This year everything was different and the full improvisation talent of the organisers was required. Chapeau! The SUCCUS team has shown what is possible with motivation, innovation and irrepressible will. At short notice, the event, which was planned as a hybird, had to be changed to a fully digital event due to Covid restrictions.
With Microtronics on the Matterhorn
It started brilliantly: Katharina Zauner from SUCCUS welcomed the audience in front of the screens together with moderator Dr. Nicolai Schaettgen (CEO, MM Ventures). In the opening keynote, Microtronics CFO Stefan Pfeffer and Kamran Kiafar (Key Account Manager, Kapsch Business Com) went up the Matterhorn. The development path of the intelligent gondolasystem (IGS) from the idea to the first prototype was shown. Kamran Kiafar explained the different approaches at the beginning and made it clear why IGS is an IoT project.
But then suddenly power failure in Vienna on the entire Donauplatte and the Tech Gate, from where the IoT Forum was broadcast. A digital event without electricity and internet becomes a challenge for those responsible. But the organisers found a solution for this as well and after a few minutes, the event went on again.
In the interview, CFO Stefan Pfeffer emphasised Microtronics’ strengths: “Especially when it comes to scaling and international rollout, Microtronics is the right partner for you. But even if you are still at the very beginning, we are of course happy to support you.”
“Stop looking for problems for your solutions!” warned Romana Schagala, Senior Product Owner IoT Platform at PALFINGER AG. “A solution around which a problem is artificially forged afterwards is doomed to failure. First find a problem and develop a suitable solution for it.”
Roundtable: “Get IoT done!”
In the roundtable session “Get IoT done!”, Gerhard Auer (Director, Microtronics Advisory) and Stefan Winkler (Senior IoT Consultant, Microtronics Advisory) talked about the many ideas that exist in a company with regard to IoT. A hardware solution that implements all ideas and applications is impossible or simply unaffordable. “We have to specialise at the hardware level. Because developing a device that includes all possible requirements, supply and transmission options is not only very expensive, but usually does not work properly in the end. Generalisation then takes place at the software level. The data is homogenised in the cloud and brought into the necessary systems of the end user via APIs,” Stefan Winkler outlined an architectural approach. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
“IoT projects are often technology-driven. But IoT is a strategic corporate decision. It is important to know the different needs of all departments right from the start. IoT is not only about technology, but everyone from sales to marketing to support has to be involved. After all, the solution must be sold to the customers accordingly, solve their problems and, in case of queries, the support must know about it,” Gerhard Auer pointed out the interdisciplinary nature of IoT projects. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
The IoT Forum 2020 was definitely different from what we are used to. The presentations were also convincing digitally with high quality and exciting insights. Yes, one or two interesting contacts were also made. But next year we would like to experience the interpersonal encounters, the networking and the cosy end in the rooftop bar again live on site!
