So far, we have explored the definition of IoE, along with some of its benefits, challenges, and drivers.
In this chapter, we list some of the key barriers to adoption of IoE. The main intent is to understand these roadblocks and to explore how a services approach can deal with them.
Intrinsic Barriers
First, some of the barriers to adoption are fundamental and inherent resistance to new technologies. IoE is actually a set of new interrelated technologies, making this resistance and inertia much bigger. These include:
•Unmanaged data
•Increased security attack surface
•Physical security threats.
Transformation Barriers
Second, additional barriers to adoption stem from the application of IoE and the transformation of businesses, industries, and cities, and are transitional in nature. For example, these include:
•Information technology (IT) systems are not keeping pace
•Operational technology (OT) systems are managed by different administrative groups
•The integration of new technology with legacy systems is nontrivial
•The ability to update current processes to absorb new and emerging technologies is finite and reaches a saturation point.
Extrinsic Barriers
Lastly, there are specific barriers to adoption that predate IoE, yet continue to be relevant. For example, regulatory compliance and data sovereignty are two of the most important ones.