IOT use in
Dutch companies considerably lower than abroad
Of all the Dutch companies making use of Internet of Things (IoT), an impressive 51% saw an increase in sales as a result. Still, Dutch companies are only using IoT solutions sparsely: a mere 6.7% have already implemented IoT projects. This was the result of a survey commissioned by Vodafone among more than a thousand Dutch companies.
Worldwide, approximately 29% of businesses use IoT, a network of appliances and applications using the internet to exchange data. In the Netherlands, this level turns out to be much lower. Seven out of ten Dutch companies indicate that the opportunities IoT can offer them have hardly or not been discussed. Privacy and data protection constitute the main obstacles preventing the implementation of IoT; 39% of the companies see them as the main stumbling block.
Increased
sales, cost savings and improved customer experience
Companies making
use of IoT identify a number of benefits. Apart from fifty percent of the IoT
users noticing a sales increase, 65% indicate that their IoT efforts contribute
towards cost reduction, while one in three companies indicate that IoT has led
to an improved customer experience. John van Vianen, Executive Director
Business Market at VodafoneZiggo: "Thanks to IoT companies in various
industries can hugely improve efficiency. Think for example of streetlamps that
are activated by movement, warning systems for earthquakes and wearables for
patients enabling remote care. Companies that have already implemented IoT, are
now reaping the benefits. However, the survey shows that many Dutch
entrepreneurs are still hesitant to take the step. We are happy to win them
over."
Privacy and
data protection form the main barrier
Even though
for many Dutch companies IoT is an important driver for innovation and economic
growth, technological developments go hand in hand with concerns about privacy
and protection of data. For the Dutch companies that are not using IoT (yet),
these doubts are the prevailing reason to decide against it. Other stumbling
blocks are a lack of knowledge and finances. 29% of the respondents even
indicate that knowledge about IoT in their organization is limited to very
limited.
Van Vianen: "Vodafone likes to facilitate an acceleration in the area of IoT and for that reason we bring customers and innovate start-ups together. With over 200 partners we have the right ecosystem which we are only happy to open for companies, in order to help them realize said benefits.”
About the survey
Each year,
Vodafone conducts a trend survey about the Internet of Things to find out how
the Dutch business world anticipates the latest developments concerning IoT.
The survey was carried out by Multiscope among 1,095 Dutch entrepreneurs. The
results will be summarized in a trend report that shows entrepreneurs how they
are doing in comparison to other companies and organizations.