Vendors are turning to global systems integrators and professional service providers to deliver end-to-end IoT solutions, according to research from ABI Research.

The advisory firm analysed 558 companies on their IoT capabilities, finding that SIs have emerged as gatekeepers of IoT.

“SIs fill the gap between solution providers and the specific needs of targeted market verticals, said ABI research analyst Ryan Harbison.

“Additionally, they have vast experience integrating legacy systems into end-to-end solutions and have a significant footprint in their respective regions. SIs offer partner programs unparalleled insight and access into new and existing markets.”

ABI also found that vendors are aligning themselves closer to higher-value partners across different regions to help customers with their IoT ecosystems. The firm singled out AWS for showing that it’s possible to stay on top of the changing IoT market by working with a handful of regional SIs rather than spreading resources across hundreds of partners.

The research also looked into the effect partner programs had on the IoT landscape. ABI found that these programs focus more on growing niche verticals like wearables and hospitality, while healthcare, manufacturing and energy applications remain the most targeted verticals.

“The most successful partner programs are the ones that strike the right balance between the breadth and depth of their partner program offering,” added Harbison.

“Enterprises and end-users across all vertical markets will continue to turn to these ecosystems to more effectively navigate the otherwise fragmented technology and supplier landscape, and these ecosystems will increasingly rely on SIs and professional services providers to provide regional and vertical-specific solutions to end-users.”