Olga Baranova, Orange Business Services: We approach vertical IoT-solutions from an ecosystem position

Olga Baranova: Really, all of us more position the company in the market as IT integrator, but not the operator. Respectively, main competitors we see large integrators and partly - some startups, but not providers of telecommunication services.

Olga Baranova: According to our clients, we already became in their eyes integrator in much bigger degree, than than provider. But at the same time we do not forget, of course, that the company still has an organization structure and a data transmission medium for operator business, the offer of these or those services. And in this plan we have more flexibility, than at traditional integrator, and more advantages, at implementation of complex projects where communication plays a basic role for work of the solution.

Olga Baranova: We approach vertical position from a position of creation of an ecosystem which works for this or that industry of business. Ecosystem approach assumes, first, deep understanding of business of the client, a conversation with it in one language in terms of the solution of its business challenges. Secondly, we involve in IoT-developments of the partners, and are ready to customize solutions depending on a specific objective. Thus, "the vertical solution" in our case does not mean that we open a certain product catalog for this industry and we offer the customer. We have a set of basic products and services which can be demanded in any industry, but differently.

Olga Baranova: We work on those activities of the client which other potential customers can have also. For example, retailers show interest in solutions for identification, recognition of buyers, analytics of their actions in a trading floor. To someone only calculation of visitors, to someone – video analytics is important. Depending on the specific retailer, his requirement and a task can be different, and, respectively, we work with different partners – producers of sensors. The choice of partners with whom we will implement further final solutions at the customer – that call which faces us today.

Olga Baranova: So far not. At this stage we create the areas of work potentially interesting both for us, and for the customer. Among these directions, for example, fleet management (so-called fleet management), but in this direction there can be different tasks depending on the specific enterprise – control of fuel on an input, at the exit and others. Labor protection, health and security on production - one more important area of work relevant for metallurgy, other dangerous productions and also in the field of navigation.

Olga Baranova: We never begin a conversation with the customer with technologies, with examination, he understands that such IoT or not. The choice of specific technology is our task. The conversation with the potential customer develops, proceeding from our interest in understanding of its business and those problems which are available for the customer here and now what problems need to be solved. In each industry these tasks. One of our practical tasks – to contact the correct people in customer company. We have a good example as we began a conversation with the director of production planning of one retailer, and it became clear that his main objective – to reduce losses at storage of the frozen products in connection with breakdown of refrigerating appliances.

Olga Baranova: We offer vertical IoT-solutions for retail – on this direction we have pilot projects in the field of video analytics, wi-fi-identifications of buyers and control of operation of refrigerating appliances as it was mentioned just. There are solutions for the production area – metallurgy, the oil and gas industry, for navigation, is specific – for shipowners, in the field of transport. These are those industries for which we completely understand that we are able to do based on our IoT-solutions that we want and we can show to the customer.

Olga Baranova: We contacted with different initiatives representatives of financial institutions. For example, the bank issues the credit on the security of property and wants to equip pledged property with sensors, for the purpose of control of its use. But it is not actually banking activity therefore we have no special IoT-solution for the sphere of finance yet. In the long term the smart office which concept we study for ourselves, with a possibility of temperature monitoring, energy consumption, air quality, optimization of service of printing, operational selection of a workplace for workers with the free diagram, navigation on office through the application now can be interesting to banks, in particular. The solutions connected with analytics of Big Data and solutions in information security field, for example, the system of early reaction which is timely defining risks of corporate clients and helping to be prepared for anticipatory steps on their minimization are also interesting to banks. By the way, we are going to create in the short term Competence Center in this direction.

Olga Baranova: Labor protection – the task which was very demanded today both in metallurgy, and in other production areas. For business it is important to understand that requirements for labor protection are observed strictly, this requirement of the state. Therefore on production instructions on each work type affirm. And if the person on work needs to be in a dangerous zone, it is accurately regulated - in what individual protection equipment (IPE) he should be dressed how many there can be in a dangerous zone on time and other necessary parameters. SIZ can be equipped with sensors with tracking of location, sound signaling and other functions, depending on requirements of the customer; sensors are activated at the time of hit of the worker in a dangerous zone, the relevant information at the same time can be recorded in the ERP system where requirements to operation parameters of this or that employee are specified.

Olga Baranova: At the moment all projects on labor protection are in a stage of proof of concept (PoC) - it is the solutions worked at all levels: at the level of the concept, technology of collection of information, specific sensors, different options of information representation – the smartphone, the tablet, a desktop, depending on business processes and requirements for visualization of the specific customer. The most important difference of PoC from the normal commercial offer of new development – the solution in the limited mode is tested on real productions.

Olga Baranova: In our portfolio of IoT-projects there are about 20 pilots in the field of retail, metallurgy, navigation for today.

Olga Baranova: It is team work. First, sales managers during daily communication with the client are focused on that ideas of the company of possible offers of the solutions in different areas extended. Secondly, we hold target marketing efforts – both on the separate industries, and with departure to regions during which we communicate with potential customers, we find out their requirements.

Olga Baranova: Within the company are created for today and two Competence Centers – competence center on navigation and on IoT function. In each of them both sellers, and marketing specialists, and business development managers, and lawyers, and technical specialists work. In Competence Centers for each industry there is yet no need as, a part of solutions are universal – the same solutions on labor protection can be demanded in the different industries. At the same time navigation is very specific sphere where special examination is required.

Olga Baranova: As in work we have 20 pilot projects mentioned above within which the customer already created certain requirements, first of all for us it is important to pass successfully them together with the customer, having started projects in commercial use. On the course of their implementation it is also important to create the database of solutions which will be possible to be replicated on other enterprises and the industries and also to decide on a circle of partners with whom we will go to new IoT-projects.

Olga Baranova: Team work, and both with the customer is very important, and in the company that there was a uniform understanding where we move, and the customer felt that we work his requests quickly and qualitatively. And it is really very strong line of our company. In any, most difficult situations we act as a uniform command, showing the high level of competence.