IoT Channel Chronicles: Mobiliya Discusses IoT Opportunities For System Integrators And Dell's IoT Strategy

Dell's IoT Strategy Revolving Around System Integrators

Dell announced this week that it had expanded its IoT Solutions Partner Program with new system integrator partners – including Dallas, Texas-based Mobiliya.

Dell, which will be adding system integrators to its IoT Solutions Partner Program for the first time, hopes the addition of companies like Mobiliya will help round out its gateway and embedded PC portfolio in new vertical markets.

Partners who join the program will receive opportunities for incremental business growth, access to robust and reliable products – including intelligent edge gateways and embedded PCs, as well as security and manageability tools.

CRN talked with Mobiliya's SVP of Sales and Business Development, Maxence Cacheux, about the role system integrators play in IoT and how partnering with Dell will help move IoT solutions from proof of concept to deployments.

What are some of the revenue opportunities and deployments you are currently seeing in IoT?

Currently we are seeing lot of demand for consulting and quick proof-of-concept (POC) development – obviously paid ones. IoT is something which is not out-of-the-box. A lot of effort goes in identifying what needs to be done, how it needs to be done, what devices, what protocols, what cloud and so on.

What are customers looking for when they work with Mobiliya to implement IoT solutions?

Customers first need to test the waters before going for full fledge development and that is where they need a partner like us who can provide end-to-end consulting, system integration, and security across IoT ecosystem. So the story starts with POC and then broader implementation. We have been doing IoT deployments in the field of energy monitoring, agriculture, home automation, water monitoring and healthcare.

How does Dell fit into your IoT strategy?

We just [were] announced as one of the leading partner for Dell partner program. It definitely fits well into our IoT strategy in terms of the necessary platform like gateways, which Dell provides.

What kind of resources (training, etc.) is Dell providing through its partner program?

The partner program will help us in gaining expertise over Dell platforms for IoT and enable it, through system integration, for Dell's customers and our customers as well. We look forward to get strategic benefits by being part of the program.

On the flip side, how will Mobiliya and other system integrators help round out Dell's IoT sales strategy? What are you bringing to the table?

As I mentioned, we are bringing to the table some of our niche capabilities in system integration and security. IoT involves variety of end points with different make/models, OS, protocols. There are different cloud platforms, different end user applications. Integrating all these while ensuring security of the ecosystem is something very important and that is where Mobiliya comes in. This will help in rapidly enabling Dell's IoT platforms for different customers and thus drive Dell's IoT sales strategy.