With billions of industrial IoT (IIOT) devices in place, generating massive volumes of data from “the edge,” the potential for proof of concept success for use cases in the factory can be paralyzing. While the value of this digital revolution, aka Industry 4.0, is clear, realizing the full promise has been slow. Research and real-life experience from Accenture shows that many manufacturers get stuck early on or can’t get beyond proof-of-concept pilots to scale.

Anything that can be connected will be connected. This is the ultimate goal of technology. Connections with new objects and devices open the door for big data and new insights. It’s a branch of technology long in the making, with just a few hiccups. But advances in API technology aim to address these concerns and advance the IoT into a new era. As these advancements continue, organizations are learning that APIs can play a crucial role in increasing connectivity across the suite of IoT applications.