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IOT INVESTMENT MUST NOT LEAVE BRITAIN BEHIND
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UK MANUFACTURING contributed to a 1.1 percent increase in total production between November and December 2016 , according to Office for National Statistics figures . These latest figures come amongst the highest levels of optimism seen in the sector since June 2015 . Yet as the weaker pound continues to be a double-edged sword for British industry , the manufacturing sector must become a priority area for innovations that will help UK businesses to compete globally , says systems integrator World Wide Technology ( WWT ).
The stated aim of the government ’ s new industrial strategy is to determine priority areas of investment in science , research and innovation to support the UK ’ s world leading sectors . Following the latest forecast ($ 20.59bn investment ) new research suggests that the Asia-Pacific region will see exponential growth in this area . The capacity of the sensor-based technology to boost productivity and profitability must not be ignored in Britain .
Ben Boswell , EMEA Director at WWT says : “ It ’ s great to see this return to optimism in UK manufacturing , but the level of uncertainty in the market means that every effort must be taken now to make the sector sustainable .
“ Strategic application of Internet of Things ( IoT ) technologies across the business lines of manufacturers can have a significant impact on productivity and cost . Over in the US , we ’ ve seen a global manufacturer lined up to achieve $ 1 billion in annual savings beginning this year . The data-driven rigour of the connected factory is helping them to reduce machine down-time through predictive maintenance and automated repair , for example .
“ But applying IoT – and achieving these considerable savings – is a complex undertaking . Many IoT initiatives rush to deploy technology and fail to pay attention to the critical underlying IoT infrastructure . This can lead to a fragmented solution that may not be secure , sustainable or scalable . At worst , an IoT solution is barely more than a gimmick and becomes an added cost burden which fails to unlock business outcomes .
“ At their best though , these solutions offer a competitive edge simply through the smart analysis of routine processes . With optimism high but potential bumps around the corner , the time has never been better for government and industry alike to prioritise the innovations that will deliver sharply focused and sustainable business outcomes for years to come .”
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM CYBERCRIME
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CYBER SECURITY SME 2017 , COUNTY Hall London , 20th June 2017
“ There are only two types of companies : those that have been hacked , and those that will be .” Robert Mueller , Former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ).
Cybercrime is a major issue , costing the global economy around £ 300 billion a year and small-to-medium size businesses ( SME ’ s ) are a growing target for Cyber Criminals . SME ’ s are being viewed as a softer target by criminals because they often don ’ t have the resources of larger businesses and therefore are considered ‘ easy-prey ’.
Cyber security threats affect every business and organisation regardless of size or industry , and impact every department ; finance , marketing , compliance , risk , legal and IT . The World Economic Forum ( WEF ) listed cybersecurity as one of the greatest threats to businesses globally , yet the majority of businesses do not have internal cyber security expertise .
Therefore , all staff need to be educated . Training will be essential to ensure staff understand what ’ s expected of them , how to respond and how to handle the threats . Cyber Security SME 2017 will inform owners and directors of small-to-medium size businesses about the steps they need to take to protect their assets from ever growing risks .
www . cybersecuritysme . co . uk
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL . CO . UK | MAR / APR 2017 Sponsored by Insafe International