IoT describes the use of connected sensors and actuators to control and monitor the environment, the things that move within it, and the people that act within it. Use cases include the automated home, the connected car, wearable technology, the automated home, smart cities, and predictive maintenance for industrial machinery. Enterprise IoT will account for 73% of market revenue by 2024, down from 76% in 2020, while the consumer segment will make up 27% in 2024, up from 24% in 2020, with significant growth coming from wearables. In a post-Covid-19 world, we expect a new wave of digital transformation to fuel higher growth across all IoT markets.  

However, not all companies are equal when it comes to their capabilities and investments in the key themes that matter most to their industry. Understanding how companies are positioned and ranked in the most important themes can be a key leading indicator of their future earnings potential and relative competitive position.  

According to GlobalData’s thematic research report Internet of Things, leading adopters include: Amazon, Hearst, Bloomberg, Microsoft, Apple, Oxford University Press, Daily Mail and General Trust, Cengage, Bonnier and Hitotsubashi Group. 

Insights from top ranked companies  

Apple 

Apple is a leading end-to-end player in the IoT theme. Its core product, the iPhone, which accounts for around half of total revenues, makes Apple the undisputed leader in connected devices within the IoT value chain. It processes the data collected from its smartphones on iCloud, its in-house cloud platform. It owns iOS, the software platform that powers the iPhone and the App Store, on which many apps that control IoT systems sit. Its HomeKit automated home platform lets users configure devices for their automated home using their iPhone or iPad. It is the world leader in smartwatches by revenues. It is working on augmented reality devices, sometimes referred to as Apple Glass AR headsets. It is also rumoured to be working on an electric car project, although it has been typically secretive on this topic. 

Amazon 

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world leader in cloud infrastructure as a service (IaaS). Many companies use AWS’ cloud platforms to process the data that drives their IoT ecosystems. It also has a range of connected devices from its family of Echo smart speakers to Ring, its camera-operated doorbell. Many of these Amazon devices are powered by Alexa, Amazon’s conversational platform. With the 2020 acquisition of Zoox, Amazon became a serious contender in the fledgling autonomous vehicles market. Also, Amazon Go stores are pioneering technology for smart, connected retail stores. Taken together, these attributes give Amazon one of the strongest IoT ecosystems in the world. 

Microsoft 

Microsoft is the second largest provider of cloud infrastructure services after Amazon. In January 2020, Microsoft released the full version of the Azure IoT platform, on which it works closely with Rockwell Automation. Azure IoT is a collection of Microsoft-managed cloud services connecting, monitoring, and controlling IoT assets. With its strong positioning in all three cloud computing stacks (IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS) and other enabling technologies such as AI, AR, blockchain, and even quantum computing, Microsoft is one of the leaders in IoT application services. To address cybersecurity concerns, Microsoft launched its Pluton processor, a custom security chip built into Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm processors, in November 2020. In March 2021, it launched Azure Percept, an AI platform with hardware accelerators for Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) services such as computer vision, voice control and anomaly detection. 

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the technology industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Internet of Things. 

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