The IoT for SME Efficiency

internet of things

In the first couple of months of 2016, we have seen many business owners still resisting the push towards moving towards the incorporation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices into their company. Yet, according to a cyber security study done by McAfee, the network of devices that the IoT is comprised of is set to grow at a staggering rate in the coming years. The world is fast moving towards the notion of a smart society with tech being ever-present in many aspects of our modern day lives.

There is much to be taken away from the IoT for small to medium sized businesses. From data usage to innovative, time-saving tech, the IoT will change the way businesses grow and develop. LSA Systems, a leading supplier of data disaster recovery services, explores everything that the IoT can do for SMEs during 2016 and beyond.

Smart Development with Smart Data

According to the study done by McAfee, the amount of tablets operating worldwide sees a rise of 19 million leading into 2019. While wearable devices will increase by 580 million by 2018. The IoT is where we will see a lot of innovation and advancements in the tech world and SMEs really cannot afford to overlook the necessity of entering 2016 without a move towards smarter technology.

The Internet of Things incorporates a complex and extremely vast network of devices, each gathering invaluable data about their users. This data gives SMEs the avenue to measure, correlate and analyse a constantly adapting and changing landscape of consumerism. Thus affording them the opportunity to target their marketing efforts accordingly. For SMEs with smaller budgets, this provides them with savings in resources, time as well as operational costs. Furthermore, utilizing this data intelligently can help SMEs gain a competitive edge over their competitors when fine tuning their products, services, branding and marketing efforts.

Getting Involved the Smart Way

We can see the IoT influencing the smart workplace in two varying ways, making employees’ lives easier as well as offering employers the chance to learn vital information about their employees’ working habits. Thus allowing employers the opportunity to optimise their employees work space accordingly.

Incorporating smart tech into the workplace, making your employees lives easier has been a growing trend in the past few years and is not set to slow down. For SMEs looking for ways in which to boost their employee’s productivity, the IoT has huge benefits. The data from IoT devices can give employers the chance to see when their employees are most productive and when they tend to take more breaks. Giving employers the chance to improve their employees work days around the periods of time that suit them best. According to CMO, 94% of companies have seen a return on their IoT investments.

Staying Secure the Smart Way

The IoT can offer many opportunities for SMEs, opening up small businesses to a level of productivity, efficiency and product and service development that would have not been historically achievable. However, with all the wonders and benefits of a smart tech integration, SMEs need to remain cautious about security and the smart handling of data. With an increasing level of smart tech in your company, the surface area for cyber-attacks will widen and small to medium size businesses need to plan for the eventuality of hacking attacks, data breaches and security vulnerabilities.

Just because it isn’t a desktop does not mean it isn’t vulnerable to attack. Moreover, even though everybody is more aware of security threats, some businesses won’t think to secure the IoT as they feel that their data is not worth stealing. Yet these devices are used by attackers as portals to more valuable and confidential data on the company’s network.

SMEs need to ensure that they have effective security procedures in place to stay secure during an influx of smart technology in their company’s workplace. Developing an IoT security strategy is the key to managing this new technological trend and should be considered before the adoption of smart devices and wearable technology into any business.

Gina Hutchings
 

Marketing professional with over 12 years experience specializing in digital marketing for the IT sector.