Integra, as a reference partner of Tech Data, took part in a practice builder developed by the distributor to boost IoT projects. What has been achieved thanks to this programme?
An interesting aspect of this initiative is that a multidisciplinary team formed by professionals that normally do not work together was created in Integra, which allowed us to deal with the development problem. The result has been quite positive because we managed to develop a common solution and create the first IoT product with very specific characteristics and very interesting for the subsequent development of a higher number of solutions. IoT is based on bringing assets to digital life and achieving tangible results in the improvement of business processes. The solution is designed for the industrial sector where it is necessary to regulate the exchange of assets between different companies.
If we take the automotive world as an example, we realise that the different suppliers involved in the development of a product can lose traceability of the assets they exchange and turn these components into a black box with no data whatsoever. To solve this problem, we created an IoT solution to become a very valuable source of information and allow us to modify production parameters, have greater control over the quality or be able to acquire more flexibility to increase or reduce the demand for a part or component. All in all, this solution has allowed the digitalisation of the relationship between two companies and improve control of those assets.
In addition to the solution mentioned above, what other IoT products are you launching to market?
Although we are a technology consulting firm, we also act as an engineering company in areas that involve greater innovation. Thanks to the development of these projects, we can automate certain IoT solutions to offer them to other companies in the same sector. In this sense, among the solutions we have developed under this concept, we can highlight a fleet management and asset traceability system called Movertia for vehicle dealerships or a solution aimed at the agricultural sector, Smarteye, based on sensors that provide very detailed information about the environment, such as rainfall, humidity or pest control, and in this way, can improve their crops. We are a very case-focused company and very focused on integrating technology from different suppliers to solve a specific problem.
In industry, we are also working with the concept of the digital twin to be able to replicate in a real representation all the processes and functions of a factory and to enable a technician to monitor the management of several plants from home.
During these months of the pandemic, the digital transformation of Spanish companies has accelerated. To what extent have you noticed this acceleration? Have digitalisation projects increased?
Throughout these months, more disruptive solutions have been developed, such as the ones we have developed for capacity control in squares, parks and open spaces. Within the concept of smart cities, we are also trying to transfer the digital twin model to have a real representation of the movement of people, traffic, connected devices, and so on. The pandemic has accelerated measurement processes.
When it comes to productivity, all the companies are betting on Teams and SaaS nowadays, aren’t they?
Yes, we have noticed exponential growth in demand for cloud systems, solutions and tools. These companies have needed advice and prescription from partners to make a strategic leap and start using services and new tools such as Microsoft 365. Besides, many organisations have realised that they need to focus on e-commerce to maintain their business, and we have also helped them to migrate into this new world. Focusing on this area has allowed them to not depend on large e-commerce operators and open up new horizons and business options to become a differential element.
Do you think the IT partner needs to reinvent itself? What is the future?
The figure of the technology partner is becoming increasingly important because companies realise that technology brings them value and a partner like us can give them 360-degree support in their digitisation process – from innovative solutions to digital marketing services to improving production processes and implementing collaborative solutions.
Why is it still important to work with distributors such as Tech Data?
Tech Data has done a good job as an orchestrator and validator of an ecosystem of specific IoT solutions that can be complementary and efficient in our customers' projects. It allows companies like Integra to access a wide range of solutions to give a faster response to our customers with solutions tested and validated by a distributor as Tech Data.
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