In the latest episode of our podcast, we dive into the world of communications, media, and technology (CMT). Our guest, Kevin Colletti, director of digital strategy and consulting at Perficient, sheds light on how these once-distinct industries are rapidly converging in the digital age.

The lines between telecom providers, media companies, and tech giants are blurring. For example, when you sign up for a phone plan, you might also get cloud storage and a streaming service bundle. This convergence isn’t just changing how we consume content and services; it’s reshaping entire business models.

But it’s not all smooth sailing. CMT companies face unique challenges, from meeting sky-high customer expectations for connectivity and security to keeping pace with disruptive technologies. The pressure to innovate while maintaining core services is intense.

In the B2B world, we’re seeing exciting developments like 5G-enabled smart farming and fixed wireless access for small businesses. The Internet of Things (IoT) is connecting everything from smartphones to industrial machinery, opening up vast new possibilities.

Key takeaways for businesses? As Kevin aptly puts it, “Don’t follow the shiny object. Understand the shiny object, how it applies to you and how you could leverage it or leapfrog it.”

Listen now on your favorite podcast platform or visit our website.

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Meet our Guest

Kevin Colletti, Kevin Colletti, Director of Strategy and Consulting for Perficient

Kevin Colletti is the director of digital strategy and consulting at Perficient. He has extensive experience working with client senior management teams to develop innovative digital strategies that deliver measurable results. He thrives on creating simplified solutions to complex business problems. Prior to joining Perficient, Kevin held roles including CEO at both a digital agency and a software company as well as head of eBusiness strategy for a Fortune Global 500 company. operations.

Connect with Kevin

Meet the Host

Jim Hertzfeld is Area Vice President, Strategy for Perficient.

For over two decades, he has worked with clients to convert market insights into real-world digital products and customer experiences that actually grow their business. More than just a strategist, Jim is a pragmatic rebel known for challenging the conventional and turning grand visions into actionable steps. His candid demeanor, sprinkled with a dose of cynical optimism, shapes a narrative that challenges and inspires listeners.

Connect with Jim:

LinkedIn | Perficient

Fueled by technological advancements including 5G, generative AI, and cloud computing, the communications, media, and technology (CMT) industry is poised for significant growth and disruption in 2024. Challenges like rapidly changing customer preferences and frequent M&A put CMT companies in a difficult spot – only the most agile and innovative will thrive.

Our extensive experience within the CMT Industry gives us a keen eye for disruptors and trends as well as insights into how companies should navigate them. Here are some key trends and disruptors that are shaping 2024:

Open Ecosystems and the Rise of “ORAN”

The advent of 5G unlocks possibilities beyond conventional telecommunication networks. “ORAN or OpenRAN,” with its decoupling of infrastructure from the service layer, fosters a new era of open ecosystems. This translates to wider vendor choice, diversified revenue streams, and increased agility for players within the network value chain.

The Internet of Things (IoT) and Connected Devices

Interconnected devices, from smartphones to smart homes to industrial machinery to mobility are creating vast opportunities and with AI driving intelligence in many processes and decision-making, we are expecting to see an unprecedented surge.

Redefining the Customer Experience with Immersive Technologies

In a fiercely competitive landscape, delivering exceptional customer experience (CX) becomes a key differentiator. Leveraging immersive technologies like AR and VR, brands can cultivate engaging and frictionless experiences, fostering deeper connections and reducing churn. Data-driven personalization extends beyond the basics, offering truly tailored interactions that resonate with individuals.

5G Maturity Paves the Way for Innovation

As 5G matures, its near-limitless connectivity serves as a springboard for groundbreaking services and applications. To unlock this potential, telecommunication companies (Telcos) must focus on increasing network capacity, optimizing data throughput and spectrum utilization, and minimizing latency and energy consumption.

The Cloud Evolution

Edge computing, green computing, AI, data, enterprise cloud, and the necessity to evolve infrastructure stacks to be more open. Cloud will have a significant impact, expanding to a highly distributed fabric, spanning 5G, fueling telco to techno transformation, unlocking new revenue streams, and enabling a new era of innovation.

Artificial Intelligence: Feeding Automation Needs

CMT companies have long utilized automation systems to streamline subscriber interactions and manage churn. However, AI and machine learning (ML) elevate these efforts to a whole new level. Personalized recommendations, proactive service outreach, and data-driven insights empower CMT companies to deliver superior customer service and optimize network operations.

Generative AI Revolutionizing Businesses

Generative AI (GenAI) warrants its own call-out given the quick reaction and adoption of this emerging technology as a true disruptor to business operations. GenAI can offer customers hyper-personalized content, customized offers, and proactive service based on their unique needs and preferences. Generative AI makes this vision a reality, shaping the future of customer engagement and exceeding expectations in ways never thought possible.

Beyond Connectivity: Transitioning Business Models from Telco to Techno

A shift in the traditional Telco business approach, evolving from pure network providers to end-to-end technology solution providers. This transition unlocks substantial benefits, including new revenue streams, diversification of offerings, and sustainable business growth in the vibrant technology environment.

These are just some of the many trends and disruptors that we see set to shape the CMT landscape in 2024. Perficient is committed to navigating this dynamic ecosystem alongside our clients, helping them capitalize on emerging opportunities and overcome challenges. Partnering with us means leveraging our expertise to see around the corner and chart a successful course in this rapidly evolving Industry.

Tap into Perficient’s communications, media, and technology (CMT) industry expertise to navigate the next wave of change.

It’s no secret that artificial intelligence (AI) is working its way into every industry day-by-day. Oral health is no different. Recently Oral-B introduced an electric toothbrush that uses AI to track how people brush their teeth and offers personalized tips on oral hygiene.

The toothbrush’s programming features thousands of brushing patterns to recognize each user’s style in real time. Oral-B aims to encourage people to participate in at-home health monitoring as a part of their daily oral care routine, arming them with real-time feedback to enable diagnosis and prevention.

How Does It Work?

• The Oral-B GENIUS X with AI helps you brush for the right amount of time, with the right amount of pressure, regardless of your individual brushing style.
• The AI technology tracks where people are brushing in their mouth and offers personalized feedback on the areas that require additional attention, for better oral health via the Oral-B app.
• It also features a new sleek, modern travel case that charges both the brush and a USB device, such as a smartphone, to make traveling with your electric toothbrush easier than ever.

AI is Officially Everywhere

Oral-B implemented the technology through the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT, or the billions of connected smart devices that make up our everyday lives, is enhancing the way humans function. These connected “things” collect data via sensors, and can be used to generate innovative solutions to problems.

“Every patient is unique, that is why we are looking for solutions that adapt to the individual. Oral-B gives patients an excellent and personalized brushing experience, without having to change the way they brush to achieve their best oral health result. This makes it a real breakthrough,” Prof. Dr. Ralf Rössler from the University for Digital Technologies in Dentistry & Medicine

GENIUS X with AI is another step towards the future, where intelligent devices use data analytics and turn a simple device into an important element in people’s everyday health routines.

To make big data successful in data accumulation, a company must be able to handle a diverse variety of possibly un-matching data from disparate sources, or the Internet of Things (IoT).

IoT features a grid of everyday objects, including industrial machines to devices that are wearable. These things are forming a network by using built-in sensors to gather real time data and then provide action upon the data collected.

A report by Allied Market Research predicts that the IoT healthcare market will reach $136.8 billion worldwide by 2021. IoT is the future of healthcare data collection and making the lives of patients more efficient.

Why is IoT so important?

• Data driven prediction
• Intelligent solutions
• Smart-technology grids
• Connected devices from personal to business standpoint

IoT is focused on data and devices, and connecting them together. All data, big and small, is the focal point of the connected world of the IoT.

Why is IoT important in healthcare?

• Evolve patientcare – wearable devices enable patients to receive care anywhere, anytime, providing better patient engagement
• Monitor medical assets – employees will spend less time searching and more time with patients
• Maintain vital equipment – ensure devices are properly maintained and ready for use
• Track equipment usage – track overall health via sensors monitoring all aspects of the organization and individual

In healthcare, plans and providers collect data in real-time by utilizing wearable and implantable devices to monitor patients. “Today, there are 3.7 million medical devices in use that are connected to and monitor various parts of the body to inform healthcare decisions,” according to Forbes.com. Intelligent technology solutions facilitate diagnosis, improve treatment, and advance customer service, representing a substantial step towards the improvement of disease treatment.

The data, whether it relates to exercise, sleep, vitals, or other health patterns, can provide organizations with a tremendous amount of actionable data. This high level of monitoring is just the tip of the spear.

The data that can be gathered from IoT can help improve patient outcomes, create a better experience for patients and business stakeholders, and lower cost for all parties in the healthcare system.

Consumers are digitally savvy, well informed, and more demanding than ever. Not investing in resources that digitally transform customer care will become a competitive disadvantage.

This series explores six technology trends for delivering smarter and more strategic customer care.

Trend #2: IoT Proactively Resolves Product and Service Issues

What if you could anticipate a service issue? The Internet of Things (IoT) is making this a reality. When there’s a problem with a product, a message is automatically sent to both the customer and the service department. IoT is how companies are able to fulfill their customer’s needs and provide outstanding customer care. That goes for B2C and B2B customers.

Here are three real examples of IoT in action, helping companies anticipate customers’ needs and provide strategic customer care.

Volkswagen’s Digital CarPass, set to launch in early 2019, will allow for automatic data analysis of car performance, which would give the manufacturer real-time information on certain models of car, informing them of where improvements can be made. If flaws are found in certain models, the manufacturer can automatically recall the particular batch and diagnose the problem quickly.

Hewlett-Packard’s line of personal and small business inkjet printers are IoT-enabled devices that monitor ink usage, proactively sending toner to the consumer when the ink is low, complete with an envelope to send back the empty cartridge.

KONE uses IoT technologies to power a data analytics and predictive maintenance solution for the elevators, escalators, and automatic doors they produce. Gathering and analyzing usage data from KONE equipment enables their B2B customers to fix the root causes of potential failures before they happen.

Learn more in our guide Top Technology Trends for Smarter, Strategic Customer Care and take a look back at previously posted trends.

Stay tuned for trend #3!

Let’s be honest, when it comes to our health we all want prompt and personal care. As a patient, we want the cost to be low, and the feeling of empowerment to be prevalent throughout the experience.

Our world is becoming increasingly connected through the development of technology. With these extensive levels of connectivity, the Internet of Things (IoT) is making a significant impact. Specifically, in the healthcare industry.

The connection of things is driving multiple trends and inspiring new practices and workflows featuring efficiency and more precise diagnostic recommendations.

Within healthcare, the IoT represents the frontier, the place where outer limits are being tested and tried in both facility management and patient care.

Let’s Discuss 3 Healthcare based IoT Trends

• Refining patient experiences
• Eliminating cost while focusing on services
• Increased Interest Level of Patients with Meaningful and Timely Health Alerts

Refining Patient Experiences

It is not a secret that healthcare is switching from cost-based service to value-based service. When healthcare facilities implement value-based care programs fully, patients will experience better engagement with their care providers.

With the implementation of IoT patients have the ability to engage with applications and software to analyze their own health data. Smart devices and wearables will assist patients monitoring their process to make sure the effects are proper.

“For example, by using an app installed on their smartphone, patients can create their own optimal healing environment through individual control over their room temperature, lighting and window blinds rather than calling on nurses to perform these basic tasks. In turn, this frees nurses up to spend more time on clinical tasks that will improve patient care.”

– HFM Magazine

Eliminating Cost While Focusing on Services

Healthcare facilities are no stranger to saving money, because every industry is looking for new ways to do more with less. However, operating costs rise while budgets continue to decline. Therefore, healthcare is looking to find new and efficient ways to lower expenses while increasing exceptional patient services.

Moving forward, machine learning will become a primary focus of hospitals and care facilities. Machine learning implementations will begin to collect data on patients, and contribute them to physician’s diagnosis to ensure precision.

As data is collected through the network of things, the machine learning algorithms will analyze endless amounts of variables associated with certain diseases. This analytic data will further assist physicians with diagnosis and proper measures of procedure.

Increased Interest Level of Patients with Meaningful and Timely Health Alerts

 Wearables and smart devices dominate our daily lives. From Fitbits to Apple watches, we consistently monitor ourselves and optimize our health data.

In healthcare, plans and providers collect data in real-time by utilizing wearable and implantable devices to monitor patients. “Today, there are 3.7 million medical devices in use that are connected to and monitor various parts of the body to inform healthcare decisions,” according to Forbes.com.

The younger generations have known nothing but a connected world, and rapid accessibility to data. This generation will continue to demand a high level of interaction, better processes and secure interfaces to access their own data. All of which are great things for the healthcare field.

“IoT is all set to gain rapid growth in coming years, 20.8 billion connected things are expected to be in use by 2020 when we compare this with 5 billion connected things in 2015; it is obviously a massive growth,”

-Abhinav Shrivastava, Senior Manager of Emorphis Technologies.

As health and fitness apps get introduced into the world of IoT, the industry witnessed a dramatic increase in the population’s health awareness. This increase in awareness stimulates a more educated population that not only empowers the user to monitor their health closer; but also gives first hand data collections to primary physicians when connected properly.

The data, whether it relates to exercise, sleep, vitals, or other health patterns, can provide organizations with a tremendous amount of actionable data. This high level of monitoring is just the tip of the spear.

These real-time data collections can gain the attention of the primary caregiver when a noticeable issue arises. Thus, the care giver can then contact the individual and take the appropriate steps for correction. These real-time data points will help to predict and hopefully limit serious conditions.

What’s Next for IoT in the Healthcare Industry?

The relationship between the healthcare industry and the IoT is a favorable one. The relationship already has a solid footing, and even established a joint name; the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). The IoMT promotes a connection between medical devices commonly used in healthcare practices and their applications.

The future is highlighted with the implementation of IoMT as individuals will start to see smart hospitals arise with the assistance of predictive medicine and smart wearables applications. The smart hospitals will streamline the customer experience to make the care process more efficient.

With the implementation of smart devices and wearables, doctors or physicians will be able to contact the patient in order to prevent serious issues or to simply remind them about upcoming visits.

According to MarketResearch.com, “The healthcare Internet of Things market is all set to hit $117 billion by 2020.” Currently, about 30% of healthcare is dedicated to portable health monitoring, electronic health record (EHR) keeping and pharmaceutical safeguards.

Other applications featuring the IoT in future healthcare procedures includes sleep monitoring, infant monitoring, brain sensors, and clinical-grade biometric sensors.

We frequently see projects these days with a requirement for mobile access to corporate technology platforms. For clarity, I am limiting my definition of “mobile” to cell phones.

We hear three common drivers behind this requirement.

The first driver is remote access (outside the office) to these platforms. Second is a changing employee population which is accustomed to cell phone based access for everything. A third driver is “image” of the company based on the marketing hype around the need for mobile access. I believe, in some cases, these drivers are insufficient justification to add mobile access.

Yes it’s true that mobile access is very convenient and can improve productivity.

However, there are few things that should be considered prior to delivering mobile access:

• Screen size – Due to the limited visual space on a mobile device I have seen apps that eliminated “key” data. This often lead the reader to inaccurate conclusions. This screen size limitation becomes more dangerous with the ability to manually adjust the screen size. Imagine a power station supervisor telling his operations person to decrease the output for a power plant because the device dropped a digit and he really needed to increase the output.
• Security – The small size of most cell phones makes it easy for the user to lose the phone or have it stolen. Many large cybersecurity incidents have been traced back to a compromised mobile device.
• Liability – We have already seen legal cases in court where a victim successfully sued an employer. The employee was using a cell phone while working. This use was identified as the cause of the injury to the victim. This type of liability and more will continue to expose themselves in our legal system.

If you have read this far you might come to the conclusion the author is opposed to cell phone enablement as a computing device ? You would be inaccurate in that conclusion. I have personally used cell phones since the very beginning of the devices with the “Bag” phones.

Back in those days we paid hundreds of dollars just to “talk” 30 minutes within a limited geography. When it makes sense, I am still a strong advocate for the use of the cell phones as a computing device.

The reason for this blog is to provide some counter balance to this conversation.We have plenty of marketing hype to fuel the engine on the “Pro” side of this conversation.

A balanced, well reasoned approach to what should or should not go “Mobile” will pay big dividends to shareholders, employees, and employers. In the future I think we will have even more chances to improve the quality of our work with cell phones.

With emerging technologies like Virtual Assistants, AI, IoT, etc. a new way of working with our mobile devices will be discovered. But like any technology decision we should always take time to consider the big picture.

Thinking it through!

Technological powerhouses bitcoin and blockchain offer the potential to collaborate with the Internet of Things (IoT), resulting in simplified connections within the industrial IoT. Through advanced implementation of blockchain and bitcoin, technology promotes a simpler way to experience life itself.

Blockchain is the underlying technology in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Information contained and stored within a blockchain will exist as a shared, and continually reconciled, database. These databases aren’t stored on a single computer and therefore are easily accessible to the public and are even more easily verifiable.

In a recent interview with CNBC, Steve Chiavarone, VP at financial services firm Federated Investors said, “When you think about it from an enterprise perspective, blockchain has the ability to replace reconciliation, which is expensive and requires back office, and time, and paperwork — with more instantaneous verification.”

With this advanced technology and innovative transparency level, the impact when applied to the large industry would be incredible.

Fueling the Industrial IoT

It’s important to remember that the impact on the industrial IoT won’t happen overnight. Rather, enhanced after a large scale overhaul of systems and software programs. Keep in mind that these platforms build trust with transparency and accountability measures.

Blockchain has the ability to disrupt the industrial industry in countless ways, but perhaps the most impressive, a necessary cutting-edge level of transparency. A wide-scale adoption of blockchain would create significantly more transparency at all levels.

“Blockchain for IoT can transform the way business transactions are conducted globally through a trustworthy environment to automate and encode business transactions while preserving enterprise level privacy and security for all parties in the transaction.” – Chris O’Conner, Head of Sales, IBM Watson Internet of Things

In the oil and gas industry, numerous companies transact with one another across the supply chain. Collaborative solutions leveraging blockchain technology will provide transparency for all parties and reduce disputes and the effort involved in managing them. From the security of blockchain and a secure point of information; companies will build trust, reduce costs, and accelerate their transactions.

Another upside and intriguing factor is the machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. Blockchain cryptocurrencies are relatively secure, and feature an ability for machines to function at a level of efficiency never seen before.

Blockchain is a monumental technology designed for the protection of data in a public infrastructure. With different applications embedded within machines, blockchain facilitates a streamlined way for interaction directly with each other. This proves that blockchain promotes endless opportunities for information communication.

Blockchain features the major advantage of data storage. Once connected through the IoT, blockchain will track and manage every transaction that has been conducted. It can help establish trust, accountability and transparency while streamlining business processes.

Blockchain can be used to register, certify, and track goods shipped between parties along a supply chain, with transactions verified and time-stamped in an encrypted process. The capabilities to reduce risk will drive manufacturers to adopt this technology.

The ability for devices connected to the IoT to operate autonomously through blockchain technology has endless uses. With the accumulation of cutting-edge data storage and M2M communication, the industrial IoT industry will be truly transformed forever.

However, the question now is not if it will happen, but when will it happen?

Digital innovation continues to disrupt industries at lightning speed. Today’s organizations are transforming their entire business – from strategy to operations, technology to culture – to better deliver value to their customers. In 2017, we compiled the top 10 trends leaders needed to know when it came to their digital transformation journey. In this 10-week blog series, we’ll further explore each trend and address how you can continue to modernize your business for success.

Before the age of the Internet and search engines, writing a history report required a lot more legwork.  You had to physically go to a library to do your research. (Anyone remember Encyclopedia Britannica?)

Of course, you need multiple sources to write a paper. Back then, the best way to find other references was to dive into the card catalog and search by subject, author, or book title.

I’m dating myself here, but the birth – and early mass adoption – of the Internet changed everything. It initially impacted me as far as school projects. My first exposure to the “world wide web” was during my days as a high school senior and then my college years. Anyone who had a dial-up connection – or access to Ethernet in your dorm – was getting familiar with the emerging possibilities online.

It started with my first email account and then quick adoption of online chat, like AIM (a.k.a. AOL’s Instant Messenger). I missed the boat on social media by a couple of years. (Facebook didn’t come to my university until after I graduated.)

Maturing Technologies and Its Impact

Fast forward 20 years, and these once-emerging technologies have all evolved. They are among the go-to resources in our lives, and never far out of reach on our mobile devices. Think about it:

• AIM has been replaced with text messages and messaging apps, such as Facebook Messenger.
• Email remains a primary communication channel. But brands and marketers have expanded its use to reach their customer base. Additionally, it’s a channel consumers can use for customer service.
• Search engines (or embedded search on websites) have certainly replaced trips to the library. It’s our go-to when we can’t recall a quick fact, or want to find the nearest restaurant or coffee shop. But search engines have even evolved – we can now access digital assistants on our phones (think Siri) or devices in our homes (think Alexa.)

Remember Ask Jeeves?

Before we were tempted to Google this or that, there was a search engine that quickly gained popularity in the early days of the Internet. Part of the appeal was that it catered to how people wanted to find things online – by asking questions.

AskJeeves.com launch page

AskJeeves.com, which debuted in 1997, stood apart from Yahoo! or Alta Vista because it “encouraged search engine users to field their curiosity in the form of a question.”

You could almost consider it one of the early forms of a virtual assistant. Garrett Gruener, the venture capitalist behind AskJeeves.com, had the brilliant idea to “humanize information-gathering online.” Rather than overwhelming users with pages of results that may or may not be relevant to a simple search, Ask Jeeves was a “more refined option” with Jeeves present near the search bar to serve as your “virtual concierge.”

Many of the queries were consumer-oriented – asking for the best eateries, plumbers, or hotels – while others sought the kind of information that required both urgency and specialized knowledge.

While no one had a crystal ball in 1997, the premise behind Ask Jeeves was spot on. You can see how it translated to the evolution of online experiences in the past 20 years. So, how does it relate to technologies and the digital experiences we know today?

Welcome to the Age of Smart Anything

Perhaps we take it for granted, but the rise of smart technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), chatbots, and the Internet of Things (IoT) continue to transform the way we live. The benefits they deliver have elevated our expectations as consumers. And, they are quickly changing how companies operate.

Adopting smart tools will soon be a must-have for enterprises to stay competitive in the marketplace.

Today’s solutions allow companies to gather and use data for creating a world-class customer experience for users across every channel. But to bring these experiences to life, you need smart technologies that can efficiently and cost-effectively deliver them.

How AI and Chatbots Can Transform Your Business

Implementing AI and chatbots to complement the post-purchase experience will allow you to scale your customer service. When executed well, they benefit customers with self-service options, allowing them to find answers or resolve issues quickly. This reduces time and costs so that your service reps are available to tackle more complex issues that customers can’t solve on their own.

Chatbots provide scalability and efficiency for customer service centers.

When it comes to self-service, companies see the value of social messaging apps (like Facebook Messenger) or chatbots. Business Insider reports that 56 percent of businesses said engagement in these channels positively impacts their ROI, and 58 percent said they reduce customer service costs.

Additionally, a recent survey of U.S. Internet users reveals that the top two elements of a good online customer service experience include:

1. Getting issues resolved in a single interaction
2. Receiving a speedy and timely response.

As a result, leading brands are following customers onto social messaging platforms. In fact, 90 percent of businesses use Facebook to respond to service requests.

AI also enhances the service experience because it can quickly consume, analyze, and interpret structured and unstructured data. Machine learning, natural language processing, predictive analytics, cognitive computing, and signal services are all elements of AI that help drive more relevant and personalized experiences for your customers.

Transforming the customer experience is one of the many reasons why AI adoption is gaining ground within organizations. In 2018, AI initiatives rank among the top five priorities for CIOs. Gartner estimates that by 2020, 85 percent of CIOs plan to pilot AI programs through a combination of buy, build, and outsource efforts. That’s a significant uptick over a two-year period when you consider only 21 percent of CIOs are piloting AI initiatives today.

Not only can AI and chatbots improve the customer experience, but they can also positively impact other areas of your business. A recent Forrester report states:

AI will be employed across enterprises, doing everything from engaging with customers and employees to automating and improving large elements of the operation. The deployment of AI technologies will create significant value, as companies will be able to predict customer needs in near real time while optimizing operations and supply chains in the background. This transformative capability will further prepare companies to win, serve, and retain customers. The question is not just who will get there first, but who will do it right and best.

The Promise of IoT

The Internet of Things is quickly emerging as a leading source of data and business intelligence. Business Insider states that it’s “disrupting businesses, governments, and consumers and transforming how they interact with the world… the proliferation of connected devices and massive increase in data has started an analytical revolution.”

Companies are going to spend almost $5 trillion on IoT in the next five years.

More organizations realize the enormous potential for investing in IoT – from improving business processes and minimizing risks to enhancing customer experiences. Consider these examples:

• Manufacturing – developing connected products that inform the supply chain about predicted demand for aftermarket parts
• Transportation – connecting shipping vehicles with temperature sensors to ensure goods, especially food, arrive in safe condition
• Energy – sensors that monitor networks of oil/gas transport pipelines, valves, and pressure gauges to prevent leaks and contamination
• Healthcare – connecting medical machines and devices to systems that easily share patients’ data and images with their providers

The phenomenal market opportunity for IoT continues to grow. But there’s more to it than installing sensors on products or equipment and calling it “smart.”

What does all of this mean for your business?

The scope of applications for IoT solutions is still in its infancy. Your organization won’t benefit from adopting IoT solutions unless you’re thoughtful about the purpose and role that it plays.

Read about 50+ successful use cases across 11 major industries in The Why, What, and How of IoT. You’ll also learn the strategic process for implementing these solutions within your organization.

See the Full Picture with Contextual Intelligence

Massive volumes of data created every day provide the basis for contextual intelligence. A few quick facts to consider about Big Data:

Smart watches and other wearable devices provide data to drive contextual intelligence.

• 10 billion mobile devices will be in use by 2020
• 294 billion emails are sent daily
• Google processes more than one billion searches each day
• On Facebook, more than 30 petabytes of user-generated data is stored, accessed, and analyzed
• Twitter users send more than 230 million tweets daily

In other words, the volumes of data will drive better use of data in context. But how?

Most major software vendors can use contextual intelligence to help users identify what works and what doesn’t. It’s especially important for companies that strive to deliver real-time personalization.

According to our Perficient Digital colleagues, a majority of companies are aiming to provide contextual personalization in near-real time. This is because it addresses masses of people visiting websites, and it’s easier to achieve.

Web content management vendors continue to refine personalization by injecting intelligence into their platforms. When you’re dealing with millions of page views, there are simply too many data points to analyze and determine the optimal path. With built-in intelligence, marketers can simply define an end result and a few parameters, and then let the system do the rest.

Bottom line – contextual intelligence will improve the ability for digital business leaders to make data-driven decisions.

The Next 20 Years: How Will Smart Anything Evolve?

Just as the dawn of the Internet has forever changed our world, the age of “smart” technologies will continue evolving and elevating our expectations as consumers. It’s hard to imagine what’s in store in the next 20 years when our current reality is having connected devices in our homes and using virtual assistants like Alexa.

Rest assured – one day we may look back on 2018 and be amused by how we used to ask Alexa to tell us the current time, get the weather forecast, or play our favorite song.

It’s a beautiful time to be in Houston this week, nice temps, not overly humid and an awesome time to learn more about IBM Maximo and other capabilities. Today and tomorrow are the actual conference with additional training options Thursday.

Today opened up with a positive and informative few general sessions kicking off with a Maximo Transformation & acquisition example by Vista Energy (previously known as Dynegy). This was followed by Arizona Public Service Company (APS) discussing their business case to enhance their Transmission and Distributions Maximo functionalities to more efficiently manage and measure costs. The last morning general session was a presentation by CoServ discussing their progress implementing Maximo and their integration to other solutions. They also discussed their lessons learned and goals for the future.

As you can see from the included picture, it’s a full room with lots of learning. This afternoon attendees joined break out sessions covering a vast array of other capabilities, solutions to challenges, and thought leadership.

Tonight is the networking opportunity and vendor night. Perficient is in the entry way to the event next to the beverage center (aka bar), please stop by and say hello!

Anyone thirsty and near Denver, CO, on May 8, 2018? How about a cold brew and some details about how you too can transform your supply chain / business operations and disrupt your industry with Blockchain?

To set your company apart from the others, you’ll need to operate in an integrated customer focused ecosystem. Suppliers are receiving more and more pressure to deliver faster, become more convenient, show trust and at the same time be more transparent.

Please join Perficient and IBM on Tuesday May 8th for an exclusive event of networking and education, and perhaps a cold beverage. We’ll discuss how Blockchain technology can help you transform your business operations with a focus on making your customers happier and exceeding their expectations.

The event will be held from 4-7PM at the Brewery in the RiNO District in Denver, CO. Register to receive additional updates to the event and attend.

Scenarios we will explore include:

• Quickly address product integrity issues while avoiding significant operational and financial disruptions
• Track asset lifecycle performance and maintenance to establish value and ensure optimal performance
• Maintaining security of digital content at different points in the value chain
• Facilitating trusted settlements of complex transactions quickly, electronically, and without errors

This isn’t just for Maximo clients, anyone who has business operations should benefit.

Agenda

4:00 – 4:30 PM – Registration
4:30 – 5:30 PM – Speakers
5:30 – 6:00 PM – Panel Discussion
6:00 – 7:00 PM – Networking

Light appetizers and drinks provided

Click here to register for this educational and fun event.

Blockchain was 2017’s technology buzzword of the year, and for good reason. Blockchain technology has the potential to radically alter enterprise business models through cost reduction and increased operational efficiency. But many organizations are finding blockchain to be as confusing as it is promising.

Join us for our webinar on Tuesday, April 3, from 1:00 to 2:00pm CT as we help cut through the hype of blockchain and share a practical way to get started, including how to determine where it fits within your organization.

We’ll answer these questions about blockchain and more:

• Why adopt blockchain?
• What makes a good blockchain use case?
• What are some specific industry applications?
• What are the best practices for getting started?

Tuesday, April 3 | 1:00 – 2:00 PM CT

Click here to Register!

Conflict on April 3rd? Register and we will send you the slides along with the webinar replay to watch at your convenience.

And for our Maximo clients, here’s a link about how Maximo & Blockchain work together. Click here for more information on how to use blockchain to be more transparent, accurate and know where your asset transactions have been with traceable details across the different networks.