CommunicAsia2015, II: Andrew Milroy on IoT and SDx

Andrew Milroy, Senior Vice President, ICT Practice, Asia Pacific, at Frost & Sullivan, is billed a summit speaker at CommunicAsia2015. Andrew has spent 20 years in the ICT industry. Besides holding held senior management positions at Frost & Sullivan and IDC, he co-founded NelsonHall, a BPO advisory firm, in the United States. More recently, he has led research and consulting projects in cloud computing, 'The Internet of Things', and in digital marketing. Here, he gazes into the crystal ball and predicts the shape of technology to come.

“At the crux of it all, the Internet of Things (IoT) is increasingly seeing an orchestra of IT enabled devices speaking to each other. In the past five years, IT enabled devices have become cheaper and more accessible across the region. Let’s face it, IT enabled devices has gone beyond your typical computers and smart-phones into enterprise assets. IT enabled devices are everywhere. Take transportation for example: there are increasingly more mobile applications available in Singapore that provides predictive bus schedules, reducing our waiting time. These technologies are testament to our Smart Nation vision, helping us make more informed decisions in our daily lives and increasing efficiencies. On the other hand, IoT is predicted to have a hugely disruptive impact on manufacturing as it allows for increased automation in factories. We are looking at a potential shift of the manufacturing industries from labour-intensive markets such as China and Vietnam, back to North America, Western Europe and Japan.

More consumers are turning to wearable devices, with the likes of fitness gadgets and intelligent watches. But what we are more interested in is how businesses can benefit from these wearable technologies, and we are seeing a huge potential in the shipping industry. Logistic companies are set to gain from wearables through the use of IT enabled helmets or goggles that display shipping orders, immensely reducing paperwork. Apart from that, the healthcare industry could leverage on wristbands to monitor patients’ health and display their medical records as opposed to the plastic wrist tags that they currently use.

Another key trend to watch for is Software-Defined Everything (SDx). In the next decade, almost every industry will be re-defined by software.  The different components of the IT infrastructure will be virtualised and delivered as a service via cloud technologies. These networks allow for new business applications and services which in turn improve overall enterprise efficiencies. More importantly, it allows enterprises to fully utilise their servers through better hardware management. Take the aviation industry as an example: the festive season sees increased website utilisation and bookings. SDx technologies distribute the traffic amongst via the cloud, allowing consumers to experience faster and more reliable service than before.

The market place is undergoing massive transformation as we speak. As structured and unstructured data in organisations continue to grow, security continues to be a concern. Water-tight data security is combination of thoughtful strategising and IT execution done right. It is important that businesses understand how they can leverage such technologies to improve organisational processes and efficiencies and remain agile in the choices they make today.”

CommunicAsia2015, III: Creative Content and Film Production Zone