Moving IIoT Value Closer to the Edge and End-Users, IIC Offers New Program

After years of developing standards and guidelines for Industrial Internet applications, systems, networks, devices and technologies, the Industrial Internet Consortium announced this week that it has launched a new program designed to stimulate IIoT adoption across specific vertical industries to “help IT and OT users solve real problems they face in their businesses.”

In its announcement, it refers to this as the “IIC Accelerator Program” which is designed to appeal to the buyers of IIOT solutions – the end users who wish to exchange ideas with their peers, to get advice from experts, and collaborate on solving real-world, complex technical problems.

“We've been running testbeds and harvesting best practices from them for almost five years,” said Dr. Richard Soley, Executive Director, IIC. “Now's the time to actually deliver results, results that end-users can touch and feel!”

Since 2014, the IIC has developed seven foundational documents that have become de facto guidelines for enterprises seeking to adopt IIoT technology solutions. Moving now to specific industry vertical use cases and scalable implementations, the non-profit organization is stepping up their game even as the IIoT continues to grow.

“Kudos to IIC for filling this gap in the market,” said 451 Research Vice President Christian Renaud. “The initial hype around IIoT has dissipated and technologists must move from designing to deploying solutions. End users of IIoT technology are looking for real examples of applying the new business models needed to compete.  The leaders will use these offerings to realize the potential of IIoT to cut costs and improve the safety, efficiency and productivity of their operations.”

With the Accelerator Program, the IIC enables technology end users to achieve tangible results by assisting from ideation to implementation: with problem definition, helping to identify technologies, offering a neutral platform for innovation and delivering pilots. Vendors and systems integrators have a new avenue to develop, test and offer solutions to technology end users across all industries, fostering a vibrant end-to-end solution development ecosystem.

“Our goal is to reduce technology end user uncertainty around IoT and to help guide the industry users through their IoT journey.  Most companies have a few security, analytics or deep learning experts on staff, but the IIC has them all,” said IIC Vice President Industry Programs Howard Kradjel. “Our neutral platform fosters partnering and helps technology end users solve real problems via our member ecosystem.”