Artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) are set to make massive inroads during 2020, as organisations realise how much time and money they can save, while increasing their competitiveness.
Maximum benefit will come from these technologies being embedded into vertical market solutions to solve real business pain points, says Jasmine Waynik, AIoT business unit manager at Corex.
She adds that hype has skewed what AI and IoT mean, and where they fit into the technology mix.
“For us, AI is computer services that are able to do human tasks; that are automate and can learn. We stress that it’s not about AI taking over or replacing jobs, but about making people more efficient and even creating new jobs.”
Corex defines IoT as the ability for objects and computer services to communicate with one another on both a physical and logical plane.
The bottom line for both AI and IoT is about making systems and environments smart, Waynik adds. And the two technologies often work together to do this.
“For example, a store could use IoT devices to monitor its customers, with AI filtering marketing or messaging to those customers.”
And it’s a popular fallacy that AI is always characterised by massive learning systems, she adds. “AI can learn anything as long as you give it the right parameters. Our understanding of AI is that it is smart, and can also learn to improve efficiencies.”
Concrete examples of where AI and IoT are being employed in the real world include using an automated cash counter instead of a staff member having to perform that task.
The technologies are also driving smart retail, with more efficient point of sale solutions improving customer engagement and satisfaction. The technology can go a long way to improving stock control and cash control.
Waynik points out that South African customers are particularly keen on having human interaction, and this will ensure that AI helps to drive job creation.
The Corex team is committed to providing solutions that help organisations more efficient, and improve individuals’ lives.
An example is in smart healthcare, where smart wearable devices can be used to go beyond tracking fitness to enabling a host of other health and wellness benefits.
This technology lives up to the smart tag because it can learn about user behaviour and activity, comparing results and making suggestions.
While a lot of AI and IoT solutions sound futuristic, Waynik believes we are going to see rapid take-up, and that they are going to quickly become important for companies and the economy as a whole.
“There are already billions of connected devices out there – and this is not going to slow down. Already most people have had interactions with AI and IoT, and it is going to become really embedded going forward.”
Products and solutions
Corex defines its portfolio through three verticals: smart retail and distribution; smart warehousing and logistics; and smart home.
Its product portfolio consists of the following:
- PartnerTech – smart retail and point of sale;
- Honeywell – retail scan and print solutions, up to smart logistics and supply chain; productivity products and solutions including voice and more;
- Mindeo – scanners in the point of sale environment;
- Amazefit – healthcare enabled by smart watches;
- Maken – cash drawers and point of sale peripherals; and
- Rongta – receipt printers for point of sale with mobile and Bluetooth connectivity.
The company will soon launch additional product lines that include intelligence and learning:
- Sunmi – point of sale solutions for smart retail, offering portability, mobile payments, smart shelf technology and digital shelf signage.
- A smart watch brand that is still in early testing that offers full Google integration and learns the user’s habits, effectively becoming a smart wearable personal assistant.
The team aims to come up with solutions, preferably before customers come up with problems, Waynik says.
“We continuously monitor what is going on out there, so we can offer the solution a customer wants as well as what he may potentially need.”
Corex partners with resellers to offer pre-sales consulting and post-sale services. It offers a five-year warranty on the products it sells, and is in the process of becoming a repair centre for some of the brand, which means it can offer same-day servicing. It also offers reseller training.
The distributor ensures that its products are more than just a listing in the product catalogue but offer real solutions.
“Because we have the pulse of what is happening in countries, we can bring the solutions in before they would normally be available in the local market,” Waynik says. “We can show people what is coming, and where the industry is moving to.
“We are proactive, not reactive.”