AI • IOT • NETWORK EDGE

Many enterprises are eager to adopt the latest technologies, which can help them supercharge efficiency and light the way to better products and services. Innovative solutions are emerging rapidly, offering early adopters an attractive competitive edge. Yet deploying fully integrated solutions is so complicated and time-consuming that many organizations give up after initial trials.

Working with an experienced technology partner like a solutions aggregator can ease frustrations of technology adoption and pave the way to successful deployment. A knowledgeable aggregator can offer end-to-end help specifically designed to accommodate a company’s existing infrastructure and future goals. Some can open the door to a worldwide network of partners and systems integrators. By overseeing the entire process of solution selection, integration, deployment, and scaling, an expert aggregator can proactively remove stumbling blocks and enable companies to get the right solutions up and running quickly at locations across the globe. 

Technology Integration Roadblocks

Enterprises struggle to incorporate new technology for several reasons. Solutions usually require a mix of hardware and software components that must work together seamlessly and fit—or be made to fit—existing infrastructure. Since many large companies use different combinations of legacy and newer technology in different locations, assessing interoperability is a complex process. Multinational firms must also consider regional technology standards and regulations.

“If you’re an IT leader with dozens of objectives on your desk, the last thing you want to do is become a general contractor for every solution,” says Matt Powers, Vice President of Technology and Support Services at Wesco, a leading global supply chain solutions provider. “Engineering the design and choosing multiple contractors for each project becomes an elaborate exercise.”

And during that exercise, the connective infrastructure may shift, adding further complications. “You cannot imagine how fast solutions are evolving,” Powers says. “Innovations are constantly changing the interdependencies between technologies.”

Another hurdle is scaling. Companies often test potential solutions with encouraging results, only to be disappointed when they try to extend deployments.

“You see that a lot, especially with IoT solutions,” Powers says. “Companies will tell us, ‘We’re running our proof of concept (POC) and seeing the results and value we want, but now how do we scale this solution across our global enterprise?’ This is a major challenge for global customers as they need to access and localize technology for different regions. Additionally, they need to identify and work with deployment partners, such as integrators and contractors, to ensure the solution is implemented effectively.”

Technology Partnerships Deliver Innovative Solutions

With more than 100 years of experience as a solutions aggregator and distributor, Wesco can help a wide range of enterprises—including manufacturers, utilities, data centers, retail, and hospitality companies—avoid implementation problems and deploy the right solutions efficiently. The process begins with obtaining a thorough understanding of an organization’s needs.

“What we do differently from other companies is work very closely with stakeholders to understand their particular challenges and assess their opportunities for adding efficiencies or gaining return on their investments,” Powers says. “Once we do that, we can help lead them to the right ecosystem of solution providers and integrators.” To this point, Wesco’s vetted partner network includes more than 50,000 suppliers of hardware, software, and cloud solutions, and integrator partners across the globe.

“What we do differently from other companies is work very closely with stakeholders to understand their particular challenges and assess their opportunities for adding efficiencies or gaining return on their investments.” – Matt Powers @wescocorp via @insightdottech

“The number-one quality we look for in technology partners is their capacity for innovation,” Powers says. “Intel brings us a wide breadth of leading technologies, and the open architecture of its products allow our solutions providers and independent software vendors (ISVs) to develop platforms a variety of end users can access.”

Technology Integration: A Win-Win for Customers and Providers

Wesco strives to be a trusted advisor—suggesting the components, solutions, and partners that work best for each company’s unique environment. WaitTime, an ISV that builds crowd analytics solutions, is one example of how Wesco deploys complete solutions for its customers—from the network edge to the cloud.

WaitTime software applies Edge AI to computer vision cameras, providing information like capacity, crowd density, and shopper insights to venue operators. The software—powered by Intel—is optimized to process data on-site and provide alerts in near-real time.

With WaitTime, companies can catch and solve crowd problems sooner, pre-empting potential hazards and dispatching employees to chokepoints before problems occur. They can also learn where guests or shoppers spend their time, or which areas would benefit from wider pathways, better wayfinding, or other improvements. Making these changes can lead to higher revenue at shops or concession stands.

While using WaitTime is simple to use once it’s set up, deployment involves far more than installing the platform. “The software is one piece of the technology. We can bring the other hardware and installation partners together to build an end-to-end solution,” Powers says.

What kind of providers? That depends on the organization.

Companies may or may not be able to upgrade existing security cameras with computer vision. And they must find networks and hardware that can reliably transmit and process enormous volumes of information while meeting all local security and privacy regulations.

These are just a few pieces of the puzzle that organizations must connect before deployment. Wesco can help them make sound decisions and select the right contractors and systems integrators to build, harmonize, and scale all elements of the solution according to their needs.

Technology and Experience Accelerate Business Success

As technology change accelerates, cutting-edge solutions become increasingly important to success, Powers says. “Innovation is rippling across industries quickly, and competition is not slowing down. By understanding how new technologies can help the business and how to deploy them at scale, enterprises can continue to thrive as new capabilities emerge.”

This article was edited by Georganne Benesch, Editorial Director for insight.tech.