Ryan Smith, from IQ Telecom, is one of our in-house experts in all things IoT. He discusses the sector's current trends.

1. Ryan Smith, from IQ Telecom, is one of our in-house experts in all things IoT. He discusses
the sector’s current trends.
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WHAT IS CURRENTLY HAPPENING IN THE
TELECOMS SECTOR IN RELATION TO THE
INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT)?
At the moment in terms of shaping the
market, IoT is very much on a curve moving
from theory to reality.
Machine to machine (M2M) connectivity
has been around for a number of years
within vendors and operators as well as
network companies who specifically
support M2M communication such as Aeris.
Further to this, there are a number of
companies who have been internally
realigning their staff, products and market
proposition in order to maintain and
acquire a larger footprint within the M2M &
IoT space.
As a recruitment company operating
entirely in the Telecoms space, M2M
technologies and capabilities is something
we know very well so the transition into the
market, now described as the Internet of
Things (IoT), has been natural for us.
I believe wearables and connected devices
within the home have, commercially, had
the biggest impact on the consumer
market over the last 12 months - but with a
growing desire and importance arising
within automotive, healthcare and smart
cities I feel these industries will also have
an astronomical impact on the market
moving forward.
Additionally there will be a number of
others acquiring and taking footholds in
their respective industries, some more
profound and designed specifically for the
hyper connected world and others building
customer propositions in order to capture
market share. The wonderful thing about
this new craze (which is here to stay in my
opinion) will be the learning curve many
experience and the effect it has on how
people choose to live their lives.

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HOW WILL HEALTHCARE EVOLVE WITH THE USE OF IOT?
IoT could affect the healthcare sector in any number of ways from simply controlling your
prescriptions via connected pill pots, to life saving medical and healthcare systems. Other
examples include elderly patient care, sensors are being installed into environments where the
elderly live on their own. These sensors detect movement so should there be a prolonged period
with zero activity, carers will be alerted to visit the premises to check on the individual. Both the
private and public medical sectors will benefit from smart devices concerning rapid and intelligent
patient care.

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WHEN DO YOU THINK IOT IS GOING TO
BECOME ‘THE NORM’?
That is the million dollar question! IoT is
pervasive and growing rapidly, that’s for
sure. When it comes to new technologies,
people are excited, tentative or just
impervious. As the IoT is still in its infancy,
the jury is out on the affect it will have for
various demographic groups and those
companies involved both big and small.
However, there is strong investment from
VC firms, Corporate Investors, Governments
(Innovate UK), Crowd Funding and notable
acquisitions. PTC with Thingworx and
Axeda being an example we’re all familiar
with. This also poses the question, how will
the U.S. impact U.K. and European markets?
IOT IS PERVASIVE AND GROWING RAPIDLY,
THAT’S FOR SURE.

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WHAT ARE THE IN DEMAND SKILLS
GOING TO BE FOR IOT?
At the moment, R&D, hardware and
software development, pre-sales or
technical pre-sales, marketing and product
management have probably been where
the majority of hiring has taken place.
While these numbers are relatively low,
they are gradually rising. With a few
exceptions including the likes of Intel, Arm,
Jasper and PTC as previously mentioned.
The reason for this is obvious – product
lifecycle from concept and ideation through
to delivery typically includes the disciplines
I mentioned above, plus others of course.
Your researchers need to research and
products need to be built and developed.
Step forward Software Developers,
Embedded Engineers, Hardware Designers,
and Validation Engineers etc.
The product then needs to be released to
your customer’s community. There is a
growing demand for technical pre-sales
professionals, those that understand the
technology and what the impact is to the
business; not just what it does but how to
differentiate why their ‘product or service’
is better suited to others in the market,
how this will be integrated into the
business and where the results will come
from, and why.
Ryan Smith, IQ Telecom

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As is most common, marketing and product management are working closely together during this
transition. The right depth of technical detail needs to be understood with each person
championing their discipline, you’ll typically find that technical product manager and marketers
are most desirable, employers want their staff to understand the technology, whether it be at
Grass Roots or C-Suite level. There are various channels a company will use when going to market
so the knowledge and skills of those driving it are paramount. Whilst this is obvious for all
companies, those showcasing themselves as a force within the Internet of Things need to get it
right first time.
I think that the employment market will be more buoyant in coming months. Human intuition will
lead some to wonder “what else is going on in this industry that I’m not aware of?”. Companies will
soon have more reason to hire which, for those passively interested in the undercurrent of the IoT
employment market, could pave the way for exciting career moves at all employment levels.
A respectable amount of hiring has been made through personal referrals, industry communities,
subject matter experts and personal contact lists. It’s still a relatively small community which is
good news for incubators and start-ups especially; they can hire top talent and keep costs down at
the same time. My advice though, do not disregard leaning on your networks and stay close to
previous colleagues and professional acquaintances.
THE RIGHT DEPTH OF TECHNICAL DETAIL
NEEDS TO BE UNDERSTOOD...

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