Report Calls Microsoft Leading IoT Platform Provider

A new report from Navigant Research places Microsoft at the front of the Internet of Things (IoT) platform providers pack.

Amazon Web Services (AWS), IBM, and PTC are also labeled “leaders.” Navigant rated the vendors on 10 criteria: vision, market strategy, partners, technology, geographic reach, sales and distribution, solution performance, product portfolio, pricing, and staying power.

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Microsoft has spent the last few years building up its IoT expertise, spearheaded by CEO Satya Nadella as part of the reorganization from mobile to cloud.

Azure IoT Suite and Microsoft IoT Central offer a wide variety of products, such as the IoT Hub, stream analytics, actionable insights, and scalable cloud servers. This “all-in-one” package is what IoT platform providers are shooting for, as it covers all the customer’s needs, keeping them locked inside the platform.

Amazon, PTC, and IBM are not far behind Microsoft, as seen in the graph (above). IBM and Amazon are close in execution and strategy, while PTC is on the edge of the leader’s category.

Other companies mentioned in this report include: Cisco, Oracle, HPE, GE, SAP, Siemens, ABB, Ayla Networks, OSIsoft, and Schneider Electric, all in the contender’s category. Fujitsu is the only other company mentioned, located in the challenger’s category.

AWS continues to dominate the cloud computing market, but that lead is starting to shrink. Microsoft, Google, IBM and others are investing billions in the industry, which covers IoT, artificial intelligence, and other new technologies.

In IoT specifically, AWS is struggling under the pressure of Microsoft and IBM, according to Orbis Research. Both companies have invested a lot to make sure specific customer needs are met, while AWS has had a more relaxed approach to the market.