Action Point and Datatrend Technologies. Through a portal, Dell customers can search for the partners that will best fit their needs, based on a variety of metrics like vertical offerings and location. The initial program success is so strong that Dell aims to double its program members by the end of this year.
Similarly, Intel’s IoT Solution Alliance continues to create interoperable, secure solutions to drive efficiencies and deliver device system performance insights. Program members like Advantech and relayr help Intel differentiate its devices and the value they provide to end users.
Partner programs drive value for parent organizations, like Dell and Intel, by expanding their ecosystem user base through their member company connections.
The programs, in turn, drive value for member companies through incremental business opportunities. Finally, enterprises acquiring IoT capabilities enjoy faster time to market and potentially a more integrated solution.
“IoT partner programs are critical, as supplier diversity and offer complexity is not lessening and no one company can deliver a complete end-to-end IoT solution,” says Ryan Harbison, research analyst at ABI Research. “Over the past year, companies like Dell and Intel continued to grow their programs to target additional verticals like manufacturing and energy. IoT partner programs ‘un-fragment’ the market for end-users and drive awareness to hardware, software and service providers that combined can deliver an end-to-end IoT solution.”
