Page 9 - Logistics News June 2016

integration

Applications as a service – visualise the platform has design and integration tools for
world of ‘things’. As we know, each ‘thing’ establishing a sensor network, integration
may have many applications that govern to applications, and creating analytics that
its use, special digital features or upgrades, extend applications.
apps for communicating service issues,
apps for connecting partners, and so on – in Players
other words, a ‘thing’ will have many apps Today the market looks a bit different than it
associated with it. But rather than having did a few years back. Focusing on applications
users find all these apps, imagine that the vs trading partners, and tools vs solutions, the
‘thing’ knows and can access (or download) emerging unified platform is becoming the
the appropriate app. ThingWorx/ThingBrowser choice in the market
is based on the concept that each ‘thing’
has its own identity on the internet: its own Firms continue to invest in deepening
URL. By scanning or clicking on the URL, all their solutions, adding more end points and
the associated data and apps appropriate to making the solutions more open and easy
that ‘thing’ can be called. For an integrator, to adopt. Expect to see a lot more mergers
this allows re-use as well as more rapid and acquisitions as companies consolidate
development. their approach to selling to the CIO. Over the
next few years the ability to differentiate one
Purpose-built – another useful approach solution from another will shrink as solutions
is by platform providers who do focus in platforms grow.
on communities of needs, use cases and/
or industries. Rather than a buyer of tools Integration is inescapable. The question
having to build or find their own libraries, is how to lessen the burden now as well as
these providers have and are constantly find a solution that is modern and will keep
adding to a library of relevant analytics, up with all the new end-points. IoT, mobile
use cases, and end-point connections. One and others represent huge challenges for IT
departments. •

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June 2016 | Logistics News 7