FEATURE: IOT
Another risk is that IoT devices may able to
capture information that infringe privacy
rights if the data is used in a certain way.
One example in the US saw the police use
data from an IoT water meter to contradict
the testimony of a homeowner.
Various laws are being established to address
some of these challenges but suffice to say
that those operating or using IoT networks
should be clear on who owns the data that’s
gathered and what the various parties may
do with that data.
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Fractured ecosystem
Besides the security concerns, perhaps the
biggest challenge with the emerging IoT
landscape is the fracturing of applications
and systems, creating data silos that run
contrary to the principle of simplifying our
lives and our businesses.
If a consumer has 10 IoT devices controlling
and monitoring their house, it’s likely that
they will have to interact with up to 10 apps
on their smart phone. Until this landscape
IT IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT
THAT BUSINESSES THAT RELY ON
INFORMATION FROM IOT DEVICES
CAN INTEGRATE THE VARIOUS
DEVICES SEAMLESSLY.
matures and the various IoT devices start
to integrate with each other, the user
experience could be clumsy.
For this reason, it’s essential for industry
participants to think about how their
devices, applications, analytic services
and notification systems will integrate
with products from other companies,
allowing the user the full benefit of his or
her devices using the interface that best
suits the user. It is even more important
that businesses that rely on information
from IoT devices can integrate the various
devices seamlessly.
Despite these growing pains however, IoT
seems to have a very positive outlook. The
big opportunity is for traditional product-
based companies to move away from simply
selling products in a once-off fashion and
evolve towards a service-based company by
providing users with smart devices that make
their lives simpler, more ‘frictionless’. This
can vastly increase the value and insights
that a company can deliver to its users –
stimulating greater levels of loyalty and
stronger relationships. n
Inking the new
SqwidNet brand
Organisations across the African continent are
increasingly looking at adopting Internet of Things (IoT)
solutions to enable their digital transformation.
M
arkets are rapidly evolving
because of emerging
technologies and, according to
acting SqwidNet CEO, Phatizwe
Malinga, so too must brands if they want to
remain relevant and fresh.
SqwidNet has announced the launch of its
new brand, aligning itself with the dynamic
environment the company operates in.
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INTELLIGENTCIO
“I am very excited to announce the launch
of our new brand,” said Malinga. “As a
technology solutions and network provider
at the edge of innovation, we realised that
it was time to refresh our brand and align
ourselves with the fast-changing and exciting
environment we operate in.”
With a fresh leadership team comes a
fresh approach to business and Malinga
says SqwidNet is embarking on an exciting
journey to truly bring IoT to life in Africa.
“As the aggregator of the Internet of Things,
we have aggressively grown our partner
ecosystem to ensure that we can provide
organisations more than just a roadmap to
IoT,” added Malinga. “We are able to advise
them on the best possible solutions to meet
specific business challenges and by bringing
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