A digital revolution is underway: servitization. Around the globe, companies are revolutionising their business models by connecting their physical products to the Internet of Things (IoT) to sell subscription services instead of just goods.
These Smart Connected Products open many new opportunities for them:
Better understanding of customer needs through usage data
Stronger customer loyalty
Value-added digital services that differentiate them from competitors' offerings
Regular, recurring revenue
Deutsche Telekom offers you everything you need to connect your physical products from a single source. This way, we open up the possibilities of servitization for you in the simplest way possible.
What goals do you want to achieve through servitization?
Examples of our satisfied customers
Rhenus Data Office: Smart bins request their own emptying
The logistics service provider Rhenus Data Office has to dispose of companies’ sensitive data properly, but varying fill levels of paper bins make collection difficult to plan. That’s why Rhenus and Deutsche Telekom equipped bins with IoT sensors. If a critical fill level is reached, the responsible dispatcher receives a notification. This enables Rhenus to plan collections more efficiently – no more overflowing bins. The company avoids unnecessary trips and saves fuel, thus contributing to the environment.
LAQA: Intelligent drinking cup eases the burden on nursing staff
Senior citizens often do not drink enough fluids. Checking and documenting fluid intake is therefore a major burden for nursing home staff. That’s why the start-up LAQA GmbH has created a cup with technology from Deutsche Telekom that uses light, sound, and vibration to remind people to drink. It also analyzes drinking behavior and processes this data for staff. By automating documentation and encouraging a more frequent intake of fluids, it takes a lot of pressure off caregivers and naturally improves the health of those being cared for.
Ashes, heat, and dirt: When used in coal-fired power plants, RUD Group conveyor belts work under extreme conditions. The right time to replace chains was previously something where customers could only rely on their intuition. To get an overview of the actual wear, the RUD Group teamed up with Telekom to equip its plants with IoT sensors, enabling them to offer a proactive service. For customers at the power plant, this means that equipment is serviced at exactly the right time. The RUD Group can now optimally plan maintenance personnel and replacement materials.
Ziehl-Abegg manufactures high-quality ventilation and air conditioning systems for factories, farms, or data centers. To better monitor the condition of its fans, the company created the ZAbluegalaxy platform in partnership with the Telekom. The system alerts customers and service technicians at an early stage when certain threshold values are exceeded. Equipment downtime is thus significantly reduced, and unnecessary fan maintenance is avoided. The data also enables Ziehl-Abegg to offer new, innovative service plans in the future.
Connectivity is the prerequisite for a servitization business model with physical products. There are two ways to establish this: On the one hand, it can be considered during the planning stage and integrated into the product – this variant is called "embedded". On the other hand, an existing product can be retrofitted with networking – this is called "retrofit".
Embedded – connected from the very start
Products that are in development
Development costs are higher, since networking hardware needs to be co-developed
Unrestricted power supply, as the device source can be used
Unrestricted power supply allows for the free choice of mobile network (5G, 4G, LTE, LTE-M, NB-IoT)
Robust, as it is firmly integrated and soldered
Retrofit – subsequently connected
Products that are already on the market
Development costs are lower, as existing networking hardware can be used
Power supply stems mostly from rechargeable batteries that need to be topped up regularly
Rechargeable batteries make energy-efficient mobile networks such as NB-IoT or LTE-M the first choice
Less robust, as hardware is retrofitted
Are you unsure which solution is the right choice for your individual case? Our experts will be happy to advise you!
The demographic change, cost explosion, shortage of skilled workers, and digitalization pose significant challenges for the healthcare industry. Learn more about how digital ecosystems act as a crucial catalyst for the redesign of the healthcare system.
Please note: The form section for the download, the following communication and the e-book are in German.
More and more companies are utilizing the Internet of Things to expand their physical products with innovative services and features, and to improve their overall product offering. Discover the new opportunities with Smart Connected Products and successfully position yourself in the market.
What are smart connected products and what role does IoT play? Our colleague Hannes Händel explains this and much more in this episode of the digitalization podcast “Digitalization. Made. Simple.“ using real examples from various industries.
Please note: The podcast is only available in German.
How waste disposal specialists REMONDIS and Rhenus use connected filling level sensors to perfect used glass container and data protection bin pick-up services.
Call a Bike, Deutsche Bahn’s bike sharing service, uses LTE-M SIM cards and Telekom’s IoT Solution Optimizer to optimize its offering and product development.
Networked implants that function globally and connected cars with worldwide reception are two examples of what is currently required of mobile network operators.
