Gartner defines managed IoT connectivity services as a market that enables secured connectivity, data collection, analysis and additional decision services. Managed IoT connectivity services are delivered fully managed, including dedicated help desk and project and service management capabilities, although hybrid managed and self-managed could also apply as delivery models. Self-managed is delivered through a self-service IoT connectivity management portal, including Level 2 and Level 3 back-office support. Internet of Things (IoT) devices can use various connectivity technologies. Connections can be cellular (2G, 3G, 4G/LTE and 5G); satellite, low-power wide-area (LPWA) networks (3GPP and non-3GPP); and managed field-area networks (FANs). Managed IoT connectivity services also enable organizations to securely collect, analyze and interact with data streams, therefore providing businesses with the ability to monitor, manage and control (manually and through automation) assets associated with business processes. This includes connected consumer, commercial or industrial products. Additionally, managed IoT connectivity services may encompass integrated and managed IT infrastructure and systems, operational technology (OT) infrastructure and systems, software, network services (connectivity), and IT services. Managed IoT connectivity services are a solution element within the broader solution sets of digital businesses and OT systems in enterprise environments.
The meter data management systems (MDMS) market is used by utility companies in the electricity, gas, water and thermal sectors to support metered commodity measurement at customer premises. This data is used for billing, customer service, consumption management (forecast and demand), operations (outages and losses) and finance. Other buyers of MDMS products include energy service companies for audits and efficiency projects; energy management providers for consumption reporting; outsourced or local energy providers for production planning and engineering; and commercial and industrial users for accounting and finance. Additionally, municipalities and government agencies use MDMS products for public works and regulatory compliance. MDMS are essential IT components of advanced meter infrastructures that facilitate the meter-to-cash process by collecting and managing consumption data for utility services such as electricity, water, gas and thermal energy. MDMS collect meter data; apply validation, estimation and error corrections; and store and process the data into billing determinants based on the customer’s product before sending it to a billing engine. MDMS can support various analytics use cases, including consumption profiles, trends, alerts, revenue protection and basic meter asset management. It can be delivered through on-premises or cloud-based solutions, enabling real-time data access and analytics that enhance operational efficiency and customer engagement.