IoT suppliers to Asia-Pacific enterprises must engage the board/C-level, in addition to the IT team, to fast-track the IoT adoption decision, based on the results of a new survey of enterprise IoT adopters by global research and advisory firm, Ovum.
Pitching to the right decision makers is a crucial step for all vendors but when it comes to IoT solutions, suppliers often have trouble identifying just who will be making the decisions. To assist vendors in fast-tracking IoT adoption, Ovum surveyed 480 enterprises that are in the process of rolling out IoT solutions in Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea.
The results clearly demonstrated that board/C-level leaders are the driving force behind IoT deployments in many APAC enterprises. Therefore, it is critical for IoT suppliers to ensure their pitch is delivered at the board/C-level, addressing high-level concerns including business benefits, rather than focusing primarily on the technology.
While the CEO is especially likely to be the leader in South Korean and Japanese enterprise decisions, for China, the key figure is the CIO or CTO. IoT suppliers must pitch accordingly.
In addition, it is imperative to ensure the head of IT is on board as the IT department is still the key IoT leader in many enterprises, and is the most common influencer named by responders throughout the region, except in China.
The study also identified a trend toward enterprises forming dedicated innovation departments or digital teams to advise and lead IoT strategy, implementation, and procurement. In the meantime, the one-two punch of board/C-level plus IT department engagement is the best bet for suppliers selling enterprise IoT solutions in the region.
