Bringing new IoT products to market isn’t easy. There are are myriad considerations, not least the task of integrating various devices and services and having them speak the same language. That’s where IoT marketplace mozaiq comes in.
Mozaiq was founded by ABB, Bosch and Cisco in 2016, and now has more than 100 connected services and devices available, ranging from home security applications to fitness trackers.
The idea is that the service provides an open ecosystem for both IoT vendors and companies looking to connect with each other and create new IoT products.
Mozaiq will also take responsibility for ensuring that all products and services work together smoothly via the cloud. Internet of Business spoke to Axel Godoy, CEO at mozaiq to learn more.
Internet of Business: At IFA in July you announced a ‘use case designer’ for IoT business models. Can you explain what this is?
Axel Godoy: “Businesses are increasingly turning to the Internet of Things (IoT) to streamline operations and achieve scalable cost-saving objectives. In fact, by 2025, McKinsey believes that IoT offers a potential economic impact of €4 to €11 trillion a year.
“However, to achieve this ambitious target, certain conditions need to be met. One of which is the interoperability needed between IoT devices, which is where mozaiq’s IoT platform and Use Case Designer fits in.
“Put simply, our IoT Use Case Designer is an easy-to-use drag and drop tool that pulls smart devices from our market library into a simple canvas to create new use cases.
“It allows our partners to explore and create new connections to their smart products, be that software or physical offerings, with other services and IoT devices quickly and easily. The tool also simultaneously generates code for the logic units that make up the real connections between devices and services.
We are the invisible partner between these connections, providing the back-end software to facilitate exchanges of data between different devices and services, not just within specific ecosystems but across them as well.
“All the while, the partners’ brand remains visible to the end users.”
Why do you think it is important to be able to create use cases in a sandbox like this?
“A sandbox environment is important for the future success of IoT as it provides businesses with a safe environment to conduct dry runs, as well as identify and fix connectivity issues prior to opening up to the mass market. This is imperative to mitigate the rising threat of cyber-attacks and data breaches.
“Beyond a sandbox, the use case designer is also a development tool that generates code in the background with each drag-and-drop configuration. That means you can go beyond testing possible interoperable use cases, and program and publish them too.”
You also announced your ‘digital market’ for connected devices at IFA. Why do you think it is important to provide services like this for potential IoT developers?
“The aim of mozaiq’s market is to enable IoT developers of varying skill-sets and employees from a non-technical background to source and make use of pre-built IoT devices and services.
“The creation of successful and secure IoT connections is complex and not every developer or company has the time or resources to become adept at this technology.
Our marketplace is not only providing increased interoperability between ecosystems, it is leveling the playing field between small and large businesses when it comes to the IoT market.
“The mozaiq market also provides the means to monetise data. Companies that allow access to their cloud to make new business models possible can do so for free, or at a cost.
“In the latter case, a fee is charged for access to the data required to connect devices and services with each other. Either way, consumers need to give their explicit consent to data being transmitted between those clouds so that the service can be provided.”
Where do you think the next generation of IoT entrepreneurs will come from? Will they have technical backgrounds, or are they as likely to come from the arts, design, construction or other sectors?
“The low-code market is set to break $15 billion in revenue by 2020, up from $6 billion this year. Due to this rapid expansion, it is likely that the next generation of IoT entrepreneurs, using low-code solutions as their base, will be from a diverse range of backgrounds.
“Those with more technical backgrounds will still likely have a greater appeal to big businesses, but with the need for tech skills constantly growing, combined with the epidemic lack of tech graduates being produced, businesses won’t always have the luxury of calling on these individuals.
That, I believe, isn’t a hindrance to business. The role creative minds have for business development and the positive effect of working with individuals from diverse backgrounds cannot be underestimated.
Where do you think the IoT market is currently strongest?
“At present, the consumer market is where the Internet of Things is gaining momentum, following the industrial and manufacturing IoT lead of the last five years.
“Consumers are increasingly becoming familiar with the likes of Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Philips Hue Bulbs, which are now found within millions of households around the world. Last year, for example, Amazon announced sales of more than 20 million Alexa devices alone and this number has only continued to increase.”
Where do you see the greatest opportunities for IoT, and do you see any sectors forging ahead while others are slowing down?
“Although the B2C marketplace has the greatest awareness of IoT products, this isn’t where the true potential of the technology is found. IoT growth and adoption mainly has been in the B2B industries of manufacturing, transportation, and utilities.
“In fact, by 2020 the B2C IoT market is estimated to be worth $25 billion, whereas the manufacturing, transportation and utilities industries will each be worth $40 billion. This significant growth can be associated with the shift in mindset of B2B businesses.
“Businesses with agile mindsets that utilise the likes of artificial intelligence, cloud and edge computing will all need to interconnect smoothly and IoT connectivity will provide this capability.”
What three things that will give the IoT sector the biggest push for growth in the next five years? And what three things could hold it back?
“The next five years will clearly be a time of growth for the IoT market. For me, I see the home automation, connected cars, and smart residences and commercial buildings as three sub-sectors that will see the most significant development. The one-to-many cloud device connectivity has yet to be fully harnessed.
We still have a multitude of individual applications for each IoT connection and only now are we starting to create these interconnected apps that allow for communication between diverse ecosystems.
“However, I believe the main factor holding back potential B2C IoT development lies in the cost and complexity of solution providers collaborating with multiple business partners and industries, and maintaining multiple APIs.
“Businesses need solutions that simplify collaboration, without taxing their tech resources, and they need insights on where new market opportunities are viable and in demand.”