In 2015 Field Service News and leading FSM software provider ServiceMax teamed up on a research project to assess the appetite for IoT as a tool for improving field service delivery.
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Oct 26, 2016 • Features • research • Research • IoT • servicemax • Servitization
In 2015 Field Service News and leading FSM software provider ServiceMax teamed up on a research project to assess the appetite for IoT as a tool for improving field service delivery.
One year on we followed up with a fresh research project into the area to see what trends have emerged and now in a four part series we bring you the findings of this latest research. In part One of this series we explored the headline findings of this year's research against the context of the previous year's results.
In part two we dug deeper into the study to explore what additional technologies are sitting amongst companies either planning to, or actively using IoT as a tool for field service delivery as well as what the cultural impacts of implementing IoT are and whether these are being considered by organisations.
Now in the third part of this exclusive series we look at the impact of servitization as a key driver for the adoption of IoT...
Click here to download the full, exclusive research report now...
Servitization as a key driver for IoT adoption:
Having established that companies are generally aware of the cultural impact that an IoT implementation could have within their organisation, is this also a key indicator that they are beginning to look towards IoT as an enabler that can help them move towards offering advanced services?
Amongst those field service companies that we spoke to, this does indeed seem to be the case within many organisations. Over half (55%) of companies stated that one of the key drivers for implementing an IoT element into their field service delivery structure was that it would ‘enable them to change business strategy to a servitized/outcome based solutions model.’
Yet, whilst this is an important end goal it appears that those implementing IoT are not just thinking of the long term strategic vision - there are short term benefits being targeted simultaneously.
The concept of servitization is a lot harder to comprehend than the more tangible benefits of how IoT can improve a companies bottom line by simply reducing the number of emergency truck-rolls
One reason why we may be seeing both short term and mid-long term drivers for the implementation of IoT is that the concept of servitization is a lot harder to comprehend than the more tangible benefits of how IoT can improve a companies bottom line by simply reducing the number of emergency truck-rolls, meaning service is delivered on a far more manageable, preventative planned maintenance (PPM) basis.
Evidence of this can also be seen when we asked our respondents of whether they felt they had to ‘sell’ the benefits of servitization into other departments. Almost two thirds (62%) of field service professionals felt that this was indeed the case.
Almost two thirds (58%) of respondents feel they have buy-in [for an IoT project] from their senior management.
Amongst those field service respondents surveyed 23% and 22% identified Sales and Product Design respectively as the business units that they felt they did not have sufficient buy-in from with regards to a move towards a servitized business model.
In contrast over two thirds of respondents felt that they did have buy-in from both operations (69%) and IT (66%) and perhaps most importantly almost two thirds (58%) of respondents also feel they have buy-in from their senior management.
Barriers to adoption of IoT as a field service tool:
Of course, whilst a significant amount of companies appear to be viewing both IoT and Servitization as attractive routes forward for service businesses in the early twenty first century, there are still those that feel that the technology isn’t right for their organisation.
Amongst the various answers put forward there were four that clearly stood out as concerns greater than most.
Amongst the various answers put forward there were four that clearly stood out as concerns greater than most. These were costs, the sheer volume of assets that would need retro-fitting, security fears and connectivity issues.
All of these were fairly evenly placed in terms of the number of respondents identifying them as potential barriers to adoption with the sheer volume of assets and connectivity issues being the joint highest cited concerns (both being at 47%), closely followed by costs (45%) and then security fears (43%). The one other potential barrier that had just over a quarter (28%) of respondents selecting it was that the ‘technology still isn’t mature enough’.
Click here to download the full, exclusive research report now...
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Oct 19, 2016 • Features • research • Research • IoT • servicemax
In 2015 Field Service News and leading FSM software provider ServiceMax teamed up on a research project to assess the appetite for IoT as a tool for improving field service delivery.
In 2015 Field Service News and leading FSM software provider ServiceMax teamed up on a research project to assess the appetite for IoT as a tool for improving field service delivery.
One year on we followed up with a fresh research project into the area to see what trends have emerged and now in a four part series we bring you the findings of this latest research. In part One of this series we explored the headline findings of this year's research against the context of the previous year's results.
Now in part two we dig deeper into the study to explore what additional technologies are sitting amongst companies either planning to, or actively using IoT as a tool for field service delivery as well as what the cultural impacts of implementing IoT are and whether these are being considered by organisations...
Click here to download the full, exclusive research report now...
Other technologies being employed:
However, deciding to implement an IoT strategy is one thing, but the process is of course far more complicated than just flipping a few switches.
In fact, in the last issue of Field Service News we ran an article which highlighted the fact that there is a clear need for an underlying technology set to be in place before field service organisations can realistically take advantage of IoT - regardless of their appetite.
Just how ready are field service companies, in terms of their technological maturity, to implement an IoT solution as part of their field service operations?
Well based on our respondent set it would seem that many organisations are indeed in prime position to take advantage of IoT.
We asked our respondents ‘does your company already utilise any of the following technologies in managing your field engineers?’ Providing them with a comprehensive list of the regular tools being used in field service operations.
Here we saw that on the main most companies had what we would consider a baseline of field service management technologies with 58% having an actual FSM system, 30% having a dedicated dynamic scheduling engine, and 29% using telematics systems.
It was also interesting to see a relatively large number of companies using more emerging tools such as knowledge bases and engineer to engineer communications tools, with 31% and 36% of field service companies using these respectively. On the other hand, Wearables and Augmented Reality appear to be technologies that sit very much in the realm of hype over substance at present, with just 6% and 1% of companies using such tools respectively.
Another point of note was that almost half of companies (49%) are using Cloud based systems. One could build a strong argument that one key reason for what seems like a rapid adoption of IoT is that the path has been paved by the Cloud - with initial fears around Cloud based security slowly diminishing, so are the perceptions around similar security based fears with IoT.
The one technology that has been most widely embraced by field service companies is of course mobile solutions, which over three quarters (77%) of field service companies are now using to manage their field workforce.
Indeed, the impact of mobile solutions in field service has been truly transformative, with those companies who have yet to make a switch to mobile widely acknowledged to be at a significant disadvantage commercially.
But will IoT have a similar impact on field service as the mobile revolution?
15% stated that the ‘changes we are seeing emerge are unparalleled’ at the moment
Whilst 15% stated that the ‘changes we are seeing emerge are unparalleled’ at the moment 35% still feel that the impact of mobility i.e. ‘the shift from manual processes to a digital workflow had a greater impact’. However, for many it is simply too early to make the call with just shy of half (49%) of respondents stating that it is ‘too early to tell just how big the change will be.’
The cultural impact of IoT:
As mentioned previously, the adoption of IoT is currently heavily tied with/linked to the shift towards a more proactive approach to field service delivery. But this shift involves more than just the implementation of new technology, there are also significant cultural shifts that need to be taken into consideration.
To find out if field service organisations were taking the cultural impact of IoT into consideration we asked those who indicated that they have already implemented an IoT solution if they were prepared for it’s cultural impact, as well as those who were currently either in the planning or implementation stages if they were factoring in internal cultural changes within their change management planning.
Of those that had already implemented IoT into their field service operations in total over half of companies (58%) stated that they had planned for the impact on the culture within the organisation - although of this section almost two thirds (60%) felt that the change caused more disruption than they had anticipated.
Meanwhile, of those that are currently in the planning/implementation phase of an IoT project, over two thirds of companies haven’t made any allowance for the impact on organisational culture that such an implementation would have - with just under a fifth of these companies (19%) believing that there will be no impact at all.
At the other end of the scale, just over a tenth (12%) of companies planning/implementing an IoT project think that they have all the bases covered stating that they ‘will be fully prepared for the cultural impact IoT could have on their business’ whilst just under half of all respondents have considered the issue and pragmatically ‘expect the shift to be disruptive.’
Click here to download the full, exclusive research report now...
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Oct 16, 2016 • Features • Augmented Reality • Jonathan Massoud • Podcast • field service europe • IoT
In this the latest edition of the Field Service podcast Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief of Field Service News talks to Jonathan Massoud, Divisional Director with WBR - the conference producers that deliver some of the world's leading field service...
In this the latest edition of the Field Service podcast Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief of Field Service News talks to Jonathan Massoud, Divisional Director with WBR - the conference producers that deliver some of the world's leading field service conferences including Field Service USA, Field Service Fall, Field Service Medical, Field Service Medical Europe and the forthcoming Field Service Europe.
In this podcast recorded live at Field Service Fall in Fort Lauderdale last month we discuss how field service companies are begining to embrace new technology such as IoT and Augmented Reality.
Enjoyed the sample of this podcast? Download the full podcast here
Want to know more about IoT and Servitization - join Field Service News and ServiceMax for a webinar revealing exclusive findings from our latest research into the topic - click here for more information and registration details
Join Kris Oldland, Jonathan Massoud and over 150 senior field service practitioners at Field Service Europe in Amsterdam on the 28th November - Field Service News readers can access a 25% discount (up to €700 discount!) with the code FSE16FSN! Click here to register now
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Oct 12, 2016 • Features • Research • IoT • Servitization
In 2015 Field Service News and leading FSM software provider ServiceMax teamed up on a research project to assess the appetite for IoT as a tool for improving field service delivery...
In 2015 Field Service News and leading FSM software provider ServiceMax teamed up on a research project to assess the appetite for IoT as a tool for improving field service delivery...
Now one year on we return to the topic to see if the clear desire for IoT based field service delivery has turned to reality and if so what impact is it having on the growing trend towards servitization as a business model...
When we looked at the potential of IoT in field service last year we were confronted by what can only be called a genuine phenomenon beginning to emerge. One that could potentially change the way companies approach field service delivery entirely.
Indeed, whilst field service technology has been evolving at great pace across the last decade, much of the developments that have arrived - such as enhancements in artificial intelligence driving ever more sophisticated scheduling engines or mobility tools enhancing field service technicians workflows and eliminating unnecessary paper based administration, have been focussed on improving efficiencies and boosting productivity.
Click here to download the full, exclusive research report now...
In this brave new world of servitization, service is no longer the supporting player there just to add value to a product. Instead, the product is now the facilitator for companies to deliver advanced services.
In this brave new world of servitization, service is no longer the supporting player there just to add value to a product. Instead, the product is now the facilitator for companies to deliver advanced services.
And this is largely made possible by the IoT giving us the ability to monitor assets in the field and react to fluctuations outside of accepted working parameters, delivering proactive maintenance to ensure that the asset continues to deliver its set outcome.
The benefits of such an approach are a more consistent and reliable solution for the customer and a more profitable business which is closer engrained to customers for the service provider - a win-win if ever there was one.
But whilst the theory may sound great, how is this translating into reality?
This is what this year’s survey set out to understand. Building upon last year’s research project which was predominantly focussed solely on IoT this time we have widened our focus somewhat to understand not just if companies are now actively adopting IoT, but what is their motivation for doing so and just how closely is that linked to the shift to servitization or outcome based business models?
What we already know:
To begin with let’s just have a quick recap on the findings of last year’s research project.
The most obvious place to start when reviewing whether business is ready for an IoT revolution is of course to ascertain whether companies feel they have an asset base that is suited to sensor based monitoring. Here we found that just under half of companies (42%) felt that they already had an asset base that was suitable.
Given the relative infancy of IoT in field service at this point, with the general understanding of what is and isn’t possible amongst service professionals understandably relatively low, this was indeed an impressive starting point to build upon.
However, it was in the next round of questioning that we really began to see the huge appetite for IoT to appear.
Belief in IoT was further evidenced when over half (55%) of our respondents stated they thought “IoT will become a fundamental part of field service operations in the future”
IoT was the clear winner here - with more than twice as many people stating they felt IoT would be the big technology in the short to mid term for field service, than those who cited the second most popular technology, Big Data.
This belief in IoT was further evidenced when over half (55%) of our respondents stated they thought “IoT will become a fundamental part of field service operations in the future” whilst a further 21% went further stating that “IoT is critical to any field service organisation’s strategy".
Further findings in last year’s research, which also pointed to a rapid rise to prominence of the role of IoT in Field Service, included the fact that almost three quarters of respondents (74%) felt that IoT based field service strategies were applicable to companies of all sizes and that well over two thirds of respondents (71%) felt that IoT would be common place amongst field service companies within the next three years.
Such a wealth of positive data seemed absolutely conclusive - IoT was going to be playing a big role in field service. Indeed, in our research report of last year’s findings we concluded:
“The Internet of Things is set for widespread adoption amongst field service companies and we can expect to see that adoption occur at a fairly rapid rate”
Look out for part two of this weekly series where we will find out if our previous hypotheses have been bourne out...
Click here to download the full, exclusive research report now...
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Sep 30, 2016 • Features • Augmented Reality • Magazine (digital editions) • resources • cloud • Digital Magazine • IoT
In his leader for this issue, Kris Oldland looks at whether we are entering a storm of new technologies that could have a truly disruptive influence on Field Service as well as welcoming a number of new columnists to our fold...
In his leader for this issue, Kris Oldland looks at whether we are entering a storm of new technologies that could have a truly disruptive influence on Field Service as well as welcoming a number of new columnists to our fold...
Click here to download a digital version of Field Service News issue 13 now
It’s a phrase I’ve used a few times in this editorial leader, but I think in this issue of Field Service News we are seeing ever greater evidence of a perfect storm of technologies coming together to push forward field service evolution faster and further than ever before...
Download issuer 13 now by clicking one of the links within this feature and registering...The obvious starting point of this storm is the Cloud and it is the Cloud where we turn our attention for this quarter’s research. This is the third year running that we have explored the question of whether field service companies are adopting the Cloud as a platform for FSM solutions so we have the opportunity to really define some emerging trends.
Indeed there were some interesting statistics turned up in the research this time around with the key headline findings being that adoption of the Cloud is definitely picking up speed, whilst one of the big barriers to Cloud adoption, namely concerns around security, seems to be gradually abating.
You can read the full report based on the findings starting from page 29.
Another technology that I believe will certainly push the frontiers of how we approach field service operations is Augmented Reality, an assertion that leading industry analyst and regular Field Service News contributor Bill Pollock agrees with in his latest expert view column on page 22.
Of course it is almost impossible to talk about Augmented Reality without at least touching briefly on the topic of Pokemon Go! The mobile phone craze that has turned people of all ages, in all corners of the world, into hunters of small digital creatures that seem to live in Augmented Reality.
However, I am pleased to report that this was just a minor side note in our exclusive interview with Scott Montgomerie, CEO of Scope AR, a specialist Augmented Reality provider that have their eyes firmly set on field service as an industry ready to embrace AR. You can find this interview on page 36.
Then we have the Internet of Things - perhaps the poster boy of technology that is driving change in modern field service.
One company working heavily in this area, with a plethora of high street brands, is Verisae and in our exclusive interview with Jerry Dolinsky their CEO, he explains not only how IoT can improve field service operations, or why it is apparently on the wish list of OEMs and third party service providers alike, but also why it is important to have certain baseline technologies in place before you can approach an IoT implementation. This interview is on page 18.
All of this technology gives us the opportunity to push the way we approach service thinking,
It is testament to the ever-growing stature of Field Service News within the global field service community, that we are able to welcome four new contributors, form four different countries, bringing four different perspectives to join our collection of highly talented and highly informative guest columnists.
And the growth of our stature is truly as much to do with the fantastic support we have received from our readers and sponsors from day one as it is to do with the great team I’m fortunate enough to head up here, so thanks to you all!
It is our role to be a central touch point for the field service community and right now that is an incredibly exciting place to be!
Click here to download a digital version of Field Service News issue 13 now
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Sep 08, 2016 • Features • Future of FIeld Service • research • IoT • servicemax
As the importance of harnessing the latest technology to ensure service delivery is as efficient as possible grows, field service companies appear to be investing more frequently in technology than ever before as the latest research by Field Service...
As the importance of harnessing the latest technology to ensure service delivery is as efficient as possible grows, field service companies appear to be investing more frequently in technology than ever before as the latest research by Field Service News in partnership with ServiceMax appears to show.
Are you a field service professional? Take part in our research projects and you could win one of three £50 Amazon vouchers. Click here to particpate in our enter our latest research project now
Almost a third of field service companies are now investing in technology on an annual basis now the early findings of the current research from Field Service News and ServiceMax reveals.
In fact, whilst 34% of companies are investing on an annual basis an additional 27% are investing in field service technology every two-years - meaning almost two thirds of field service companies surveyed appear to be investing in technology a lot faster than the perceived 3 to 5 year replacement cycle many industry experts cite.
The same survey, which is still running and available for field service professionals to participate in by clicking here, also highlights that over three quarters of field service professionals do not think their company is investing sufficiently enough in field service technology to deliver a competitive level of service, with 77% of our respondents stating they felt this was the case.
It is perhaps no surprise that the technologies that are viewed as key for driving forward improved service delivery are Mobile, Cloud, IoT and Big Data. Each of which were identified by over half of respondents as having an impact within their own organisations.
The potential impact of IoT in Field Service could be literally game changing as companies begin to move away from traditional break fix and towards more predictive, servitized business models.
This is particularly interesting as the potential impact of IoT in Field Service could be literally game changing as companies begin to move away from traditional break fix and towards more predictive, servitized business models.
Indeed, the early results of this research certainly support this hypothesis with 63% of companies admitting they are preparing for the cultural impact that the introduction of IoT will have in their organisations, whilst a further 13% state that they have already prepared for the impact.
How does this align to your own organisation? Take part in our research and once the results are concluded you will receive a copy of an exclusive white paper detailing the findings of the report. Plus every research project we run includes a prize draw for our respondents with three £50 Amazon vouchers available for each project. We recently announced the last three lucky winners here - could you be next?
Click here to take part in our current survey now and you could be our next £50 winner!
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Sep 02, 2016 • News • Advantech • Future of FIeld Service • IoT
Advantech, a global leader in embedded computing and IoT technology announce the launch of its new WISE-PaaS/RMM version 3.1, an IoT device management software platform...
Advantech, a global leader in embedded computing and IoT technology announce the launch of its new WISE-PaaS/RMM version 3.1, an IoT device management software platform...
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WISE-PaaS/RMM 3.1 is an open standardised IoT software platform for users by applying MQTT, a standard and popular IoT M2M protocol for device and server communication.
WISE-PaaS/RMM 3.1 comes with more than 100 RESTful APIs including, account management, device management, device control, event management, system management, and database management. RESTful APIs create new web services and help integrate functions and data with their management tools.
Furthermore, WISE-PaaS/RMM 3.1 will release WISE-Agent source code as open source. WISE-Agent software works on the device side, helping customers to develop their own applications. WISE-PaaS/RMM highly enhances connectivity for hardware, software, devices and sensors, and helps customers to transform their business to include IoT cloud services.
It has been widely discussed amongst specialists within field service technology that the perhaps the only key barrier to mass adoption of IoT in a field service and maintenance context is the current lack of standardised platforms
Other features highlighted by Advantech in this announcement were as follows:
Centralised Management for Big Data Visualization
Based on WISE-PaaS/RMM 3.0 for remote device monitoring and management, version 3.1 offers centralised management and a dashboard builder for data visualization. Customers can develop dashboards to monitor and manage all their connected devices. WISE-PaaS/RMM 3.1 is also integrated with Node-Red which is a “drag and drop” logic editor tool for users to access data and features in WISE-PaaS/RMM 3.1 for device flow and action control management.
High Availability for Large Scalability
To provide a stable and reliable centralised management platform, WISE-PaaS/RMM 3.1 includes server redundancy whereby devices can have direct connection, with the security of a back-up server if the main server loses connection. This is designed to make sure data and services auto-sync between the main server and the back-up server. WISE-PaaS/RMM 3.1 also provides a hierarchical server, which supports the main server and sub-server structure at the same time. Users can use the sub-server for local device management and use the main server to collect data from local servers in order to disperse the load on the main server.
Sensor/Device Connectivity for Data Acquisition
To connect devices and consolidate data acquisition, WISE-PaaS/RMM 3.1 provides a handler structure in WISE-Agent for users to extend data acquisition capability to connected devices. Customers can develop routines based on sample code Advantech provides to create handlers for their own devices and application scenarios. Advantech provides two data bases (MongoDB and PostgreDB), SQL and no-SQL, for data storage and easy management.
WISE-PaaS/RMM 3.1, Open Standardization in IoT Software Platform
With WISE-PaaS/RMM 3.1, customers can collect data from devices, equipment, sensors and software, shorten development time and reduce development resources. It helps customers develop new IoT application models and it also integrates with Advantech’s IoT Gateway Starter Kit, a ready-to-run package with pre-configured hardware, platform services (WISE-PaaS) and Microsoft’s Azure service certification.
WISE-PaaS/RMM 3.1 helps Advantech partners to develop innovative IoT services and transform with new IoT business models. Advantech works with Microsoft Marketplace so that customers can launch their solution and transform their business from solution selling to service selling.
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Sep 01, 2016 • News • Future of FIeld Service • Berg Insight • IoT
According to a new research report from the M2M/IoT analyst firm Berg Insight, the installed base of wireless IoT devices in industrial automation reached 14.3 million in 2015.
According to a new research report from the M2M/IoT analyst firm Berg Insight, the installed base of wireless IoT devices in industrial automation reached 14.3 million in 2015.
The number of wireless IoT devices in automation networks will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.7 percent to reach 62.0 million by 2021.
There is a wide range of wireless technologies used in industrial automation with different characteristics and use cases. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are the most widespread technologies in factory automation while cellular connectivity typically is used for remote monitoring and backhaul communication between plants.
The increasing popularity of Ethernet based networks in factory automation is one of the key drivers for the popularity of Wi-Fi in such applications. 802.15.4 based standards such as WirelessHART and ISA100.11a are major contenders at the field level in process automation networks. The emerging area of Low Power Wide Area Networking (LPWAN) is a promising alternative in remote monitoring applications.
IoT is also fundamental in allowing companies to move away from the traditional break-fix model of field service delivery towards proactive pre-failure maintenance scheduling which delivers better client uptime as well as efficiency savings for the service provider.
Higher levels of automation and IoT solutions enable shorter lead times, lower inventories, increased throughput as well as more flexibility and the ability to respond faster to changing customer needs.
Of course IoT is also fundamental in allowing companies to move away from the traditional break-fix model of field service delivery towards proactive pre-failure maintenance scheduling which delivers better client uptime as well as efficiency savings for the service provider.
“Wireless communication and industrial IoT solutions can provide integration of different automation systems as well as enterprise systems which enables supply chains to be lean, even with a complex mix of products and output levels” said Johan Svanberg, Senior Analyst, Berg Insight. “Connected automation solutions also open up the possibility for entirely new business and service models which can give companies a much needed competitive edge in today’s manufacturing landscape”, concluded Mr. Svanberg.
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Aug 15, 2016 • News • Future of FIeld Service • Berg Insight • IoT
The Internet of Things is set to continue to dominate conversations around technology and service delivery in the next few years as providers begin to standardise platforms - research from Berg Insight reveals...
The Internet of Things is set to continue to dominate conversations around technology and service delivery in the next few years as providers begin to standardise platforms - research from Berg Insight reveals...
According to a new research report from the M2M/IoT analyst firm Berg Insight, the global third party Internet of Things (IoT) platform market increased 36 percent to €610 million in 2015.
Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.8 percent, revenues are forecasted to reach € 3.05 billion in 2021. There is a wide range of software platforms available, intended to reduce cost and development time for IoT solutions by offering standardised components that can be shared across many industry verticals to integrate devices, networks and applications.
Most IoT platforms available on the market today can be categorised as being a connectivity management platform, a device management platform or an application enablement platform, although there are many products that offer overlapping functionality or other unique features.
Many enterprises and organisations have already been involved in various machine-to-machine (M2M) deployments that have typically been characterised by customised solutions deployed within single industry verticals, or by one company, to improve existing business operations.
IoT puts more emphasis on integration of sensors, devices and information systems across industry verticals and organisations to transform operations and enable new business models. “IoT furthermore aims to facilitate a better understanding of complex systems through analytics based on data from diverse sources to assist decision making, improve products and enable entirely new services”, said André Malm, Senior Analyst, Berg Insight.
Whereas connectivity and device management platforms have already reached comparatively high adoption, the market for application enablement platforms (AEPs) is in an earlier phase. AEPs typically provide functionality such as data collection, data storage and analytics. Fully featured platforms also provide tools, frameworks and APIs for creating business applications featuring data management, event processing, automated tasks and data visualisation.
Many platforms also provide tools and ready-made libraries and UI frameworks that facilitate modelling and creation of interactive applications, workspaces and dashboards with little or no need for coding. “The AEP segment is seeing considerable activity in terms of acquisitions and new market entrants”, said Mr. Malm. After PTC acquired ThingWorx and Axeda, other major software and IT companies have followed.
Examples include Amazon that acquired 2lemetry, Autodesk that acquired SeeControl and Microsoft that acquired Solair.
Other leading IT companies that are extending their service offerings to include IoT platforms – often focusing on analytics and machine learning – include IBM, SAP and Oracle. “As a group, AEP vendors primarily face competition from system integrators and companies that develop similar functionality in-house”, concluded Mr. Malm.
Field Service News is published by 1927 Media Ltd, an independent publisher whose sole focus is on the field service sector. As such our entire resources are focused on helping drive the field service sector forwards and aiming to best serve our industry through honest, incisive and innovative media coverage of the global field service sector.
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