Smart ecosystem: why the IoT depends on collaboration
As more and more IoT devices are connected together, smart buildings need to take an integrated approach to how data is managed and collected – this has seen the rise of smart collaborative ecosystems
The assumption of smart buildings is that they are all-seeing, all-knowing, active buildings, but put simply, smart buildings use technology to enable their occupants to be more efficient and effective. A smart building transforms data it collects from various sensors throughout the environment into actionable outputs and tangible knowledge via different services.
An integrated approach
Smart buildings rely on data from various different sources and systems, and therefore it is important to have an integrated approach to data processing. Managing collaboration on a smart building scale requires a coordinated approach.
There is not one vendor or organisation that has the expertise to design, deliver and deploy an entire IoT implementation because it is simply too complex. This means that, in order to specify, source, install and manage different integrating IoT systems, organisations must work in a collaborative ecosystem with multiple experts and vendors to construct a cohesive smart environment.
IoT ecosystems
A collaborative ecosystem can be established by making partnerships between multiple businesses, organisations and individual experts to work together to identify issues, solve problems and build integrated solutions which create new standards.
Successful players in IoT are increasingly entering into partnerships with one another in the IoT ecosystem. In a recent report by Deloitte on the IoT ecosystem, it stated that IoT providers need to work together in order to have a significant impact on the market. This ecosystem encompasses infrastructure, hardware and software to drive business value for enterprises.
Benefits of a smart ecosystem
Companies that want to promote an ecosystem of vendors can offer developer partner programs that support and invest in software development ecosystems. This allows software developers to have access to tools and to collaborate within a wider ecosystem to create new applications and integrated systems.
Well-designed software development ecosystems benefit both the businesses and organisations that participate in the ecosystem. Solutions developed by ecosystem partners who work together often guarantee interoperability, so the system works in a holistic and seamlessly integrated way. And because these solutions are jointly designed and developed, they can address needs that overlap domains that have historically been separate such as lighting and IT.
A thriving and collaborative ecosystem is essential for smart building infrastructure in the future as the demand for flexibility and agility increases. IoT systems need to respond to the changing needs of the building through an integrated and open system which is best achieve through a collaborative effort.
Read more about smart collaborative ecosystems here.
