Samsung picks IoT as weapon for B2B market assault

Forrester talks up Samsung's potential to take on the enterprise market

Consumer giant Samsung has finally realised the potential of the enterprise market, according to analyst Forrester, which said its recent wave of B2B products signals a good start to its efforts.

The Korean firm unveiled a flurry of new enterprise-focused offerings – based on the internet of things (IoT) technology– at the CeBIT tech show last week, which Forrester said should be welcomed by enterprise IT firms.

On the Forrester blog, analyst Dan Bieler said Samsung's B2B offerings span a number of vertical markets.

"In retail, Samsung offers digital mirror and videowall devices [and] its School Solution integrates its mobile devices with interactive learning tools," he said. "Its Smart Hotel Solution offers premium in-room experience and information bulletin touchscreens. The Preventive Mobile Cardiac Rehabilitation solution enables real-time monitoring of chronic conditions [and] for financial services, Samsung provides secure document handling and printing services."

He added that the technology was a "good first step" towards committing to the business space and said the firm has "enormous potential" in the area.

But if Samsung wants to become a "true partner for business" it will have to focus on more than just good products, Bierler said.

"Samsung needs to boost its software activities and experience in order to succeed in the enterprise solutions space," he said. "Samsung needs to provide consulting services and transition and transformation capabilities. Of course, [it] can't pull this expertise out of a hat, but [it] must move swiftly to find a strong partner in the consulting and systems integrator space."