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Distributor Tech Data has launched a new Internet of Things (IoT) business practice to help resellers enter this emerging sector.
Smart IoT Solutions by Tech Data is designed to aggregate IoT solutions and provide a simplified route to market for solution providers. It will be led by company veteran Victor Paradell, vice president, IoT Solutions, Europe.
The announcement was made in conjunction with Tech Data’s participation in Microsoft’s 2016 Worldwide Partner Conference, being held this week in Toronto.
“If you were to ask 100 people in the IT channel what IoT means to them, you would get almost 100 different answers – and most would be correct,” said Paradell.
“As IoT continues to expand and surround us in our lives, much remains to be understood about the market. Tech Data is positioned at a very advantageous point in the IoT ecosystem – right in the middle – to provide our customers with all the pieces necessary to deploy complete IoT solutions.
"Through our new Smart IoT Solutions business practice, we are helping solution providers understand and enter the IoT market, as well as capitalise on the opportunities that currently exist within it."
Smart IoT Solutions by Tech Data allows system integrators, value-added resellers (VARs) and managed service providers (MSPs) to build their IoT businesses. It helps resellers deploy IoT solutions to their end users – from fulfillment and security to data analytics and applications.
The Smart IoT Solutions practice will be primarily focused on four vertical markets: manufacturing, transportation and logistics, retail, and smart spaces, which include building safety and security, smart parking and energy optimisation.
Paradell joined Tech Data in 1996 as a team leader in the company’s IT department and has held positions of increasing responsibility and scope over the past 20 years.
Prior to his current role, he served as VP of operational effectiveness and strategy for Tech Data Europe.
According to Gartner, endpoints of IoT are predicted to grow at a 32 per cent compound annual growth rate from 2013 through to 2020, reaching an installed base of 21 billion units, with almost two-thirds of them consumer applications.
"With such explosive growth expected, solution providers need clarity, education, and an effective route to market," added Tech Data in a statement.
You can check out Tech Data’s Smart IoT Solutions video below:
