Only 14 percent of large NZ businesses have deployed IoT

New Zealand is well positioned for the Internet of Things (IoT), such as fast fibre, however a national tech leader urged for the country to do better.

NZTech chief executive and chair of the New Zealand IoT Alliance Graeme Muller says only 14 percent of large businesses have deployed any IoT. Around 70 percent think it will be strategically important but are concerned about potential costs and changes in technology, he says.

“We are launching a collaborative national IoT research project report on June 29 which will unveil some major findings. Internationally, IoT will be one of the technology game changers.

“The project is being managed by the IoT Alliance and brings together major tech users, tech firms, the government, academia and industry groups such as NZTech, TUANZ and InternetNZ, all of whom have an interest in the potential impact of IoT for New Zealand.

“We’re seeing billions of things all connecting with each other, analysing information and automating responses which will drive massive productivity improvements. It is predicted that 100 billion things will be connected to the internet by 2020.

“As we start using IoT we will start to learn from each other and find new ways of driving our traditional businesses. There are gains to be had in every sector as sensors and data identify new and improved ways of doing things. In dairy farming alone, better use of IoT could be worth $448 million in economic benefit to the country.

“IoT connected data will not only help drive economic growth, but can also be used to make New Zealand safer and to improve social outcomes. The government’s role is to act as a catalyst and to ensure all the right building blocks like security and connectivity remain in place.

“IoT will soon become critical to helping New Zealand raise its productivity and prosperity. Much of the initial hype around IoT has been derived from consumer IoT such as fitness trackers and intelligent fridges. The real value to be had from the Internet of Things is in enterprise and government applications.

“IoT presents a massive opportunity for technology to drive New Zealand’s economic growth. Yet to accelerate deployment and uptake, a better understanding of the opportunities is needed.

“Compared to the G20 nations, New Zealand scores well for IoT readiness due to ease of doing business, government stability, regulatory quality, a good innovation ecosystem and education system,” Muller says.

Initial economic analysis has identified potential economic benefits in the hundreds of millions of dollars for the New Zealand economy through the deployment of IoT in sectors as diverse as agriculture, utilities, manufacturing, logistics and smart city services.

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For further information contact NZTech chief executive and Chair of the New Zealand IoT Alliance Graeme Muller on 021 02520767 or Make Lemonade editor-in-chief Kip Brook on 0275 030188