Understanding the Internet of Things: The IDC IoT Forum 2016 in Bratislava

On May 12, Bratislava was the place to be for Internet of Things (IoT) experts. The IoT Forum 2016 was hosted by IDC and gathered specialists, thought leaders, and decision-makers in the field of IoT for a thrilling conference in the Slovakian capital. Deutsche Telekom, as one of the leading IoT enablers in the region, was present at the event as a keynote speaker and offered a glimpse into its strategy in this area for the coming years.

The company’s representatives delivered a visionary keynote and held two panel discussions about smart cities and how to improve life in the cities through the Internet of Things. Deutsche Telekom positioned itself as a pioneer in this field, making the connection between the IoT and cities around Europe becoming “smart” as more and more urban elements are connected either to the Internet or to other major components and services, such as parking facilities. More than 200 attendees listened eagerly as Andras Fazakas, Head of M2M/IoT EU Sales & Business Development, outlined the company’s involvement in successful smart city projects all over Europe – which are the most tangible example of how the Internet of Things is becoming a part of people’s life in the city.

Peter Michálek, Senior ICT Delivery Manager at Slovak Telekom, was our panelist in the discussion about “smart cities”. He gave the audience a first-hand account of the best-practice projects carried out in Bucharest and Dubrovnik, showing participants how smart cities are already changing the way we live.

Miroslav Antol, Head of IoT at Slovak Telekom, took part in the panel discussion on “IoT for a better life”. He discussed the benefits of IoT and how they drive the implementation of smart technologies. Antol also commented on the “RodinnyAsistent” service for monitoring elderly people, a service that was nominated for the GSMA GlomoAwards in the category of “The Connected Life Awards – Best Mobile Innovation for Health”.

Here are some snapshots of the congress: