Mexico. According to the consultancy 5G Americas, by 2017, the Internet of Things (IoT) market in Mexico will grow 26% compared to 2016, to reach 4,158 million dollars. These data confirm that companies in different sectors of the country such as manufacturing, industry, consumption or retail are rapidly adopting these technologies that allow them to optimize their business processes, improve the user experience and reduce costs related to the management of IT infrastructure, among other advantages. However, how is IoT applied in workspaces?
46% of the Mexican population, that is, 53.4 million people belong to generation Z, characterized by having been born in the digital age and that in the coming years will be incorporated into the world of work. Together with the trends of consumerization of IT, this new generation of workers determine new approaches to technology in companies in Mexico. They require it to be powerful, intuitive, and anticipate your needs.
To meet them, IoT-linked workspaces are not only defined by the number of end devices that need to be managed, but also involve how these devices interact with users, machines, applications, places, workflow, and information. It's about the combination of digital and physical environments, where cloud technologies, analytics, sensors, big data, virtualization and cybersecurity come together to improve business workflows, user experiences, while maximizing the benefits of corporate infrastructure.
How is IoT applied in workspaces?
The combination of these technologies allows "smart offices" to be a reality (be it a remote worker or a physical location) since they can determine where an employee is and automatically connect and configure the "things" they need to do their job (such as printers, monitors or VOIP lines), as well as secure access to applications and data, thus delivering an optimal and personalized workspace.
The value is measurable. For example, in a smart meeting room with IoT devices, at the push of a button, workers can join scheduled meetings or create an instant virtual meeting without having to worry about connecting to screens, audio, or other devices as it instantly connects to the monitor closest to them. In addition, they can automatically record the meeting and send it to attendees and send updates to meeting attendees when it is delayed or relocated.
In addition, IoT workspaces can provide real data on when and how facilities are used so that companies can better focus their investments. In reference to measurements, if these workspaces are combined with an analytics service that helps with the collection and correlation of relevant contextual data, depending on the results of this analysis, IoT workspaces can automatically deliver the right experience to the user based on this data.
On the other hand, for the IT department of companies, it is a unique opportunity to add and deliver new workspaces, bringing together all the digital assets that are required for each user in a contextual way, with single sign-on. This provides new levels of control to administrators, while simplifying operations and providing a great user experience and maximum security.
In conclusion, the Internet of Things is also revolutionizing today's workspaces and is becoming a fundamental element for enterprise IT strategies. For these spaces to be a reality and for Mexican companies to take advantage of all their business benefits, companies in the country require a business partner like Citrix that provides them with integral solutions for uninterrupted and appropriate access to connected devices and data, with a user experience that is even better than what they are used to in their personal lives.
Text written by Carlos Macías, Country Manager of Citrix Mexico.
