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Alea Fairchild – Strategic Views

Alea Fairchild – Strategic Views

Tag Archives: IoT

Two key trends for 2023

20 Tuesday Dec 2022

Posted by afairchild in Uncategorized

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analytics, infrastructure, innovation, IoT, security, smartbuildings, workplace

Organizational resilience and workplace analytics

Photo by SevenStorm JUHASZIMRUS on Pexels.com

In our annual quest to find and resonate on the topics that mean the most in the new year going forward, I want to talk about my two research areas for this Spring.

ORGANIZATION RESILIENCE

Organizational resilience for me is top of mind. This combines a number of factors — cyber resilience, employee motivation and commitment, resource allocation and supplier relationships, core competencies and agility to go to market. In a time when economic factors, levels of demand uncertainty and regulatory risk all put the organization on edge, how resources are allocated, supported and made agile will allow organizations to pivot more flexibly.

Technologically, we have been focusing on productivity and collaborative work this last year. My concerns are echoed by a recent paper in the MIT Sloan Management Review. The authors, Jonathan Trevor and Matthias Holweg, both at Oxford, stated that collaborative technologies do help bond hybrid and remote workplaces, but these tools and platforms still haven’t made the grade as far as replicating in-person settings. This is where I am putting my own efforts this Spring in looking at work as an experience (WaaE) and the worlplace as an experiential location.

In their paper, they claim that organizations and the technology they employ have done a good job of keeping everyone connected and in tune with what’s going on, but still can’t fully replicate the innovation seen in face-to-face workplaces. Perhaps their most significant observations are how organizations face challenges getting people together in one place at the right time, and the fact that employees in the survey “complained that work had become more transactional and operational in the hybrid environment. They missed feeling engaged and noticed a decline in the infusion of new ideas.

Being resilient as an organization is about harnessing the resources in a timely and effective manner. The ability to be innovative will hinge on how agile and supple an organization can be.

Having the right place to work to be agile and innovative will be critical. A part of this MIT survey looked at real estate usage. According to their study, ” The top planned changes cited by our sample are additional social areas (80%), creativity spaces (75%), meeting rooms (74%), shared offices (74%), and hot-desking (71%). Corner offices are on their way out.”

WORKPLACE ANALYTICS

Which leads me to the second critical area I am examining this Spring.

Workplace analytics combines occupancy analytics, visitor management systems and more traditional facilities management tools in examining usage. This is normally used by facilities managers, corporate real estate teams and the C suite to understand spending and costs.

But what we really want to examine is utility, in other words, how the workplace served its function in supporting work.

Key question I will be asking: How does the infrastructure support the work activity? Can we take a pulse on a regular basis to see what contribution technology in the workplace makes in making work happen productively and with purpose?

As an example, I bring up the latest survey recently from Relogix, a workplace analytics firm, on global workspace usage.

This report suggests that the last six months or so have been relatively static regarding those coming in and those remaining remote. But what is interesting is the shift between individual offices and the collaboration spaces that were once connected to them, both of which declined, whereas general meeting spaces and casual social spaces doubled and quadrupled.

People are looking to engage with other people if they make the commute into the office. Where does technology play a role here and can we make the workplace a destination and an experience?

Assuming you are not commuting during the holiday period, I wish you a wonderful season and a happy new year. May 2023 be productive, full of good health and wonderful innovation!

Alea

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Why 2020 could be the year of “Edge as a Service” (EaaS)

19 Sunday Jan 2020

Posted by afairchild in Uncategorized

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cloud, EaaS, Edge computing, healthcare, IoT

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Bringing compute resources to the edge implies efforts in reducing the amount of data that needs to be sent up to the cloud. For many data-intensive applications such as video surveillance, natural speech recognition and health related monitoring, the need to process data as close to the source as possible can be important for both efficiency and security.

The major pitfall with edge computing, as it is now, is not a lack of data available but the lack of understanding in how, where and when to use it. Enterprises are starting to really understand that sometimes data has more value staying close to where it is, rather than centrally collecting it.

So why does certain data need to stay at the edge?

1. It’s big. Bandwidth issues exist: networks need to be kept clear of large volumes of data needing to be sent up into the cloud.

2. It’s timely. Speed of reaction is important: having low latency low allows rapid response as the data is processed where it sits. Imagine the reaction time necessary on the brakes of a self-driving car, for example.

3. It’s valuable. Security and privacy concerns that are alleviated (mostly) by keeping data processing as local to the data source as possible thus eliminating massive amounts of potentially hackable personal data from being stored in the cloud.

What is the power of data in a smart structure?  Trust in data is now essential to effective digital transformation.  Single verifiable source of truth is critical to sharing and collaboration using data sets. We are not getting into a blockchain discussion here, but it is imperative that data can be reliably sourced. Leaving it where it is, as a single source which can be both dynamic and real-time, is important.

I believe that data-driven implementations of Edge as a service (EaaS) will be important this year, especially in mission critical production activities, which could be oil and gas, machine assisted surgery in healthcare or any activity where immediate data inputs affect automation-assisted performance.

A workplace design fixation

17 Saturday Aug 2019

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collaboration, IoT, workplace

Source: LEGO

I have been actively looking at workplace design the last few years, focusing on why and how a workplace motivates creativity and inspires collaboration. If you go back and look at some of my blog posts, you will see discussions on IoT, lighting, temperature and use of space as part of our quest with technology to make workplaces more inclusive and efficient.

But I am not ending it here, in fact quite the opposite. I have recently seen how the space that you work in impacts how you perceive work. Which is why I question the whole coffee shop working ethos, as well as the lack of logic on putting up glass walls between offices. Neither situation creates comfort and engagement. Coffee shops may be hip, have coffee and great music, but you cannot focus nor engage well for any period of time with others there. And as for the glass walls, my colleagues either stay away or put up posters blocking the view.

So I am now looking at how technology enables the use of space, and how technology and intelligent design can really push the boat out on how we work, and more importantly why we work as we do.

Reach out if you want to chat about this more.

Evolution of business models

17 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by afairchild in Uncategorized

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Big data, business models, go-to-market, Hubspot, hybrid cloud management, IoT

This is the time of year where pundits such as myself start hyping what we think will be happening next year in order to predict trends and patterns and show we know what we are doing. 😉

For me, the trend to watch is the evolution of business models, both in technology and in go-to-market strategies.  Because too much is changing in the industry for things to continue in a static pattern of how we sell, what we sell and how we engage.  Too much is being asked of technology, and not enough is done in process change of how we use the technology.  Or, as shown this week in France, how the technology is being used by others in ways we did not foresee where private communication abilities are used in ways we do not expect.

In terms of technology, we have enabled access so much so that the users are in control, not the IT department nor the government trying to restrict or audit what we do or say.  This can be seen in hybrid cloud structures, in how we use mobile technology, and in how restructured communication has usurped traditional structured forms of dialogue.  For example, Twitter as a faster source of news than the news channels.  Policing the new forms of communication has become difficult.  I work with an educational organization that has no internal policy on Facebook communication, so much so that the main users got together to agree on a structured policy before the institution even thought about mandating one.  There is shadow IT, and there is also shadow communications.  And frankly, one drives the other.

One of the points I want to make here is that communication is driving many technological shifts.  Or as the Microsoft ad says, it is not the technology that is mobile, it is you.   How we work, when we work, and how we communicate is pushing the technology to work in different ways for us.   We have not had major technological breakthroughs, rather we have pushed the limits of how we work to the point the technology has had to adapt.

A good example is the storing of data.  As I am writing this blog post, the system is saving my work every few minutes automatically. More of what is created is saved and tracked, adding much more data storage available and larger digital footprint is created.  We have had to adopt faster means of storing and processing to the front of the network, thus one of the trends for 2016 is the use of flash as a primary storage technology going forward.  Part of the driver for this is cost and performance, but another main portion of this is process change and digital process transformation.

Another evolution of business models is the use of multiple cloud methods for business processes.  For me, hybrid cloud in 2016 will have shades of the outsourcing trends of the 1990s, where ultimately consumers and enterprises will have to decide if managing their own data is a core competency of theirs or not.  And many, facing privacy concerns and performance irritations, will take their data back in-house.

Privacy and security have become more significant concerns, thus one of the ongoing trends in Europe in 2016 is the push for cyber insurance. Businesses outside the United States are rapidly discovering what U.S. businesses and their customers have known for a few years: that a data breach is not a matter of if, but when, as shown by the September introduction of the International Cyber Consortium of insurers providing robust data breach cover to businesses domiciled outside the United States with revenues in excess of $5 billion. But systemic risks and exposure accumulation are limiting insurers’ ability to provide large corporates with the size of limits they need to cover their cyber risks, with a push for governments to step in and provide support.  Here is where evolution of insurance models is helped by big data and analytics. Using big data and modelling, insurers can learn what companies are using which cloud or network structures and platforms in order to show the connections that exist [between insured companies] and build up a probable maximum loss.  Insurers want to find out how enterprises cost and monitor aggregate risk as part of their cyber insurance coverage. So risk monitoring is a fairly big trend for 2016.

Cloud management, risk monitoring, and digital process transformation are all key themes for me in 2016, along with the evolution of privacy and security being baked into the IT infrastructure as to be always present and always on. This includes the addition of IoT into the framework.  Things as well as people will be engaging at all times.

The other portion of my views for 2016 is how we reach our audiences in our go-to-market strategies.  Traditional forms of communication are being overshadowed by all of the screaming and yelling done on social media.  Social media reminds of the saying “if a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?”.  Very few of us are engaging on social media, most are trumpeting their wares and not engaging in dialog and feedback with those who are supposed to be listening.   “Old school” users of Twitter engage, those who came later just use it as a posting board.   Facebook is becoming more of people shouting at each other, and not actively sharing with each other.  This is why many young people are moving away from the platform to other more mobile apps geared more for the mobile lifestyle.   And we are watching less video these days, so catching the eye of a viewer is becoming more challenging.

Social media tools that highlight engagement and feedback, versus amplification of the message, are the ones to watch in 2016. It is about integration, innovation & automation to maximise potential engagement.  A personal favorite for me is Hubspot. 

I hope this gives you a flavor of what I am working on at present.  Feel free to reach out to engage me in a discussion on the topics!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Servicing the IoT – an industry onto itself?

11 Sunday Oct 2015

Posted by afairchild in Uncategorized

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Gartner Symposium, IoT, marketing automation, security

I was reading the press release from last week’s Gartner Symposium in Florida.  Although I do not agree with the timing of the events they predict, two of them are of distinct interest to me given my own areas of research in marketing automation and IoT infrastructure.

First point:  All of the enabled objects (IoT) will require service and maintenance.  Well, they do now already require service and maintenance, but with the “phone home” ability of connectivity and some level of intelligence, the down time of objects can be significantly reduced.  This will be helpful given our reliance on said objects will increase as a function of their intelligence.

It is likely that an unique service industry will develop in and around IoT objects, and those who provide service to infrastructures will need to add knowledge about internet enabled devices to their portfolio.  Real time automation again rears its head, so those with skills in simulation and utility management will benefit.

Second point: A certain percent of business content will be authored by machines.  [To be frank, given the poor writing skills of many of the millennials I teach, this can only be a good thing. 😉 ]   Seriously, there are many items that can be automated in terms of corporate communication.  I would agree that business reports can become automated and their contents more automatically disseminated. And preferably NOT in terms of increasing the volume of email!

I have to say I like their point 5, and agree with the statement: “Smart building components cannot be considered independently, but must be viewed as part of the larger organizational security process. Products must be built to offer acceptable levels of protection and hooks for integration into security monitoring and management systems.” It is clear that holistically a smarter workplace must be greater than the sum of its parts.   Integration and baking security into the workplace is a necessity for protection of corporate capital.

 

Smarter hotels and IoT – researching the business model evolution

06 Thursday Aug 2015

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devices, hotels, IoT, revenue, smarter hotels

In a follow-on from my post of yesterday, I am currently doing research in #IoT on smart spaces in the corporate world, looking at how devices and objects can create a better working environment for mobile workers.

One area of interest of mine is smarter hotel rooms, and how devices can make the room even more profitable and efficient.  This goes beyond energy management and into a level of personalization that a guest can opt-in to share their data (with appropriate privacy clauses) to enhance the experience. This goes beyond temperature preferences and pillow choices, but can add when they like the room cleaned, what kind of amenities they prefer, etc.   And for the hotel, the room can become even more revenue productive.  For example, if the hotel knows how much WiFi bandwidth you consume and when, and make the assumption that you are watching a movie on your laptop given the time of data and the data flow, they could create a movie bundle that included video on demand, soda and popcorn and/or a pizza delivered from room service.

I also believe that hotels can become the location of choice for mobile workers, if they can create work spaces for travelers that surpass what a coffee shop would offer in terms of amenities to work while on the road. There is a lot of conference room space in hotels that could be utilized as coffee shop alternatives for mobile workers.

Two good examples of hotels that understand that a stay is an experience that can be enhanced by technology are Starwood and Premier Inn.

Let me know if you want to reach out to share some of my business modelling on the subject with you.

What is an Intelligent Room?

05 Wednesday Aug 2015

Posted by afairchild in Uncategorized

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connected real estate, connected workplace, corporate, intelligent office, IoT, Robin, Robinpowered

Like many analysts, I am fascinated by the integrated possibilities that the internet of things (IoT) might be able to bring us.

Unlike many, my interests are more corporate in nature. I find the concept of a connected workplace very interesting, as it incorporates many roles and functions, more than a consumer space.

One example of this is the intelligent room. I define an intelligent room as a room that can make decisions on your behalf on the basis of sensors and role profiles. This goes beyond temperature, lighting and ambiance, and includes rerouting of communications, preferences of the occupants of the room at the time, and the rules of the organization in which the occupants represent.

Rerouting of communications may also impact mobile devices in the room at the time.  For example, if the rule is no interruptions, then calls coming into the room are rerouted to voice mail.  Or if the room is using the VOIP for a concall, any incoming calls to that number are rerouted to a human or voice mail as the users prefer.

Occupant preferences are role-based, and rules-based.  If there are several occupants, then the role of the most senior occupant takes precedence. The rules are an interesting aspect, as a more common working space in an airport, hotel or business center may have to program parameters for several kinds of organizations. Which applications are enabled for the room may be both rule based and organizationally adapted.

One company that is on trend to get to this point is Robin. Their view is: “Remarkable things can happen when a room knows who is using it. We believe buildings in the future will be like another device. You’ll install apps onto rooms instead of screens, and walking in will log you in.”

My own view of this is that facilities management as a function going forward will be one of added intelligence on how facilities work in terms of efficiency, as well as how intelligent rooms add value to the organization. My own research work highlights the needs of organizations going forward in terms of intelligent office space, and how general contractors will have to specify intelligence in the leased office space market.  The concept of connected real estate will take on new meaning for leasing companies who will need to highlight the services provided in a whole new way.

How smart is your office space now?

 

Is V2V the next big thing?

08 Thursday Jan 2015

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infrastructure, IoT, network, objects, V2V, VANT, vehicle

In reading an article on energy efficiency, I was interested in the discussion on vehicle to vehicle networks (V2V).  These are defined as ad hoc information exchanges between vehicles for a variety of information on blind spots, traffic, etc.

Given the US policy makers are looking to mandate this from 2017 according to the Wikipedia article linked above, my question would be the ability for a vehicle to opt out of the network.  This can be for a variety of privacy reasons, and some of them might be a question of ownership and safety for the owner, and some reasons might be less honest as to a get away car or other non-legal issues (not properly taxed or licensed, etc).    For example, in the US the driver is insured, and in Belgium the vehicle is insured.  Will the status of insurance or ownership impact the information provided?

But are we talking about adding intelligence to our networks, our objects, or our infrastructure?  In Belgium, like other countries, we already get free infrastructure traffic flow information both in terms of signage and free reports on radio and internet as to the status of the network. It is also dispensed over social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc).

I am curious to the development of V2V (or VANET) given its choice of bandwidth and its regulation/implementation.  Will this only end up being a national occurrence, or something that evolves per country in a different manner? Adding intelligence into the mix is good, if managed well and if it adds value.

IoT : All this data – and no dialogue

03 Friday Jan 2014

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connectivity, data, interoperability, IoT

My POV:  In the Internet of Things (IoT), my dishwasher can be shut off remotely, I can check the temperature of my house from my office, and my doctor can get my body temperature from my bed. Yet none of these objects can currently have a dialogue with each other.

What bothers me now about all these mobile apps that cannot connect to each other also bothers me about ‘thing’ connectivity and interoperability.   You might ask why I want my toaster to talk to my refrigerator, but if I do not have bread, toast is not an option from breakfast.  Perhaps a silly example, but if we go to the example of data coming in from the different temperature monitors, and if this data cannot be correlated to a patient and a medical condition, and then acted upon without human intervention, then why gather the data?  Why have the object send the data (in heterogeneous standards from different types of beds) if it cannot be responded to in an automated fashion?

Seriously, we are becoming more disjointed in our data proliferation where we are generating more and more data, but having fewer dialogues.  Connectivity and interoperability are not just business phrases, but part of the way business processes succeed. Integration and efficiency are functions of data interaction, not data backlog.  We want information and knowledge, not just piles of data streams that cannot interact.

I know there are efforts to create standards around the internet of objects, but fear that brands and industries will slow, not speed up, the pace of these standards.   The AllSeen Alliance (with AllJoyn), the ITU (IoT-GSI), and the IEEE (Open Stand) are all working on standards basics, but  I suspect the heavy hitters per industry will be the ones really setting the pace.   I just hope we learned something from the evolution of IETF standards making and do not make the same errors again.

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