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Is your business ready for the Internet of Things?

Almost all businesses are ready for the arrival of the Internet of Things, a new survey suggests

19 Jan 2015

A new survey of companies by Forrester Consulting for Zebra Technologies has revealed that 96 per cent of businesses feel prepared for the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the coming years.

Almost all of the 600 companies surveyed said they were ready to, or already taking the appropriate steps, towards being able to implement the IoT into their business, reports BizReport, with more than three quarters already making use of the solutions and a further 26 per cent planning to within a year.

The majority (80 per cent) of respondents agreed that using the IoT is important in terms of smart business strategy over the next ten years.

Nick D'Alessio, global retail practice leader of Zebra Technologies, said: "The advent of new technologies has completely changed the way shoppers interact with retailers, but the shopping experience can be the retailer's strategic differentiator.

"With the Internet of Things, retailers will be empowered with the intelligence to make strategic, informed business decisions that improve customer loyalty and associate effectiveness while creating exciting experiences for their shoppers."

But there are plenty of concerns to go along with the optimism, with 56 per cent worried about integration and 47 per cent about security and privacy issues.

The businesses included in the survey had location tracking, Wi-Fi, GPS tracking and barcodes for asset tracking at the top of their list for potential uses for IoT technologies.