As the Internet of Things gathers momentum in the manufacturing space, manufacturers are increasingly looking to improve tracking efficiency and gain supply chain visibility with IoT solutions. I discussed IoT-based tracking solutions with Mobeen Khan, AVP of Industrial Internet of Things Solutions for AT&T Mobile and Business Solutions. He provided insight into how manufacturers should select IoT solutions, why some manufacturers are hesitant to implement and how manufacturers can help keep their data secure.
Bridget Bergin (BB): How can IoT-based tracking solutions help manufacturers improve operational efficiency?
Mobeen Khan (MK): The Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming the way companies run their operations. Manufacturers are turning to IoT solution providers for the ability to track the location of assets, control their equipment and run remote diagnostics, thereby increasing productivity and improving performance. Cost savings can be driven through automation to reduce labor, increase efficiencies, decrease travel and predict future maintenance.
BB: If a manufacturer is shopping for IoT-based tracking solutions, what key features should they look for?
MK: When looking for IoT technology, manufacturers should ensure their solution provider has integration expertise and experience. For many manufacturers, a solution that can track globally and seamlessly over air, land and sea is a game-changer. AT&T Cargo View with FlightSafe sets the standard as an end-to-end solution for businesses by providing tracking and monitoring capabilities, device logistics services and a web tracking portal accessible via a mobile device. Whether a manufacturer buys a turnkey solution like AT&T Cargo View or builds a custom tracking solution from scratch, they need to ensure the technology meets the needs of their business.
When it comes to adopting IoT-based tracking solutions, companies should be asking questions such as: Do we need network-assisted GPS for indoor and outdoor tracking? Do we need to monitor multiple conditions such as temperature, humidity or shock? Will we need rugged outdoor tracking devices with a strong battery life that can withstand harsh environments? IoT solution providers can work with manufacturers to consider all of these factors and ensure the right decisions are made.
BB: Industrial IoT implementation among manufacturers is not yet widespread. Why do you think so many manufacturers are slow to adopt?
MK: Businesses in many industries might have concerns such as the complexity of building a custom solution, security prioritization, deployment costs and the uncertainty around a return on investment. A custom solution requires expertise from multiple disciplines such as hardware, software, integration, cloud, security, network and analytics.
Adoption of IoT connectivity for mobile and remote equipment has been occurring for several years, and as costs decrease and familiarity with these solutions increase, manufacturers will become increasingly comfortable with IoT solutions. Additionally, as the cost of this adoption decreases, so does the complexity to deploy the technology. Pre-built solutions, proven best-practice connectivity, high standard security methods and easy to integrate cloud components for managing data are all driving adoption. Although challenges certainly remain, an experienced IoT solution provider can help steer a manufacturer in the right direction.
BB: What advice would you give a manufacturer who is worried about data security?
MK: Security is rapidly becoming a top business priority as cyber threats continue to increase in number. Today, there are more vulnerabilities than ever before, with approximately 50 billion total devices expected to be connected to the Internet by 2020. Each additional connection point creates an additional point of vulnerability for an attack, and every employee is a potential entry point for a cyber threat. At the same time, the need for businesses to safeguard their data is greater than ever. Here are some suggestions that businesses can consider in evaluating how to improve their security posture:
- Conduct a comprehensive assessment to understand what security controls are in place and update your network and infrastructure policies to reflect current best practices.
- Perform routine compliance assessments.
- Implement security controls on BYOD devices. Understanding your average bandwidth use will help to determine if there are rogue servers taking up capacity.
- Consider additional cloud-based security controls, especially to improve security for email and web traffic.
- Go beyond preventive measures. Deploy a threat management plan to collect, analyze, detect and respond to risks and help protect your internal systems.
An effective IoT deployment includes a careful balance of access and security. Integrating security processes is critical for end-to-end security, and includes device-level protection, secure network connections, and advanced controls in the cloud. AT&T provides a broad range of network security features and managed services to protect data in transit, including managed AVPN, advanced SIM technologies and active threat management in the network.
BB: What are some trends or innovations you’ve seen in the Industrial IoT industry?
MK: We continue to drive industrial IoT innovation with customers and ecosystem vendors in the AT&T Foundries. We’re working on innovation at each layer of the solution stack, which includes devices, network technologies, and developer toolsets such as M2X and Flow Designer. We’re seeing an increasing number of 4G and LTE devices used for IoT applications. This demand for high-speed connectivity indicates that machines are using more data and are using media-rich applications to communicate data to users. With more enterprises relying on devices to report telemetry and conduct diagnostics, faster connection speeds will be essential to support rapid data transfer.
