Cisco identifies five sectors to benefit from IoE

The five sector opportunities

Healthcare: Cisco states that by using reliable and trustworthy communications technology, patients will be able to manage their own healthcare conditions and medical staff will be able to keep track of recovery remotely.

Retail: According to Cisco, retailers are too stretched to put the internet at the core of their strategies, but the IoE has the power to encourage consumers back to the high street. Retailers will be able to hyper-locally promote and market their business in a time-specific, targeted way, while also gathering intelligence about customer behaviour.

Transport: Smart cities will be transformed by connections and the intelligent engineering of railways, stations, vehicles and roads. Smart city and IoE technology will be able to remotely monitor infrastructure conditions through digitally connected tracks and roads, as well as gain real-time data for journey-planning applications.

Energy: Cisco believes that using smarter devices will allow us to conserve more energy, so networking our thermostats to sensors to monitor homes will help the UK become more productive with energy in the future.

Manufacturing: According to Cisco, manufacturers need to put the same efficiency into the manufacturing process as they do sales, and use IoE technologies to make disposable items the renewables of the future.

Ian Foddering, chief technology officer at Cisco UKI, said: “UK organisations, in both the public and private sectors, need to take a closer look at their current business models if they want to take advantage of the opportunities generated by the IoE.

“Three factors are key to tapping into these opportunities effectively. First, an ambition and willingness to be open-minded and realise how the IoE applies to the business context. Second, to hire and invest in the right skills to manage connections. And third, to explore what new partnerships will allow new ground to be broken for everyone involved to benefit.”