Most IoT deployments are not bought as a single product. A system integrator selects sensors, gateways, connectivity and a platform, connects them to the customer’s existing systems such as SCADA, an ERP or a building management system, handles installation and commissioning, and stays on for support. In industrial settings integrators also carry the domain knowledge about machines, safety rules and site practices that a platform vendor does not have.
Their value is accountability: one party owns the outcome. The risks are dependence on the integrator’s choices and skills, and a tendency toward custom middleware that only they can maintain. Buyers can limit this by requiring open interfaces and documentation. For vendors, integrators are often the main sales channel. Many projects stuck in pilot purgatory lack exactly this role, with no one responsible for the whole chain.
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