One in five adult American internet users already has a device at home that connects the physical environment to the Internet - Forrester Research
The Internet of Things is fast becoming a lifestyle reality, especially in the US. Connecting every space we live in – home, manufacturing floors, energy grids, healthcare facilities, and transportation systems - to the Internet, it epitomizes the influence of technology on daily life. The direct outcome of this ubiquitous connectivity is - more data, gathered from more places, more insights, with more options to increase efficiency and access. As the IoT takes over everyday living across the world, solution providers need to ensure that the consumer installation, adoption, and ongoing enablement experience are seamless and painless.
Increasingly, the concept of connected homes that the IoT facilitates, is taking center stage in enterprise strategy. With its acquisition of Nest in January, Google clearly signaled its interest in the area, while Microsoft’s deal with Insteon also suggests its interest in this space. Amazon has had a dedicated store for home-automation devices since last year. Not to be left behind, Apple is planning to announce a major push into the smart home with a software platform that will allow the iPhone to control internet-connected home devices.
Armed with social networking tools and functionalities that can alter the course of any business enterprise’s roadmap, consumers are now in a position to put increasing pressure on the market focus of connected home providers. They are now demanding greater ease of use, installation, and seamless mobile access. Interoperability will be the key differentiator because the connected home is an ecosystem play that merges hardware and software, functionalities and technologies. But the blurred lines where service standards are defined will drive a number of privacy and security concerns.
In this environment, a robust, efficient, and well structured support that can provide an answer to these demands (and questions not even asked yet), will be the winner.
So, support efficiencies will be required in three key competencies:
- Installation,
- Do-It-Yourselfers (self operated solutions for customers), and
- Broadband & Utility Services
The successful support provider will be one that ensures answers to ease of usage, installation, interoperability, and security questions on your connected home device or service. Agile support in these areas will be the differentiator in the tech-support market.
Being an early adopter of the connected home support solutions, CSS Corp has the competency to provide some indispensible efficiency in this space, across knowledge management, knowledge centered support, automated technology tools, social media, and premium/paid support.
This might just the kind of support enterprises venturing into the IoT for connected lifestyles may be looking for, to garner a market leadership position.
