Why build in-house when you can accelerate with a partner? Developing solutions internally often leads to stretched timelines, ballooning budgets, and integration headaches. Meanwhile, your customers expect smarter, connected experiences — yesterday, not months from now.
%
of services tickets created automatically
%
Improvement in engineering efficiency
%
increase in profitability via optimized utilization
%
contractural and/or recurring revenue
According to Forrester, 86% [of participants] said adopting a connected products strategy will enable their company to gain a competitive advantage in the future.
Lexmark’s Connected Products Solution removes IoT complexity. With a proven platform and edge intelligence, you can deliver predictive services, unlock new revenue streams, and scale faster.
| Key considerations | Building IoT in-house | Partnering with an IoT expert |
|---|---|---|
| Development time | Years to develop and deploy | Deploy in as little as 90 days |
| Investment | Large upfront costs | Lower upfront costs using partner tools |
| Maintenance | Ongoing updates and monitoring | Managed by partner |
| Expertise | Hire and train specialists | Immediate access to expert knowledge |
| Scalability | Limited | Scales efficiently with expert support |
| Risk management | High due to new invention | Reduced with proven practices |
Sign up for a quick Predictive Service Maturity Assessment to benchmark the potential of your data and uncover actionable next steps for your IoT strategy.
In-house IoT development requires scarce resources like data scientists and specialized developers. With Optra, this expertise is already built into the solution, saving time, money, and risk.
90-day implementation period
Realize savings in the first year
Build a foundation for future initiatives and use cases
The perfect pairing of cloud and edge for fast results
See what our IoT solution delivers
Connect your devices to accelerate onboarding and management
Transform and ingest data from multiple sources
Use data and insights to drive action
Visualize results and trends with intuitive dashboards
Q: What does “build vs. buy” mean in IoT?
A: It’s the choice between creating a custom IoT solution in-house (“build”) or purchasing a ready-made solution from a partner (“buy”).
Q: Why build an IoT solution in-house?
A: Building in-house lets you fully tailor the solution to your exact needs and gives you complete control over technology and data.
Q: What are the challenges of building in-house?
A: It requires significant investment in hardware, software, and skilled staff. Development can take months or years, and ongoing maintenance, security, and compliance add complexity.
Q: What are the benefits of partnering with an IoT expert?
A: You get a proven solution that’s faster to deploy, with expert support for updates, security, and compliance. Solutions like the Optra Platform are 70% templated and 30% tailored to your unique needs, and designed to scale as your business grows.
Q: Which industries benefit most from IoT partnerships?
A: Manufacturing, healthcare, retail, and logistics all gain speed and reliability by partnering for IoT solutions.
Q: How do I decide whether to build or buy?
A: Consider your budget, timeline, available resources, scalability needs, and ability to manage security and compliance.
Q: What should I look for in an IoT partner?
A: Choose partners with a strong track record, industry-standard compliance, scalable solutions, and seamless integration with your existing systems.
