Vodacom is Making R662 million From Internet of Things

Vodacom is reaping benefits of investing in the Internet of Things (IoT).

IoT has the ability to transform the lives of citizens, providing tangible solutions to many of society’s ills. For more read: Driving business value via one IoT Platform

IoT applications in retail, transportation, manufacturing and utilities will offer the greatest growth opportunity as enterprises seek to streamline operations and improve customer experience.

Estimates are that by 2020, there will be 50 billion things or IoT devices – smart cars, fridges, toasters, streetlights, heart monitors, chairs, door locks, etc. – connected  to the Internet. But some of this is not hot air, some companies are already deploying IoT solutions that saves lives and empowering farmers to make money across the African continent.

Vodacom is tapping on this market and providing IoT solutions for the African market.

The company’s IoT division led by Deon Liebenberg added that IoT connections increased by a staggering 31.6% to 3 million.

The firm, which is owned by Vodafone, announced on Monday that IoT revenue increased 19.1% to R662 million in the year to end-March 2017.

The IoT is a network of intelligent devices and machines that can monitor themselves as well as gather contextual information (temperature or GPS location, for example) using sensors, and share it with other devices and services.  It sees devices and items from watches and fridges to industrial equipment and even irrigation systems at farms become connected to the Internet.

Trends such as connected cars, smart home technology, and connected factories and offices are likely to change our lives dramatically over the next few years. Amid the hype, it’s easy to underestimate the role that a device most of us already own will play in the IoT revolution.