Internet of Things, in context: How Microsoft plans to align the Azure IoT Suite with Dynamics CRM and ERP

With its announcement of the Azure IoT Suite at Convergence 2015, Microsoft clarified its plans to bring together a series of Azure-based services that will "converge an organization's assets, data and processes with people and business systems."

Rockwell Automation  uses Azure IoT services (Source video)

For a more Dynamics-centric view on why Microsoft's IoT efforts (and other manufacturing and distribution investments) matter, we spoke with MBS global industry director Colin Masson, who contends there is a clear place for Dynamics CRM and ERP in the realm of Azure IoT.

The focus at Microsoft today is around "systems of intelligence," Masson says. It is a concept that, while based on IoT, better envisions solutions that weave together sales, service, marketing, manufacturing, supply chain, and R&D.

"You can use smart, connected products to bust silos," he says. "[In] a lot of manufacturing organizations, maintenance and production don't collaborate that effectively, let alone manufacturing having visibility into campaigns you're going to run or engineering getting feedback from marketing on how customers are using the product or how the design [is working]."

Customer experience in manufacturing - especially outside of consumer products - is usually about the service experience, the post-sale interactions. Due to the structure of supply ...