KPN’s modular approach to IoT may inspire other telecoms operators

Operators need more than connectivity revenue if the impact of IoT is to be more than marginal. Successfully selling end-to-end solutions would give operators the largest share of revenue but will be incredibly challenging. For IoT solutions for the enterprise market, most vertical markets require expertise and have established players – acquisition is the surest way of gaining a position but is something that few operators have the appetite for. The consumer IoT market is attractive as a potential extension of the current consumer mobile business, but it remains unclear what exactly will gain traction and again, competition will be fierce, judging by the investments of the web-scale players.

As we have argued before, it may be more sustainable for operators to focus on the capabilities that all IoT solutions need and provide components, rather than a complete solution. This article explores KPN's approach to IoT and how it fits with our framework.