Legacy TCP/IP Barriers to Sharing

If you compare these characteristics with existing TCP/IP infrastructure, there are clearly priorities and requirements:

• Security is not native

• Security solutions are designed to restrict access and sharing.

• Systems are built to solve specific business problems related to a business need - a better mousetrap.

• Sharing is not an acceptable risk because of the risk of intrusion.

• Our It/IoT infrastructure is not compatible with the new digital economy therefore integration is costly and risky.

Security and privacy are general infrastructure weaknesses. A new infrastructure is required to facilitate information, functions and operations between organizations in a secure manner.  Corporations need a reliable IoT infrastructure, not just ideas, suggestions or single purpose solutions.

What are the characteristics of a new digital infrastructure?

Some required characteristics are:

• Security - the infrastructure must be secure

• Relationships and Sharing - you must be able to easily create relationships based on need, offer services and share information and services.

• Infrastructure standardization - the infrastructure have common characteristics across multiple organizations

• Easy to implement - the infrastructure must be easy to implement 

• Flexible Implementation options - some businesses want a public cloud service, others a private cloud and others a hybrid implementation.

• Legacy solution integration - you need to be able to support legacy devices along with new devices

• Ease of use - the infrastructure must be easy to use

• Expandable - businesses need to be able to grow the implementation to fit their needs.

• A visionary infrastructure - the infrastructure must have a solid foundation both technically and business wise.

Core Characteristics of a New Infrastructure

The new infrastructure needs the following principles:

• Secure is required for privacy

• Privacy is required for control

• Control is required for accountability

• Accountability is required for security.

Trust = security, privacy, control and accountability

Trust in an infrastructure is required for businesses to readily adopt digital transformation!

These principles drive the automation processes needed for a new infrastructure while protecting the businesses, information, functions and users from outside and inside risks.

Standardizing Infrastructure is a challenge.

Thousands of IoT standards exist. A large percentage of IoT devices are cloud based and most IoT devices are not designed to work with other devices or have interoperability.  These issues make it difficult to standardize communications and operations.

Why develop a common architecture?

Successful companies work because of good processes. Defined with purpose, good processes and clear outcomes are important to success.

This means:

1) Good/Better Processes

• The architecture must include security, privacy, control and accountability as core principles.

• Devices need to be able to work together for optimal performance.

• Devices need to be shared with partners of different types.

• You need to support heterogeneous devices.

• You need to be able to add devices easily.

• You need the option to control the implementation environment internally.

• You need a common operation, monitoring, management and support process. 

• Quality of service needs to be measurable and relevant by operation.

• You need to be able to customize operational solutions:

  • Interfaces

  • AI solutions

  • Custom operations

• You need knowledge management capabilities.

• A new security infrastructure is critical.

2) Defined Purposes

Defining the purpose of an IoT implementation solution is narrowly focused because these systems are designed to solve specific problems. Most IoT initiatives can be defined as building better mouse traps. Side effects and interactions are not considered.

A better vision is to consider new business models as they relate to a corporation's overall IoT plan to change the way everyone works together. Such a vision focuses on relationships and outcomes within a business ecosystem to reduce cost, increase operational efficiency and increase profits.

A larger vision is required to minimize the fragmentation of purposes and processes.

3) Expected outcomes

Step back and define desired outcomes to fit your IoT implementation vision. It starts with an understanding of how your business model works today and how it can be changed to transform your business for gaining a competitive advantage.

Taking Things Apart, By Bojan Jovanović March 24, 2021

“Companies could invest a total of up to $15 trillion in IoT by 2025.” DataProt
Internet of Things statistics for 2021, https://dataprot.net/statistics/iot-statistics/

CEO’s and CTO’s consider the bigger picture:

• Have you reviewed IoT implementations globally that may impact your industry?

• Have you had sessions to envision how the industry and competitors will impact your markets?

• Have you envisioned how your processes need to change?

• Have you been able to brainstorm ideas you would like to implement?

• Can you define your expectations related to the use of IoT to improve internal processes?

• How do your external stakeholders or customers expect to work with your organization?

• What are your competitors expected to do in the future related to IoT solutions?

• Can you work with competitors to increase market share?

• Do you feel your existing infrastructure can support:

  • New business models need to be developed to supported digital transformation.

  • Diverse IoT implementation solutions need to be supported.

  • A security solution for future IoT operations must be utilized.

  • Quality of service model for IT/IoT is important.

• What are your implementing options for an enterprise IoT infrastructure?

• Have you asked yourself, WHY DOES SECURITY COST SO MUCH AND YET IT DOES NOT WORK?