The Internet of Things is Real, Practical, and Ready to Grow, Microsoft Partners Say

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Until now, the Internet of Things (IoT) has been much like artificial intelligence (AI) - a concept idea you hear about from software vendors and analysts but only half believe in.

But some core concepts of IoT are already well understood (though perhaps by a different name) like monitoring critical temperature levels, knowing where exactly an item is in a warehouse or on a retail shelf, or reading utility meters without an army of meter readers. Now imagine receiving all of that information in an actionable form through your ERP, and you understand the value of the Internet of Things (IoT).

IoT is here and it's already enabling forward thinking Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM customers to realize benefits like lower labor and equipment costs and improved service delivery. Devices are readily available to collect data from things, and now Microsoft has the platform to collect and store that data.

To that end, the company recently released its Azure IoT Hub to general availability. The Azure IoT Hub is a managed service that lets business connect, monitor, and control millions of IoT devices that run on a variety of operating systems and protocols and send trillions of messages each month. It is part of Microsoft's Azure IoT Suite, which provides a set of pre-configured solutions to enable companies to monitor and manage IoT devices.

When Microsoft announced the general availability of its Azure IoT Suite in September, it also launched the