IoT 'strategic to the enterprise' - IDC

Report from analyst finds 73 per cent of respondents will deploy IoT solutions in next 12 months

The Internet of Things (IoT) is gaining traction in a number of verticals and is now seen as "strategic to the enterprise", according to IDC.

The market watcher surveyed 2,350 IT and business decision makers in 15 countries such as Brazil, China and Germany, and found that 73 per cent of respondents have deployed or are planning on deploying IoT solutions in the next 12 months.

The survey found that 58 per cent of respondents believe IoT is "a strategic initiative"; while 24 per cent see it as "transformative". Healthcare is ahead of the overall awareness, with 72 per cent of those surveyed seeing it as strategic in this field. Transportation and manufacturing followed with 67 per cent and 66 per cent respectively.

The analyst found that government is behind the overall awareness, and "often needs clarification around the IoT basics".

Vernon Turner, senior vice president of IoT at IDC, said: "IoT momentum continues to grow and our survey shows that it is seen as strategic to the enterprise."

Carrie MacGillivray, vice president of IoT and mobile, said the survey shows the relevance of IoT to today's market.

"With nearly 2,500 survey respondents from 15 countries, including the US, Brazil, China, India, and Germany, we are able to provide quantifiable evidence that IoT is a not just a concept, but a real global accelerator of the third platform."

IDC's survey found that security is a key issue for IoT, as "upfront and ongoing costs have become the top challenges".

The analyst also noted that the retail industry "should not go unnoticed now, or over the next 24 months", despite its underdog status.