IoT and smart cities opening doors for resellers

Smart cities and internet of things is offering resellers 'substantial opportunities' according to Allied Telesis' Scott Penno.

Penno, Allied Telesis APAC marketing manager, says the company is seeing increasing numbers of traditional enterprise resellers branching out into other areas, including physical security, with IP cameras, and building and environment management.

"In the past a company doing access control systems might have gone in and put in the twisted pair cabling and so forth," Penno says.

"Another company would put in the building management system. And another the CCTV system. Then you've got all the utilities, such as a PBX.

"Each of them was acting in isolation.

Penno says many customers are looking for smarter use of technology and to move from having multiple providers to one who can handle not just the networking for traditional IT, but for building and environment management as well.

He cites the example of an Australian chain of shopping centres which had 15 organisations managing its different systems. The company is currently going through the process of moving everything onto a common network and having one organisation responsible for all of the operation.

"The world is getting more connected and smarter," Penno says.

"You can look at things like the transport networks, where there has been a lot of intelligence added to improve the efficiencies.

He cites the example of sensors in the roadways to monitor usage – and quality – of the road, and variable speed signage.

Meanwhile, cameras are being deployed throughout cities worldwide.

On the building front he cites the example of hotels deploying systems which enable rooms to turn down air conditioning when no one is in them, turning it back on when the occupant enters the lift to return to the room.

Penno says the move smarter buildings – and cities – is a 'huge opportunity for the channel'.

"There's all the work with integration, looking at building management, environmental management, physical security… and app integration.

"And then there's all the information that is gathered by sensors," he adds.

"Mainstream IT resellers understand the networking, they understand end points like printers, computers, IP telephones, it's just about expanding on that.

Penno says businesses are also gaining all the data, but now need the ability to find value in the information contained in the data.

He says the company is working with its ecosystem of vendor partners in areas such as physical security and transport, and the channel to bring the necessary skills to the mainstream IT reseller.

"It's about knowledge sharing.

Penno says many ANZ resellers are already embracing the new opportunities such as physical security.

"The end-user just wants it all to work, and if you can provide the enterprise network, the telephony network and the physical security, and building management, they get the single point of contact that they want.