The Channel

The IoT and KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid)

By Max Schroeder, Vice President Emeritus at FaxCore Inc.  |  January 16, 2017

Complexity is your enemy.  Any fool can make something complicated.  It is hard to make something simple.  – Sir Richard Branson

The human race began exceeding its capacity to process new information in the mid 1940s and some have suggested that the proliferation of new products and services may also be exceeding our capacity to absorb them. New technical applications and solutions particularly for today’s IoT and communications markets seem to be drawing particular attention.

Shortly after last November’s election in a letter to President-Elect Donald Trump, IBM’s (News - Alert) CEO Virginia Marie "Ginni" Rometty advised “The country should focus on infrastructure investments that incorporate Internet of Things and artificial intelligence to improve performance.” Certainly this will focus even more attention on IoT technologies. 

Think of the IoT like a moving elephant – you are not going to be able to stop it or slow it down, but maybe you can carefully turn it in a direction favorable to your organization. 

A fresh approach is definitely needed. Simply put, there is too much going on for many managers to intelligently select solutions and then implement them securely and effectively. The crucial decision for any organization will be to define the scope of what technologies should be implemented and limiting their number. However, organizations must keep pace with the IoT evolution to grow. Resellers (i.e. elephant handlers) can be of greatest value by presenting customers with the appropriate options and guiding them to the correct decisions.

Since the IoT is so new, use a KISS approach with prospects. Presenting too many innovative concepts at once can add complexity and cause confusion. Resellers should also take advantage of the vertical nature of the Internet of Things and limit their product offerings. For example, selecting one or more of the industrial, retail, agriculture, or health care sectors would make sense and also be consistent with the KISS philosophy, plus still allow for substantial sales growth.

Regardless of which path a reseller blazes, knowledge is paramount since the Internet of Things market is so dynamic. The best way to keep abreast of new developments is to subscribe to TMC (News - Alert) publications (e.g. IoT Evolution Magazine) plus attend events like the 2017 IoT Evolution Expo, Feb. 7-10, in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. TMC events also provide resellers with educational opportunities including an IoT Certification Series, which is critical in any emerging market. 

Max Schroeder (News - Alert) is vice president emeritus of FaxCore Inc. (www.faxcore.com ) and co-chair of the SIP Forum Fax-over-IP Task Group.


Max Schroeder is Vice President Emeritus of FaxCore (News - Alert) Inc. (www.faxcore.com) and managing director of the DPCF.

Edited by Alicia Young