The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) announced a new program designed to stimulate IIoT adoption across industry to help IT and OT users solve real problems they face in their businesses. Named the IIC Accelerator Program, it encompasses several initiatives to appeal to end users of IoT technology who want to discuss challenges with their peers, get advice from IIC experts or seek guidance to solve complex technical problems.
Since 2014, the IIC has developed seven documents that have become guidelines for enterprises seeking to adopt IIoT technology solutions. According to the IIC, to invigorate the next phase of digital transformation, it will apply these frameworks and member expertise to industry-specific use cases for the benefit of technology end users.
"The initial hype around IIoT has dissipated and technologists must move from designing to deploying solutions," said 451 Research vice president Christian Renaud. "End users of IIoT technology are looking for real examples of applying the new business models needed to compete. The leaders will use these offerings to realize the potential of IIoT to cut costs and improve the safety, efficiency and productivity of their operations."
With the Accelerator Program, the IIC hopes to enable0 technology end users to achieve tangible results by assisting from ideation to implementation: with problem definition, helping to identify technologies, offering a neutral platform for innovation and delivering pilots.
"Our goal is to reduce technology end user uncertainty around IoT and to help guide the industry users through their IoT journey," said IIC vice president industry programs Howard Kradjel. "Our neutral platform fosters partnering and helps technology end users solve real problems via our member ecosystem."
The Accelerator Program includes:
- End User Leadership Councils – collaborative councils of senior executives representing various industries interested in establishing vision and influencing direction in IoT in an industry and implementing, testing or using IoT solutions in their facilities.
- Testbeds – experimentation platforms for conducting rigorous, transparent and replicable testing of new concepts, new business models and emerging technologies.
- Test Drives - short-term, rapid engagements with technology end users that are focused on ideation, technology identification, and partnering to get to a pilot deployment quickly.
- IoT Challenges – public contests aimed at solving real problems and advancing the validation of industrial internet applications and solutions.
- Special Interest Groups – groups of members and non-members created for the purpose of collaboration with essential experts in a particular area of technology.
