Defining IoT in Three Words or Less

The Dell OEM Solutions team has jumped in to 2016, especially on the Internet of Things (IoT) front. In January, we opened our first IoT lab in the Asia Pacific and Japan region. Launched in collaboration with Intel, the new facility is based in Singapore and will allow customers to explore, test and deploy new IoT solutions. This is our third IoT lab and follows the successful openings of the Dell IoT labs in Santa Clara, California and Limerick, Ireland.

Joyce Mullen talks with Analyst Rob Enderle at the IoT 1-5-10 roundtable in San Francisco. Enderle shared his thoughts regarding IoT and the roundtable on CIO.com.

Joyce Mullen talks with Analyst Rob Enderle at the IoT 1-5-10 roundtable in San Francisco. Enderle shared his thoughts regarding IoT and the roundtable on CIO.com.

Most recently, we held a 1-5-10 Series Discussion on IoT in San Francisco. Dell experts, partners, analysts, media and social influencers came together to talk about what will change one year, five years and eventually in 10 years.  It was a great, interactive discussion that covered numerous topics including IoT adoption in the enterprise, security challenges (and opportunities) and how larger issues can be tackled with widespread IoT adoption. We opened the discussion with an ice breaker—define the perceived opportunities or potential for IoT, as well as its potential obstacles, in three words. I used two words—abundance and possibility.  

The Abundance Book by John Randolph Price comes to mind and the possibility that IoT has to help solve some of the world’s larger problems such as disease and hunger. We discussed this in more detail at the end of our roundtable and it was inspiring to hear the different use cases. For example, Greg Petroff of GE Software discussed a project his team is working on in Africa to tier energy powering cell phones. Clarise Z. Doval Santos of DataArchon discussed healthcare and how Kaiser is looking to deploy IoT glucose meters integrated with Fitbits and other gadgets to help monitor diabetes. These are just some examples of how IoT is being used in interesting ways that could not only change the way we live, but hopefully the world too.

What three (or two) words would you use to define IoT? How do you see it changing the world and what are the obstacles and opportunities? 

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About the Author: Joyce Mullen

Joyce Mullen is President of Global Channel, Embedded & Edge Solutions. Joyce focuses on all facets of the multi-billion dollar Dell EMC Partner Program, including channel strategy, partner program design and omni-channel enablement, as well as execution across solution provider, global systems integrator and distribution relationships. Her team also delivers best-in-class technology to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), allowing them to focus on their intellectual property and grow their business; and to IoT customers and partners, who depend on and sell connected devices. A strong and passionate leader, Joyce is committed to helping customers solve the world’s most vexing problems faster and more efficiently. Joyce has been a Dell executive for over 20 years, leading teams in operations, supply chain, partner strategy, services delivery and logistics. Prior to joining Dell, Joyce had a nine-year career at Cummins Engine Company. She earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Brown University and a MBA from Harvard Business School. Throughout Joyce’s career, she has been very active serving on community boards. She has chaired or co-chaired the Austin chapter of the March of Dimes, Women in Search of Excellent (WISE) board, Forte Foundation, and the Brown School of Engineering Corporate Affiliates board, and is currently on the board of the Central Texas Food Bank and The Toro Company.