The rise of the machines is happening. How ready are you?

The Internet of Things (IoT) continues to be a growing market opportunity. BI Intelligence predict that by 2019, the IoT device market will be more than double the size of the smartphone, PC, tablet, connected car, and the wearable market combined.

To date, smart fridges and smart lightbulbs have been widely discussed in relation to the IoT but this whole opportunity is going to be much bigger than that. Every day we’re seeing more examples of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine-2-Machine (M2M) technology creeping into scenarios that bring us closer to the vision of the future as painted by Hollywood movies. For example, we’ve recently seen hotels and retail outlets in California trial automated staff to serve guests and assist customers. They are a new breed of mobile, semi-intelligent robots that have been created and designed to support and work alongside humans.

Is the future robotic?

So what does this mean for the network and should enterprises be making immediate steps to ready themselves for this change?

Businesses are gravitating towards the digital transformation as maturing technology leads to faster ROI and improved efficiency. Gartner predicts that by 2018, the total cost of ownership for business operations will be 30 per cent lower than today because of the wider use of smart machines and industrialised services. The force underpinning this network of connected devices, machines and robots must be robust and reliable to ensure organisations achieve maximum benefits of their technological investment.

Future-proof your business

If we think of these machines as mere connected devices that rely on wi-fi, we can begin to understand the pre-requisites needed to support this transition. Think back to when non-Ethernet devices began to connect to the network, the advent of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and the prevalence of “Shadow IT” apps – apps built and used inside organisations without explicit organisational approval - on all these mobile devices. Each development marked a fundamental shift in networking. The rise of the machines is no different.

California’s trials will provide a good example of how robots will begin to enter the workplace and enterprises should take note about how to begin preparing for this change. According to ZK Research, when formulating the appropriate strategy to underpin these machines, enterprises need to consider the following:

- Invest in a highly intelligent, distributed architecture with a focus on connecting devices to ensure machines do not go down

- Collect, store, archive and analyse data from connected endpoints to help refine processes and make better strategic decisions to support the enterprise

- Individual devices must be secure and their applications must be able to communicate with the network so that data is protected

With such drastic changes taking place, we cannot begin to predict the number of devices that will require connectivity to thrive within organisations. What we do know is that a combination of humans and machines will drive businesses forward.

Embracing this digital transformation will present these organisations with a competitive advantage. It is essential that they make the necessary changes to their network infrastructure to support this future.