Enterprises in Europe are looking for service providers able to cover multiple geographies to help them roll out and manage their IoT networks, according to US technology research and advisory firm Information Services Group (ISG).

The report finds enterprises in Europe looking for providers that have IoT services in multiple countries with support in multiple languages.

Companies are looking for providers not only for managed IoT services, where it is crucial for providers to offer dedicated services locally, even in remote areas, but also for IoT consulting services, the report says.

Providers need to be well versed in the different regulations across Europe related to data collection, data security and data privacy, the report says. Road traffic regulations, railroad management and control systems, mobile connectivity – all systems that are necessary within a successful pan-European mobile connectivity project – differ between countries, because of a lack of existing interfaces and common standards.

While deployment of IoT systems slowed in 2020, in part because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the report sees interest across industries picking up again in Europe, beginning in the fourth quarter last year.

Manufacturing was one of the few industry segments in Europe to see growth in IoT outsourcing contract values in 2020, according to the ISG Index, with the market fuelled by the ongoing move to smart factories and demand for industrial IoT (IIoT) applications. Yet even manufacturing saw a tail-off in the middle of the year as facilities were shut down and investments waned in response to the pandemic.

Worldwide, Europe was the largest market for outsourced IoT services in 2020, with strong activity in the UK and Germany, the ISG Index found.

“The pandemic stalled the deployment of the IoT, especially in travel-related industries,” said Christian Decker, partner for ISG Smart Manufacturing in Europe. “But service providers are reporting renewed interest across sectors, from cold chain supply improvement in pharmaceuticals to shopfloor equipment effectiveness in food manufacturing.”

Manufacturers, Decker said, needed smart factories and supply chains to keep up with the competition.

“Many manufacturers already have chosen their IoT platforms and use cases and are looking to their service providers to help them scale deployments,” he said.

One lingering concern for enterprises rolling out the IoT is cyber security, and they’re turning to service providers to help them protect the data flowing over IoT systems, the report says.

IoT service providers are building security services into their consulting and managed services engagements, especially those focused on IT and operational technology (OT) convergence, the report adds. Many security services cover the entire IoT ecosystem, from the edge to the cloud to on-premises systems.

Beyond security, convergence of IT and OT systems is a major challenge for enterprises deploying IoT systems, the report says. The use of legacy systems in both worlds can slow down integration and mobility. Service providers are combining their industry expertise and IT proficiencies to develop converged systems.

Service providers are also helping enterprises deploy artificial intelligence in IoT systems, including on the edge, the report adds. AI can help IoT systems better process large volumes of data, and service providers often offer customised AIOps systems for specialised customer needs.

The report sees a growing interest in 5G networking technologies as a way to connect IoT networks, but some mobile network operators may need to shut down older networks to make way for 5G.

Enterprise clients, especially those with deployed IoT fleets and devices, will need to manage the selection of replacement technologies, when mobile operators shutter older services, the report recommends. Shuttering events will happen on a per-country, per-operator basis, which makes them difficult to manage.

The report evaluates the capabilities of 27 providers across three quadrants: IoT consulting and services, managed IoT services, and connected mobility consulting and services. It names Atos, Capgemini, Cognizant, IBM and Siemens as leaders in three quadrants and Accenture and Bosch as leaders in two.

In addition, HCL and NTT Data were named rising stars, that is companies with promising portfolios and high future potential by ISG’s definition in two quadrants. Wipro was named a rising star in one quadrant.

Founded in 2006, and based in Stamford, Connecticut, ISG employs more than 1300 digital-ready professionals operating in more than 20 countries.