The Internet of Things (IoT) is changing how businesses optimize processes and engage customers. When it comes to how to use the Internet of Things in businesses, the key thing to remember is that new levels of communication and interconnectedness have significant payoffs for almost any business. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, but rather a highly customized method of gaining a deeper understanding of enhancing and executing specific business objectives.

With this in mind, there are several key points or benefits from IoT that many businesses can explore for their own individual plans for improvement:

Understand big data

The collection and analysis of big data can offer insights into many factors that are essential to the effective running of a business. First and foremost, IoT can provide insights into all-important market trends as well as product performance. You can leverage these insights to help inform your short- and long-term business strategies.

Engage each and every customer or client

IoT can provide you with data about each individual customer, so you can deliver personalized service. And with IoT devices connecting you to your consumer base, you can analyze data to better understand each stage of your customers’ purchasing cycles — from how they research, to how they buy and even use your products and services. This will enable you to create more focused and effective marketing campaigns.

Remote workforce

Research shows that remote work is on the rise. With IoT, the ability for your remote workforce to be even more connected to everything from files to inventory equals greater productivity and a wider range of tasks that can be accomplished remotely.

Expand your presence

From smarter marketing campaigns keeping you connected to your clients to better communications with all members of your workforce, IoT allows your business to expand its presence both with consumers and employees. What’s more, through collaboration solutions like Presence from Consolidated Technologies, Inc., you achieve levels of flexibility and speed that empower your presence while it expands.

Transform your business with customised IoT solutions

With co-created and bespoke solutions to suit your needs, you can embrace the potential of connected devices to tackle any challenge and bring your organisation into an IoT-led future.

An update of Vodacom Business customer number regulation

Vodacom has embarked on a project to meet the ICASA Regulation requiring the migration of all existing 10 digit MSISDNs ("Phone Number") used for Machine-to-Machine (M2M)/ IoT communication to a new 14-digit number range dedicated entirely to M2M/IoT in compliance with the ICASA Number Plan Regulation in the Government Gazette No.39861; Vol. 609 published on 24 March 2016.

Below listed are two migration processes that articulate the NUMBER PLAN REGULATION mandate:

Standard Migration Process

• The customer makes arrangements with their designated Account Manager/BDM to plan the migration of their affected MSDISDNs to 14 digits.
• The customer directly contacts the Number Migration Team through numberplan@vodacom.co.za to plan the migration of their affected lines.

Forced Migration

• Customers who have not responded to the call to action, to have their affected lines migrated to the 14 digits number format will have their lines Force Migrated from 31 October 2021

•       For any further information on the ICASA Number Plan Regulations please visit : M2M Number Migration Regulation | Vodacom Business

•       For more information on how you can transform your business with IoT email : Nb-IoTopenlab@vodacom.co.za