Ontario-based Soti says it has removed major barriers to IoT ownership and efficient device management with the latest release of its enterprise-grade IoT manager, Connect v1.2.
 
This addresses prevalent industry challenges around managing industrial and mobile printers and limited access sensors, through a single point of control.
 
The need to simplify enterprise-grade IoT is a problem for organisations. According to recent research from Soti, only 45% of direct purchasers or influencers of technology or mobility software in enterprises say their organisation currently leverages IoT, despite more than three-quarters agreeing it would improve their company productivity. Currently, 31% of these purchasers and influencers who are deploying IoT devices cite downtime as their biggest IoT-related challenge, while a third identify a lack of real-time visibility into devices as their major concern.
 
Connect v1.2 supports industrial and mobile printers and IoT-enabled sensors, providing robust management capabilities, and automated monitoring and maintenance of an IoT-enabled device fleet. Select TSC Printronix Auto ID, Sato, Honeywell, Brother, Toshiba and Epson printers are supported. IoT-enabled devices can be quickly supported, configured and deployed, as Connect is built using a data-driven architecture, with Soti continuously certifying new devices from various OEMs.
 
Key use cases include: managing the multiple devices and sensors required to maintain an unbroken temperature controlled supply chain; end-to-end syncing of in-store IoT-enabled devices that improve the retail customer experience; and oversight of manufacturing machinery sensors.
 
Globally, more than two-thirds of consumers perceive mobile technology as an effective strategy for delivering a faster shopping experience, demonstrating the need for retailers to implement IoT-enabled technology to meet consumer expectations. In the transportation and logistics industry, where end-to-end oversight of operations is crucial, half of organisations are supporting field services facilities with recently deployed mobile devices.
 
Connect also lets managed services providers (MSPs) avoid having to ship problematic devices to tech support for servicing, by providing the ability to access the device, identify any issues, pull device logs and perform automated remediation. All this is done remotely, reducing maintenance and monitoring costs of IoT services. Additionally, MSPs can reduce swap-stock instances due to decreased downtime and greater visibility into device health and performance, enabling IT to remediate any device issues even before they occur.
 
“Until now, it’s always been a challenge to incorporate industrial and mobile printers, as well as limited access sensors into a single point of control for IoT-enabled devices,” said Oscar Rambaldini, vice president of product management at Soti. “Thanks to Connect v1.2, business leaders can have end-to-end visibility of all the IoT-enabled devices across their entire operation, and secure, manage and support these devices remotely. The positive implications towards downtime, disruption and total cost of ownership cannot be underestimated. Ultimately, what we are helping enterprises achieve is greater efficiency in every industry and any environment these devices are deployed, no matter how complex.”