May 23, 2019
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4 New Roles That I&O Plays in IoT
Contributor: Laurence Goasduff
Why I&O leaders need to take a more active leadership role in their organization's IoT initiatives.
Digital is the top priority for CIOs in 2019. And they will look to I&O leaders to deliver and support new technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT). This is easier said than done.
With stagnant budgets and decreased funding for traditional infrastructure, I&O leaders need to stay relevant and prove they can support digital business. Digital initiatives require a fundamentally different strategy from traditional I&O that requires a higher degree of involvement with the rest of the business from the very beginning.
“By 2022, 80% of leading I&O organizations will devise I&O strategies for digital business initiatives such as artificial intelligence and IoT,” says Sanjit Ganguli, Vice President Analyst, Gartner. “Especially IoT projects are a place where I&O leaders can test their new strategies and prove their worth to the business.”
The most successful IoT projects require a holistic organizational approach from three distinctive groups:
- I&O — Provides integration, communications, analytics and the underlying infrastructure
- Lines of business — Focus on goal setting and resource allocation
- Operations teams — Focus on product design and functionality
Tasks such as project management and security often fall within all three groups. However, I&O should be aware of all IoT initiatives and create appropriate processes and documentation.
I&O leaders must take a more active leadership role
Each IoT initiative represents a different potential role for I&O with different levels of influence, responsibility and ownership. I&O leaders must aim to take an active role for any IoT initiative that needs I&O support.
The goal should be to: (1) assess what programs and initiatives exist and what their role is; (2) identify areas where they can assert increased strategic ownership.
Read more: Gartner Top 10 Trends Impacting Infrastructure & Operations for 2019
Gartner estimates that over the next several years, more and more I&O teams will have driver, implementer or operator responsibility over their organizations' IoT initiatives. I&O leaders should take heed and move from a bystander role, wherever practicable, to a more driver-oriented role.
Here are four roles I&O leaders may find themselves in. 
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