At an Oracle Modern Supply Chain Experience event this week, Oracle made clear just how far its software-as-a-service (SaaS) ambitions extend when it comes to the Internet of Things (IoT).
In the first of what promises to be a continuing series of applications aimed at specific classes and types of IoT applications, Oracle unfurled SaaS applications spanning asset management, fleet management, monitoring of production equipment as well as an application designed to keep organizations connected to workers performing tasks at a remote facility.
Separately, Oracle this week formally launched Oracle Data Integrator Cloud Service, which accelerates the movement of data into and out of Oracle applications residing in the cloud.
Bhagat Nainani, group vice president for IoT applications at Oracle, says while many organizations have historically addressed many of these applications by deploying software on premise, Oracle expects them to be among the first widely used SaaS applications employed in IoT scenarios.
In general, Nainani says, adoption of IoT applications as a service is being driven primarily by line of business executives trying to address specific needs as quickly as possible.
“They’re trying to drive a particular business outcome,” says Nainani.
The Oracle approach to IoT, adds Nainani, will be substantially different from previous generations of on-premises applications in that they will not only be managed by Oracle, but also infused with advanced analytics in a way that most internal IT organizations would not have been able to implement on their own.
Naturally, when it comes to anything relating to IoT, competition across the IoT industry will be fierce. Not only is every traditional provider of enterprise software focused on the opportunity, so too are new players such as GE Digital and Siemens.
Of course, before any of those IoT opportunities can turn into reality, many organizations will need their internal IT and operations teams to get on the same page. But once that happens, IoT clearly has the potential to drive a level of business transformation that hasn’t been seen in quite some time.
