Exploring practical applications of the Internet of Things

On March 11, Zones clients from across the country arrived in Seattle for two days of education and networking at our Q1 CustomerConnect conference.

Focused exclusively on the Internet of Things, the program featured visionaries who are leading key IoT initiatives at companies like Cisco, Microsoft, Dell, EMC and Oracle, as well as business unit leaders from HP, VMware, Kingston Technology, CA Technologies, and Symantec, who detailed their companies’ approaches to – and solutions for – our increasingly connected world.

The audience of IT leaders represented a wide range of industries including banking, insurance, media and communication, health care, pharmaceuticals, power generation and heavy manufacturing. As each speaker added additional details on the scope and utility of IoT technologies available and on the horizon, it became clear to everyone in the room that if they were not yet, they soon would be creating, deploying and maintaining IoT initiatives at their firms.

Zones IoT practice leaders Link Simpson and Steve Lurie kicked off the event with a wide ranging presentation that grounded those gathered in the basic elements of the Internet of Things, and introduced them to some of the practical applications and challenges in converting hundreds, millions or billions of data points into actionable information in real time.

Keynote speaker Todd Gurela of Cisco shared the example of the way GE Aviation leveraged the Internet of Things to evolve its business model from selling aircraft engines to contracting for hours of operation by reliably monitoring and predicting specific maintenance events, which allows the company to eliminate unnecessary – and expensive – routine engine teardowns. This increases uptime and allows the GE Aviation to reliably deliver on contracted hours of service.

In a similar vein, Gurela explained how Harley-Davidson implemented a sensor-rich and data-driven manufacturing environment that has reduced the time it takes to roll out new products from over a year to a matter of weeks, and reduced downtime and scrap yields to deliver some $200 million in benefits to the company.

Along with a deep-dive into the theory and practice of IoT, CustomerConnect guests got a hands-on look at many of the technologies that underpin connected environments, during two exhibitor showcases that brought them face-to-face with 50 leading players in the IoT space.

CustomerConnect visitors also enjoyed some quality downtime in Seattle, as they dined and networked at a dinner reception at SkyCity, the restaurant located atop the iconic Space Needle.