On September 28th, 2018, Arthur D. Little hosted its annual executive event on the state of the Internet of Things in Munich. It was attended by more than 50 senior executives from different industries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and the US, and this year’s theme was “A maturing Internet of Things – Realizing the next level of value”. Insightful presentations from analysts and industry leaders, breakout sessions, and lively discussions allowed all participants to gain valuable perspectives on, and ideas about, how the combination of 5G and the Internet of Things could generate future revenues for telecom operators, manufacturers and solution providers – and what prerequisites for technology, standards and business models are needed to succeed. To wrap up the conference, the event concluded at the Munich Oktoberfest, where many participants networked in a relaxing atmosphere.

The IoT: After the hype is before the next big thing

Over the past years the Internet of Things (IoT) has evolved from early machine-to-machine communication to synonymous with digital transformation. With the rise of the IoT, key enablers for value creation have been identified. In the initial phase, these drivers were connectivity (instantly available, across borders and with high bandwidth) and a partnership ecosystem.

With connectivity becoming almost ubiquitous, platforms have been the second main enabler for the IoT. And while IoT platforms have significantly evolved over the past years, value creation and differentiation in the future will not be possible solely based on high-bandwidth, extensive partnerships and a technology platform. But new drivers for value creation in the IoT are emerging.

Throughout the executive event, the presentations, discussions and breakout sessions gave participants from enterprises and telecom operators valuable insight into where and how the IoT would create the next level of value.