On 1 June 2017, MTN Business hosted their second annual IoT Conference and Awards. The conference matured from a pure “challenge and awards” model into a broader event, including both an awards ceremony and a conference. To promote knowledge and best practice sharing for developers and buyers in the connected infrastructure and Internet of Things space.

MTN IoT Conference and Awards’ content and conversations was thread together as “Mind to Machine” solutions, searchable online as #M2MAwards. Submitted solutions focused on the potential transformation of sectors such as retail, transportation, business and our personal lives using technological advancements.

#M2MAwards presented an opportunity to showcase and award the: Best Commercial IoT Solution, Best Enterprise Development Solution, Innovative Hardware in IoT, Most Disruptive IoT Solution and the MTN Business Overall IoT Award. The announcement of these winners took place throughout the day as the overall conference tackled concepts such as Smart Cities & Homes, Big Data, Analytics, Open Data and ethics in IoT. It was electrifying to say the least!

To hear from the likes of Deon Chang, Founder of Flux Trends, about definitive IoT solutions such as Samsung’s Virtual Reality headsets, amplified that in order to develop a significant solution you ought to #DoWhatYouCant. The Internet of Things relies on breaking boundaries. For the improvement of lives, services, delivery and products.

Another speaker that stood out was Max Makgoale, CEO of Vula Telematix, who highlighted the future of transportation by identifying its existing challenges. Makgoale, much like most speakers of the day, also determined that shared/open data weighs in favour of interoperability. “It takes a village to raise the IoT”. Therefore, IoT underpins people, productivities and efficiencies to thrive by collaborating and consolidating data from “connected” devices. Through social, economic and cultural indicators, impact on the user experience is achieved using valuable information.

If we ever needed another example of successful IoT solutions presented at #M2MAwards, perhaps Bidvest Car Rental’s Snapp Drive will prove beneficial. The payoff line “Arrive, Unlock and Drive” sounds too simple for the tedious process of hiring a car that we are accustomed. However, Snapp Drives technology is secure, reliable and seamless. Futuristic in its ability to allow consumers to hire and drive their cars without keys.

It gives great pleasure to see MTN Business foster, enable and display technological solutions that the world needs. Because on 7 June 2017 MTN rehashed their brands global commitment to IoT by facilitating a “Thinkubation” #ShareKnowledge session inside our eHub Diepsloot as part of their CSI initiative: 21 Days of Y’ello Care. Several of our Enterprise Development participants were given the opportunity to learn from MTN Group Executives Manny Teixeira and Chris Maroleng. This “thinkubation” session emphasised that MTN cannot do everything but they do have enabling platforms to support businesses that have effective solutions…

The potential is endless and we look forward to the continuation of 21 Days of #YelloCare as the MTN Group continues to engage with Wot-If? Trust participants over the next few days:

• 13 June (09:00 – 12:00) Thinktank about Digital and Connected Community
• 14 June (09:00 – 12:00) Business Model Thinkubation Discussion
• 20 June (09:00 – 12:00) #WomenMatter. Personal Branding for Women Owned Businesses

Seats are limited and primarily for Diepsloot based individuals. Please RSVP by emailing zizipho@wot-if.co.za to secure the few seats still available.