IoT connectivity becomes boardroom priority for enterprises

Research from Eseye found that IoT connectivity is now a board-level priority for 75.6% of enterprises. The study surveyed 1,200 enterprise IoT decision-makers in the UK and US.

The findings point to a sharp rise in executive attention as companies expand connected device deployments across customer products and business services. Some 78% of respondents expect their IoT estates to grow over the next 18 months, while 66.5% plan to increase IoT investment over the next two years.

That expansion is taking place alongside mounting security and operational concerns. Nearly three quarters of respondents, 73.3%, said they had experienced an IoT security breach in the past year, while 74.3% said 2G and 3G network shutdowns were likely to affect their business.

Enterprises also reported day-to-day management problems as deployments become more complex. Some 74.5% said handling multiple SIMs and connectivity platforms from different providers is time-consuming, and 74.6% said near-100% global connectivity is crucial to their business case.

Operational strain

The research suggests the issue has moved beyond technical teams as connected devices feed data into a wider range of automated systems. Almost a third of respondents, 29.3%, said one risk linked to IoT connectivity limitations is an inability to operationalise AI effectively because of unreliable IoT data.

Another 31.4% said effective IoT deployment could improve business decision-making and process automation through access to reliable IoT data. The figures indicate that connectivity quality is being judged not only on whether devices stay online, but also on whether businesses can trust the data those devices produce.

Respondents also cited consequences for compliance and reputation. Some 29.33% identified failure to meet regulatory compliance requirements as a risk tied to connectivity limitations, while 25.5% pointed to damage to company reputation and customer trust. A further 25.4% said device downtime could prevent them from gathering timely and accurate data, leading to poor business decisions.

Orchestration focus

The survey also highlighted concern over the operational demands of newer eSIM management standards. Some 75.4% of respondents believe self-managing SGP.32 connectivity would be complex and resource-intensive.

At the same time, 78.1% said a managed SGP.32 network orchestration service that handles ongoing operations on their behalf would be beneficial when selecting an IoT connectivity partner. Another 77.8% said they value end-to-end IoT services from a single provider.

The results suggest buyer priorities are shifting from basic device connection to long-term oversight of large, dispersed deployments. For companies with devices operating across markets and networks, the administrative burden of profile management, resilience and lifecycle control appears to be becoming a more prominent purchasing factor.

Paul Marshall, Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer at Eseye, said: "As IoT deployments scale, enterprises face growing complexity across networks, markets and technologies. Security, network sunsets and the introduction of SGP.32 are giving organisations greater flexibility, but they also increase the operational burden of managing connectivity at scale."

Marshall added: "The research shows that enterprises want strategic control and visibility without having to manage every profile, network and connectivity decision themselves. That's why orchestration is becoming such an important capability in the next phase of IoT adoption."

The survey was conducted among respondents at companies with 500 or more employees, split evenly between the UK and US. It offers a snapshot of how larger organisations are balancing plans for further IoT rollout with concerns over security incidents, ageing mobile network infrastructure and the practicalities of managing more devices across more locations.

David Langton, Chief Marketing Officer at Eseye, said: "For many organisations, IoT has reached a tipping point. The challenge is no longer how to connect more devices, but how to do so reliably at scale while turning connected data into meaningful business outcomes. That's why we're seeing connectivity, resilience and orchestration move firmly onto the boardroom agenda."