Is your IoT all alone on the dance floor? Time to make it move as one. 

Tiina Kalju shows why many industrial IoT projects never move past basic connectivity and explains how manufacturers can turn connected products into systems that drive service, new revenue, and long-term customer relationships.

Why do so many connected products still feel disconnected? 

This summer, I watched Estonia’s famous dance festival. Thousands of dancers, each with years of practice back at home in their local groups, come together every few years for one orchestrated performance, moving exactly the same way. That image sticks with me – it’s a living system, distant from each other but still well coordinated and thought through. 

That same coordination should be the goal in industrial IoT. I often see fleets of smart products, remotely accessible, but still moving as soloists. The most important question isn’t “How many things can we connect?” It’s “How does it add real value – for the business, and for the customer?” 

The business model flip: Are you still selling products, or building lifelong relationships? 

Traditionally, manufacturers sold products; service was reactive, relationships were distant, and once a device left the factory, it was out of sight. Today, IoT and cloud have changed the story for those ready to act. 

Now, forward-thinking organizations: 

• Shift to service-centric models: proactive maintenance, reliable uptime, real-time support, and remote upgrades 

• Stay close to customers, respond faster, and keep feedback loops open – from any corner of the globe 

• Experiment and launch new offerings quickly, based on real-world operational data 

• Turn data into actionable business opportunities, like uptime guarantees or tailored remote support packages 

Customer relationships become ongoing partnerships, not one-off transactions. That’s a strategic opportunity to build loyalty and open new sources of value. 

What’s getting in the way? 

A few patterns come up time and again: 

• Organizational habits run deep. True progress requires alignment across service, support, product management, and R&D – not just leadership buy-in. 

• Many organizations aren’t sure how – or when – to introduce payment for new digital services, so change stays slow and impact is limited. 

• The technical potential of IoT-cloud is lost when the business model doesn’t evolve alongside. IT investment alone can’t deliver returns. 

These observations come from working directly with clients who know their realities best and move at the right pace for their business. 

Data and AI – powerful, but only with purpose 

The flood of operational and usage data in industrial IoT systems is only the beginning. What matters is how it’s used to deliver real outcomes: 

• See your whole connected system in real time and act on what matters – for maintenance, upgrades, and support 

• Use AI not just for analytics, but to anticipate problems, automate updates, and serve clients before they call for help 

• Transform insights into business models previously out of reach – selling uptime, offering performance-based pricing, or enabling predictive support 

AI and cloud make the team more efficient, proactive, and customer focused. The real value comes when insights are connected to action.

IoT value: more than a technical project 

It’s easy for IoT projects to become about the technical corridor – developing connectivity, setting up cloud, integrating devices, implementing secure remote access, launching portals, features, and dashboards. But real impact happens when these capabilities become the engine for better customer relationships, new service revenue, and operational improvement. 

What sets apart those leading the way: 

• They treat IoT-cloud platforms as foundational, using secure remote control, 24/7 monitoring, and cloud-based device management to deliver smarter, faster services. 

• They build systems where every cloud-connected interaction – alerts, updates, diagnostics – is woven into the bigger picture: service, sales, and product evolution. 

Without that bigger picture, even the best systems add limited value. 

What cloud actually does for your IoT 

Cloud connectivity isn’t just about storage or convenience. It’s the platform that enables thousands – or hundreds of thousands – of devices to sync, share, and build collective intelligence. 

Here’s what really matters: 

• Aggregating operational data with purpose – not just for graphs, but for decision-making 

• Delivering real-time analytics, access control, diagnostics, and predictive maintenance at scale. Mass data creates collective intelligence, showing how devices behave in the real world and enabling improvements based on actual use – not just lab testing. 

• Supporting applications for remote management, continuous improvement, instant support, and proactive care – so every product stays connected to the maker, and to the user 

A well-architected cloud makes these moves possible, not just more technical complexity.

The uncomfortable truth – and the opportunity 

Business and technology often operate in parallel. The tools and know-how are there, but the big picture must come together for real innovation. If success is still measured by devices connected or dashboards launched – not by new services delivered, downtime avoided, or revenue gained – your IoT isn’t moving as a system. It’s just dancing alone. 

Make your system perform – don’t let it dance alone 

IoT and cloud need to be more than a showcase or technical milestone – they need to drive practical value, new ways of working, and better customer outcomes. 

Don’t let your connected products keep dancing solo. Bring business, R&D, sales, support, and every customer touchpoint on stage together. Like a great dance performance, every role matters – and true impact only happens when all the parts move as one. That’s when the system truly performs, and when transformation is real. 

Proekspert connects your products to the cloud, streamlines remote management, and helps you turn IoT into real business value. See our IoT-cloud solutions, or contact Tiina at tiina.kalju@proekspert.com and let’s talk about your business needs. 

About Proekspert

Proekspert is a skilled software development company with over 30 years of experience. We have encountered many diverse approaches to equipment, software engineering, and cybersecurity. Our expertise covers embedded software, device-cloud integrations, technician apps, and portals.