This document discusses what an Internet of Things (IoT) business looks like. An IoT business designs connected products using open-source hardware, manufactures small batches in the UK and China, and creates products with web and social connectivity. They are typically traditional design or advertising agencies with prototyping capabilities. Product startups also pursue IoT by raising funds for mass manufacturing. While IoT poses technological challenges, the bigger challenges are in design, markets, communications, and business models to support different ecosystems and relationships.

1. What a creative iot business
looks like
Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino
RIG London // designswarm.com
@iotwatch

2. About page
B.A. Industrial Design
M.A. Interaction Design
Web design for advertising & startups
CEO of Tinker London 2007-2010
Consultant & Partner at RIG London
Evangelist for EU robotics project Lirec

3. Agenda
What does an iot business do?
What does an iot business look like?
What does it mean for funding?

4. What does an iot business do?
Concept work
Product & Interface design
Open-source hardware (Arduino)
Manufacturing in the UK & China
One-offs & small industrial batches
Products with web connectivity
Products with social web lives
For advertising, product providers & R&D
Support

6. Who runs an iot business?
It takes a particular type
of creative business to make
iot happen at scale.

7. Traditional industrial designers
with web development capability
and enough turnover to deal
with mass manufacturing.

10. Traditional advertising agencies
with prototyping capability
and clients that will deal
with future manufacturing.

12. Established web companies
with prototyping capability
and enough turnover to deal
with some manufacturing.

15. Product startups who raise money
to deal with mass manufacturing.

17. Digital consultancieswho make
things as internal projects/PR.

20. So what?

21. iot is not a technological
challenge per se
wifi / 3G / GPS /
Zigbee / Bluetooth / RFID
NFC / Networks

25. iot is a design challenge
iot is a market challenge
iotis a comms challenge
iot is a business challenge

26. iot is a challenge of technological
complexity.

28. Supporting different business
ecologies & new types of
relationships
Rethinking financial models
Beyond one offs.

29. Thank you! Merci! Grazie!
Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino
RIG London // designswarm.com
@iotwatch