ABI Research Reports Significant Rise in SI/VARs with High IoT Maturity as Partner Program Ecosystems Expand

ABI Research, the leader in transformative technology innovation market intelligence, assessed more than 400 companies by how well they emphasize IoT in their operations and implement new IoT solutions. 50% of the listed organizations received a high IoT maturity grade. This is a dramatic increase from the 30% that received this status six months prior.

“There is a clear need for pre-packaged, end-to-end IoT solutions but currently no single company on the market is capable of delivering such a solution on its own,” says Ryan Harbison, Research Analyst at ABI Research. “As more companies refine their IoT capabilities, and companies become better adept at finding partners that can successfully implement IoT solutions, we are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of IoT-focused partner programs.”

Partner programs help bridge the gap between suppliers and customers. Companies in different sectors band together and work as a team to address issues, such as device management, security, connectivity, and analytics, from a simplified set of service platforms. Cisco, IBM, Kepware, Microsoft, Salesforce, and SAP are all organizations leveraging these ecosystems by focusing on building out their IoT solutions and then collaborating with other companies to deliver and implement the solutions to end users.

“ThingWorx and Intel, in particular, are two companies continuing to emphasize the value of their partner ecosystems,” continues Harbison. “Both take advantage of these partner collaborations to ensure that all IoT offerings they produce are secure and interoperable—an end user’s two biggest concerns.”

ThingWorx offers each of its 200 partners training and joint marketing materials to ensure that each player is well-equipped, from both a technological and operational standpoint, to deliver ThingWorx-enabled IoT solutions. This ultimately stems from the notion that a partner ecosystem is only valuable if it drives customer growth. With 200 partners spread among five partner categories (edge communication and embedded devices, communication service providers, business systems and analytics, system integrators and value-added resellers, and solution providers), ThingWorx technology is tapping into IoT markets that were previously unattainable.

Similarly, Intel’s Internet of Things Solution Alliance, comprised of more than 400 members, is working hard to create interoperable, secure solutions to not only pull data off silicon chips but to use that data in order to drive efficiency and deliver device system performance insight. Intel’s IoT Solution Alliance is highly populated by value-added resellers who help Intel differentiate its devices and the value they provide to end users. Intel leverages its embedded security with its partners in order to help customers build secure end-to-end solutions and drive value.   

These findings are part of ABI Research’s M2M and IoT Modules and Devices Service and M2M and IoT Platforms and Services Service, which include research reports, market data, insights, and competitive assessments.

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About ABI Research

For more than 25 years, ABI Research has stood at the forefront of technology market intelligence, partnering with innovative business leaders to implement informed, transformative technology decisions. The company employs a global team of senior analysts to provide comprehensive research and consulting services through deep quantitative forecasts, qualitative analyses and teardown services. An industry pioneer, ABI Research is proactive in its approach, frequently uncovering ground-breaking business cycles ahead of the curve and publishing research 18 to 36 months in advance of other organizations. In all, the company covers more than 60 services, spanning 11 technology sectors. For more information, visit www.abiresearch.com.