Creating the Internet

of Your Things
Barb Edson
General Manager
Microsoft Corp.

Executive Summary
Where is your business going? How are you going to make it thrive? How will you
make the most of what you have, and incorporate todays and tomorrows technology
breakthroughs to ensure your business is set up for the long term? How are you going
to help your employees become more efficient? How are you going to reduce costs yet
improve customer service? The answers to these questionsand many morelikely
already exist in your business with the data and systems you have today. You may need
ideas, inspiration, and technology partners to help you stop running your business and
start making it thrive.
Microsoft recognizes that buzz about new technology can be exciting but also
challenging to assess from a business perspective. The Internet of Things, also known as
IoT, is one such trend. The Internet of Things provides vast opportunities, but it can also
pose a challenge to enterprises.
The Internet of Things has kept plenty of technology journalists busy during the past year,
but few have answered the most important questions of how to make it relevant to your
business today. Instead, it often seems overwhelming, complicated, and expensive.
Its no wonder many companies are uncertain about implementing an IoT strategy. In this
paper, we explain how to look beyond the hype and start on a path that will unlock the
potential of the Internet of Your Things. Real, transformative results in your organization
await, and its easier than you think.

Contents
Understanding the Internet of Things.................................................................................................... 3
The Microsoft point of view on the Internet of Things.................................................................... 4
The impact of data and the cloud............................................................................................................ 4
Microsoft Azure Internet of Things services......................................................................................... 5
Why Microsoft is best positioned to help you build the Internet of Your Things................. 6
Conclusion: A game-changing opportunity......................................................................................... 7
Get started today............................................................................................................................................ 7

Creating the Internet of Your Things

Understanding the Internet of Things

The term Internet of Things isnt new. Almost 20 years ago, MIT
professors described a world where things (devices or sensors) are
connected and able to share data. Data coming from these devices and
sensors provide business insights that were previously out of reach. The
invaluable insights enabled by harnessing and analyzing the data from
these connected devices are what the Internet of Things is all about.
Today the Internet of Things is at an inflection point. Although
technology experts for decades have anticipated a world of billions of
smart, connected devices, multiple factors have converged recently to
accelerate adoption of IoT scenarios in businesses like yours. Consider
the following:

Hardware costs are falling. The costs of Internet of Things

components such as microchips, GPS sensors, and accelerometers
have fallen as volumes have increased. And it is not simply a cost
reductiontiny microchips are now capable of running more
advanced software than ever.
More machines are talking to each other. Machine-to-machine
(M2M) solutions are going mainstream. Vodafone forecasts that
50 percent of companies will have adopted M2M communications
technologies by 2020.1
Software is more advanced than ever. Todays rich, dynamic
business software is putting high-level data analysis capabilities into
the hands of companies around the globe.
Connectivity is proliferating. Previously, IoT solutions were limited
to wired or wireless local area network connections as mobile
operators priced M2M connections out of range. No longer. Fuelled
by the additional capacity that advanced cellular networks provide,
mobile operators are embracing the Internet of Things.

With such huge potential, the marketing

hype around the Internet of Things is
creating a stream of noise. It seems
like every technology company has an
Internet of Things angle and their own
set of buzzwords. And these buzzwords
create confusion and inertia too often.

Cloud solutions offer lower costs, scale, and flexibility. With the
growth of services like Microsoft Azure, cloud storage and processing
power is becoming more affordable and available, expanding the
capability to analyze large amounts of data. Internet of Things
scenarios that incorporate cloud-based storage, analysis, and other
tools provide the added benefit of scalability and flexibility that
businesses need when starting or expanding an IoT solution.
Potential economic benefits are enormous. The Internet of Things
has the potential to create economic impact of $2.7 trillion to
$6.2 trillion annually by 2025, according to McKinsey Global
Institute.2

Creating the Internet of Your Things

www.InternetofYourThings.com

The Microsoft point of view on the

Internet of Things
The Internet of Things does not need to be complicated.
It doesnt have to be about billions or trillions of devices.
The Internet of Things is here today, and its a practical
and applicable technology trend that can generate return
on investment (ROI) and drive efficiencies and insights for
organizations that know how to leverage it.
Across the globe every day, businesses are connecting their
things and harnessing their data to create powerful new
business value. Connecting devices to IT systems is only the
first step. The real value lies in the data that is transmitted
from those devices, and the compelling business insights
this data can enable.
These connected things are producing large amounts
of information. By tapping into those data streams and
connecting them to the cloud and back-end systems,
organizations can optimize business processes, make more
informed decisions, identify new revenue opportunities, and
understand and predict customer and partner behaviors in
ways they couldnt imagine before.
At Microsoft, we believe the Internet of Things can make
a difference to your business right nowbeginning with
the things in your business that matter the most. Its really
the Internet of Your Things, and it starts by building on
the infrastructure you already have in place, using familiar
devices and services in new ways, and incorporating the
right technology to ultimately help you use data to create
insights and make more informed business decisions.

Rather than thinking about the Internet

of Things as trillions of abstract devices
and sensors, think about your things
your devices, sensors, IT infrastructure,
cloud services, and software.

Instead of thinking about the massive amount of data being

produced by billions of devices, think about how one piece
of data about your customers, your processes, sales or
inventory could provide value to your organization.
These are your things; theyre critical to you and help
you power your business.

Creating the Internet of Your Things

The impact of data and the cloud

The advancements in connectivity, processing power,
form factors, operating systems, and applications, among
other technology breakthroughs, are key elements to
unlocking value from the Internet of Things. And with these
advancements, the impact of data and the cloud is paramount
to using the power and potential of the Internet of Things.

Data is mission-critical to your business. Data

can have different formats, values, retention
requirements, and traffic patterns. It comes from
different sources (intelligent industry devices,
services, and more) and across different protocols.
This data may arrive at your doorstep predictably and
structured, but it may also knock on the door in the middle
of the night unexpectedly. By providing a framework
for the data to ingress and be processed, Microsoft can
automate through filters, rules, triggers, or other means
the reception of that data. Most important, data in the
typical Internet of Things conversation is largetoo large
for a traditional organizations compute models to costeffectively consume and manage.
Big data is the term for a collection of data sets so large
and complex that they become difficult to process using
typical on-premises database management and processing
applications. Big data needs to be processed by a flexible,
scalable compute model that evolves as your business
evolves. Big data needs to be contextual and, through its
very nature, combined with many other assets, sources, and
datasets. By possessing data with a set of tools, engines,
and scalable architecture, Microsoft is uniquely positioned
in the industry to help you take advantage of your data, and
then process and apply optimization to your assets. This
can be done both on the operational side and when driving
new and richer business insight strategy. Above all else, the
power of the cloud to harness, store, and draw insights from
your data is a game changer.
Cloud computing offers scalable data collection, processing,
and analysis capabilities that are flexible to the needs of your
business. Cloud solutions give businesses the ability to store
and process significant amounts of data, whether its latent
or in real time; store that data; and apply rules and structure
to it for consumption. Cloud computing technology and a
flexible consumption-based price structure associated with
off-premises hybrid, private, or public cloud compute models
have created the ability to deliver new offerings to market,
which were simply not achievable in the past.
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The cloud also enables more data to be unlocked by enabling

you to pull data in from different sources and across different
line-of-business assets and devices. This data may arrive
structured, unstructured or somewhere in between.
It may arrive regularly or intermittently. Despite this variability,
by providing a framework for the data, Microsoft can
automatethrough filters, rules, triggers or other means
the intelligent processing of that data.
Internet of Things scenarios are even more valuable
when you combine data from line-of-business assets and
devices with data from other systems in your business.
When you use cloud-based solutions for storage and
analysis, you can combine data from multiple sources
without worrying about capacity constraints or the
significant costs that might result from building out your
on-premises infrastructure. With a variety of cloud services
to enable IoT scenarios, Microsoft is uniquely positioned
to help you take advantage of your data.

Microsoft Azure Internet of Things services

As you might expect from a proven leader in the
enterprise space, Microsoft has the mobile and cloud
technology you need to make your Internet of Things
plans come to fruition.
With Microsoft Azure Internet of Things (IoT) services,
you can monitor assets to improve efficiencies, drive
operational performance to enable innovation, and use
advance data analytics to transform your business with
new business models and revenue streams. Small changes
can have a big impact to your bottom line. When you
take advantage of the Microsoft cloud platform, you can
use Azure services to help you move faster, do more, save
money, and capture the benefits of the Internet of Things
for your business.
Most important, you dont have to be at a particular
juncture in adopting IoT scenarios in your business to
benefit. You might be just starting to look at how you
might improve a particular business process or you might
already have years invested in creating an IoT solution.
Whatever the case may be, Azure IoT services meet your
business where you are todaywhether youre focused on
where to start or ready to scale your IoT scenarios.

Creating the Internet of Your Things

Here are some of the ways

Microsoft Azure IoT services
can help your business:
Improve Efficiency
Understanding the health of diverse lineof-business assets and devices can be a
challenge. When you can easily connect and
monitor these assets and devices, you can
track their condition and performance over
time. Rules and alerts notify the right team
or department in your business when action
is needed, so you can improve business
processes and efficiencies.

Enable Innovation
Businesses that learn and adapt will continue
to thrive. When you can see trends as they
emerge, your business will be better able
to respond to opportunities and threats. By
monitoring and analyzing data from multiple
sources in real time, you can enable your
business to innovate and make the most out
of the situation.

Transform your business

Data is only ones and zeros until you turn
it into insights and business impact. When
you leverage the data from your asset
monitoring and use advanced data analytics
to enhance decision-making and innovation,
you can see the potential to transform your
business by creating new business models
and revenue streams through data insights.
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Using the Microsoft Azure IoT services opens up a variety

of new business possibilities. For example, Rockwell
Automation is using Microsoft Azure IoT services to
extend its business and provide managed monitoring
and support for its products in the oil and gas industry.
The company has developed cloud-based solutions,
using software, sensors and devices to predict equipment
failures along the supply chain, track its performance
in real-time, and help refine designs and processes to
prevent those failures in the future.
Microsoft and its partners have also been working with
Royal Caribbean International, which wanted to gain
better insight into customer behavior and enhance
workflow on its innovative new cruise ships. It deployed
a solution that connected over 500 point-of-sales
terminals, digital signs, and tablets.
This IoT solution improved the guest experience by
providing ready access to photos for guests, improved
the effectiveness of upsell interactions, and improved
workflow (for example, reducing food inspection time
from five hours to two hours).

Why Microsoft is best positioned to help

you build the Internet of Your Things
Microsoft is likely already a strategic partner for
your business with the platforms, infrastructure,
and productivity tools you use today. Through its
comprehensive technology offerings, such as Azure IoT
services, Microsoft can help your business build on your
existing technology and help unlock the potential of the
Internet of Your Thingstoday.

Proven Microsoft experience and leadership

can help you generate better, faster results,
with less risk.

With Microsoft, you can do the following:

Build on what already works. Microsoft is a proven
leader in the enterprise space, and has a longstanding
commitment to help companies build on their existing
technology assets, devices, and data to derive business
value from the Internet of Things. So, choosing Azure
IoT services enables you to take advantage of your
existing infrastructure and technology investments.
Lean on trusted support and expertise. Microsoft
delivers technologies to enable your IoT solutions
cloud, networks and gateways, heterogeneous device
support, systems capabilities, and data analytics.
Microsoft has the right devices, the right tools, the right
solutions and the right partners to take your business to
the next level with the Internet of Your Things.
Have a trusted vendor to meet your business where
you are today. Most important, you dont have to be at
a particular juncture in adopting Internet of Things
scenarios in your business to get benefit. You might
be just starting to look at how you might improve a
particular business process or you might already have
years invested in creating an IoT solution. Whatever
the case may be, Azure IoT services meet your business
where you are todaywhether youre focused on
where to start or ready to scale your IoT scenarios.
Unlock innovation with a cohesive ecosystem of
partners and solutions. Microsoft has a global partner
ecosystem that is expert in putting technology to
work on your companys challenges. Together with our
partners, we have the technology and the experience
to transform your business, right now. These partners
know that Microsoft plays well with others, supporting
your existing technology investmentseven if they
arent Microsoft investments. With Microsoft and our
ecosystem of leading experts and visionaries in the IoT
space, you will deliver ROI faster.

Microsoft delivers a comprehensive portfolio of traditional

and cloud-based technologies, devices, and services to
accelerate how you can create and use the Internet of
Your Things.

Creating the Internet of Your Things

www.InternetofYourThings.com

Conclusion: A game-changing opportunity

Get started today

The Internet of Your Things represents an immense opportunity.

Imagine the power of unlocking the insights and data
in the following scenarios:

Learn how you can put the Internet of

Things to work for your business today:

Point-of-sale scanners on a retail floor are connected to warehouse

systems and analytics software at headquarters, for industryleading efficiency in inventory.

L earn more about how to create

the Internet of Your Things in
your organization.

Robots on a factory floor send production and maintenance

information directly to those who need it, for unparalleled
reliability and uptime.

L earn more about Microsoft Azure

IoT services.

Diagnostic images from a CT-scan machine are shared in near real

time with radiologists at another medical facility and the family
doctor, for improved patient care.
Other industry leaders arent waiting. Microsoft is delivering the
mobile and cloud services for the Internet of Things today, helping
customers drive operational efficiency, improve innovation and
enable the creation of new business models. Working together, we
can transform your business by starting from your existing assets and
creating new insights.
Microsoft looks forward to seeing what we can help you create
with the Internet of Your Things. The potential is as limitless as your
imagination and as unique as your business.

Vodafone, The M2M Adoption Barometer, June 2013.

McKinsey Global Institute, Disruptive technologies: Advances that will transform life,
business, and the global economy, May 2013.

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intended or inferred.

Creating the Internet of Your Things

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