Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 39 | Page 38

CIO OPINION CIO opinion “ 59% OF IOT STRATEGIES ARE PLANNED WITHOUT THE DIRECT INVOLVEMENT OF IT OR IT IS INVOLVED AFTER THE CRUCIAL DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE. ////////////////// Subbu Iyer, CMO, Riverbed Technology Three key considerations for CIOs when pursuing IoT initiatives Given the disruption IoT initiatives can cause when they are introduced it’s vital that CIOs push for involvement in their business’ IoT strategies from the start. Subbu Iyer, CMO, Riverbed Technology, offers three key considerations for CIOs pursuing IoT initiatives. I nternet of Things (IoT) initiatives promise numerous benefits to businesses; namely that they allow for more comprehensive, real- time data collection and analysis which enables systems to become considerably more responsive. For instance, a manufacturer may add IoT sensors to their products so they can receive data on their performance, assess issues and plan for improvements. However, when first pushed into production, IoT initiatives create undeniable waves in the digital enterprise; from increasing the complexity of IT infrastructure to affecting integrations with other enterprise systems. CIOs and their teams are likely to be responsible for implementing the 38 INTELLIGENTCIO aforementioned technologies, as well as assuming operational responsibilities over the new systems. However, concerningly, 59% of IoT strategies are planned without the direct involvement of IT or IT is involved after the crucial decisions have been made, according to Gartner. For IoT projects to be successful, IT must place themselves back in the conversation. Partnering with other stakeholders to understand what other initiatives are planned and establishing whether the underlying IT infrastructure will be capable of supporting IoT is a crucial part of this process. With this in mind, here are three key considerations for CIOs pursuing IoT initiatives. www.intelligentcio.com