Cisco rolls out three IoT specialisations
Networking giant unveils trio of new partner badges as IDC pegs IoT as $3tn market by 2020
Cisco has launched three Internet of Things (IoT) specialisations for partners to smooth their path into what it claims will be a $19tn (£12tn) market over the next decade.
The move came as market watcher IDC predicted the value of the hardware, software, services, connectivity and security that make up the IoT ecosystem will reach $3tn annually by 2020.
In a blog post, Steve Benvenuto, senior director of business development for Cisco's Worldwide Partner Organisation, announced the vendor is rolling out three Advanced IoT specialisations.
The badges, dubbed Connected Safety and Security, Industry Expert and Manufacturing, respectively, are designed to help Cisco's resell and operational technology (OT) partners capture a share of the $19tn opportunity Cisco believes will be created over the next decade by "connecting the unconnected", Benvenuto said.
For Cisco, IoT is just a sub-segment of its "Internet of Everything" (IoE) vision, which encompasses not only objects but also people.
"Cisco estimates that 99.4 per cent of physical objects that may one day be part of the IoE are still unconnected, creating a massive opportunity for the Cisco Partner Ecosystem," Benvenuto said.
The Advanced specialisation in Connected Safety and Security will test partners' ability to design, install and support physical security technology for the IoT market. The IoT Advanced specialisation for manufacturing will also be available from 18 November. More IoT badges will be rolled out next year as Cisco launches more products, it said.
The news came as IDC predicted the global IoT market would grow from $1.3tn in 2013 to $30.4tn in 2020, representing an annual compound growth rate of 13 per cent.
Although it hardly trips off the tongue, IDC defines IoT as a "network of networks of uniquely identifiable end-points (or ‘things') that communicate without human interaction using IP connectivity – be it ‘locally' or globally".
The market watcher's view of the IoT ecosystem includes intelligent systems, network equipment, connectivity services, data integration, and often other types of software, applications, services and security.
"We're still in the early stages of maturation and IoT represents unparalleled opportunity in government, consumer, and enterprise environments," said IDC senior vice president Vernon Turner.