Report projects major growth in number of industrial IoT devices

According to a research report from Berg Insight, the global number of wireless Internet of Things (IoT) devices being used in industrial automation in 2015 stood at around 14.3 million and is expected to exceed 60 million by 2021.

By Malek Murison July 29, 2016

According to a research report from Berg Insight, an M2M/IoT analyst firm, the global number of wireless Internet of Things (IoT) devices being used in industrial automation in 2015 stood at around 14.3 million. The sector is expected to see huge growth in the coming years. The breadth of wireless technologies used in industrial automation offer different characteristics and use cases. Most popular for factory automation are Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, while cellular connectivity is typically is used for remote monitoring and backhaul communication between plants.

According to the report from Berg Insight, the global number of wireless IoT devices in automation networks will see a compound annual growth rate of 27.7%, reaching 62 million by 2021, which is more than quadruple what it is currently at.

This figure takes into account the rising popularity of Ethernet networks in factory automation, as well as the emerging sphere of low power wide area networking (LPWAN), which is a promising alternative for remote monitoring applications.

The wireless IoT device market depends on a number of industry sectors, from global automation solution providers to automation equipment and solution vendors, industrial communication specialists and IoT communication specialists.

It’s thought that increased levels of automation, delivered via Industrial IoT (IIoT) solutions, will enable shorter lead times, lower inventories, and eventually increased throughput. Smarter, more connected devices in an industrial setting will also improve companies’ flexibility and speed when responding to changing customer needs.

"Wireless communication and industrial IoT solutions can provide integration of different automation systems as well as enterprise systems, which enables supply chains to be lean, even with a complex mix of products and output levels," said Johan Svanberg, senior analyst at Berg Insight. "Connected automation solutions also open up the possibility for entirely new business and service models which can give companies a much needed competitive edge in today’s manufacturing landscape."

Malek Murison is editor at Internet of Business, which is hosting the Internet of Manufacturing Conference November 1-2, 2016, in Chicago. Internet of Business is a CFE Media content partner. This article originally appeared here. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com.

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