Community Heating: A slow growing market with 98 million devices by 2035, fueled by climate resilience and energy-saving requirements
- Internet of Things
- IoT
- Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)
- Carbon Emissions
- District Cooling
- District Heating
- Individual Heating
- Generation Plants
- Geothermal Energy
- Grid Operations
- Load Balancing
- Renewable Energy
- Smart Energy
- Smart Grids
- Smart Heat Meters
- Smart Meters
- Sustainability
This report provides Transforma Insights’ view on the use of IoT to support Community Heating. Community Heating (CH) involves generating heat in a centralised location and then distributing the heat across businesses, residences, and industrial facilities. Community heating is most common in colder countries, particularly the Nordic countries, China, Russia, and some parts of North America. Some of the prominent advantages of community heating solutions are energy saving, reduced carbon emissions, and improved load balancing when compared to traditional heating solutions. Government initiatives and schemes have supported the expansion of the community heating market, recognising its environmental benefits in densely populated areas and its potential to create jobs due to significant infrastructure investment. AI-driven data centres are a major source of recent growth. These facilities are increasingly being designed not just for computing power but also as sources of community heating, with waste heat from servers being redirected into district heating networks to warm homes, campuses, and even farms. Community heating and cooling systems are gaining traction, yet their deployment is still far behind individual solutions. This is because of several disadvantages, including lack of scalability in less densely populated areas, billing complexities, irregular heat distribution, lack of user control, and issues such as overheating in less sophisticated systems. To improve efficiency, CH systems are increasingly using smart heat meters to measure consumption, detect faults remotely, support load balancing, and reduce carbon emissions. The report provides a detailed definition of the sector, analysis of market development and profiles of the key vendors in the space. It also provides a summary of the current status of adoption and Transforma Insights’ ten-year forecasts for the market. The forecasts include analysis of the number of IoT connections by geography, the technologies used (including splits by 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, LPWA, short range, satellite and others), as well as the revenue split between module, value-added connectivity and services. A full set of forecast data, including country-level forecasts, sector break-downs and public/private network splits, is available through the IoT Forecast tool.
- Avara
- Caofeidian Heat Company
- Cetetherm
- Danfoss
- Engie SA
- Ennatuurlijk
- European Commission
- Landis+Gyr
- State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC)
- Vattenfall
- Veolia
- Vital Energi
- Artificial Intelligence
- Hyperconnectivity
- Internet of Things
- Electricity, Gas, Steam & A/C
Single Pane of Glass (SPOG) abstraction platforms will evolve to become Distributed Workflow Management platforms
- Artificial Intelligence
- AI
- Distributed Workflow Management
- DWM
- Edge Computing
- Hyperconnectivity
- Internet of Things
- IoT
- Single Pane of Glass
- SPOG
- Workflow Management.
In recent years, the term SPOG has gained traction in cellular IoT markets, referring to Single Pane Of Glass interfaces for cellular IoT. In fact, SPOG is a decades-old generic IT industry term used to refer to the aggregation of many different data points into an intelligible dashboard. Rediscovered for cellular IoT, the term is now being used to refer to the abstraction of cellular connectivity and associated Connectivity Management Platforms (CMPs) so that one single interface (a SPOG platform) can provide visibility into the status of, and control over, connections potentially supported by different cellular networks and/or different CMPs.
- Hyperconnectivity
- Internet of Things
- Artificial Intelligence
- Edge Computing
- Data Sharing
Industrial AI takes the spotlight at Siemens Innovation Day 2026
- Artificial Intelligence
- AI
- Internet of Things
- IoT
- AI Factories
- AI
- Autonomous Buildings
- Building Automation
- Data Centre
- Digital Twins
- Industrial AI
- Intelligent Automation
- Industrial Simulation
- Copilot
- Predictive Maintenance
- Mobility
- Digital Grids
- Semiconductors.
Siemens Innovation Day 2026, held on 6th March 2026 at Fairmont Mumbai, India is Siemens’ flagship innovation forum in India. The event brings together senior leadership, media, analysts, customers and ecosystem partners to discuss how emerging technologies are transforming industry and infrastructure. This year’s agenda highlighted the transformative potential of industrial AI across industries and the transition towards AI factories. The key solutions showcased this year focused on enabling future-ready Indian enterprises, including industrial AI, industrial simulation, AI factories, digital grids, autonomous buildings, digital twins, next-generation automation, and advanced energy systems. Sector-specific discussions spanned automotive, mobility, data centres, buildings, power utilities, and semiconductors. Siemens has deployed over 700 digital references across India in collaboration with 25 ecosystem partners. This report focuses on key insights and takeaways from Siemens Innovation Day, structured around the key themes discussed during the event: industrial AI, industrial simulation, AI-powered semiconductors, and AI factories.
- Addverb
- HD Hyundai
- Nvent
- NVIDIA
- Siemens
- Internet of Things
- Artificial Intelligence
- Manufacturing
- Electricity, Gas, Steam & A/C
- Transportation & Storage
Regulations governing global IoT connectivity: permanent roaming and related considerations
- Internet of Things
- IoT
- eSIM
- eSIM Licensing
- eSIM provisioning
- roaming fees
- fair use policy
- wholesale roaming charges
- retail roaming chargers
- MNO
- OTA (Over-the-Air) eSIM Provisioning
- IMEI Registration
- Roaming
- National Roaming
- Permanent Roaming
- SM-DP+ servers
- International Mobile Equipment Identity
Deploying cross-border cellular IoT solutions will often introduce regulatory challenges. Companies must navigate a complex landscape of local telecommunications, spectrum, and data regulations to ensure their devices operate legally and securely in foreign countries. This report examines the regulatory environment surrounding cellular IoT, highlighting some of the key regulatory themes that could create friction in multi-national deployments. It examines the regulations that companies must consider when deploying or importing cellular IoT solutions into different countries. Understanding and adhering to these rules is essential for avoiding penalties, ensuring uninterrupted service, and enabling the seamless operation of cellular IoT devices worldwide. In this report, we examine four key areas of regulation: Permanent roaming: The need for seamless international connectivity is often enabled through roaming, which allows IoT/M2M SIMs to operate continuously across borders without switching to SIM credentials associated with a local operator. This ensures devices remain functional while complying with international deployment requirements. Roaming becomes ‘permanent’ when a device continuously operates on a foreign network for an extended duration, typically beyond 90-120 days. Permanent roaming regulations are particularly relevant for devices intended for cross-border supply, which may stay in the importing country for extended periods or even for the device’s lifetime. Cellular device registration and associated taxes: These are regulations and other obligations related to registration of IoT hardware, mostly cellular IoT devices. For example, foreign cellular devices may need to have their IMEI registered with local authorities or network operators to access local networks beyond a certain grace period and potentially pay a fee. eSIM provisioning: There is an increasing amount of regulation concerning who can provision eSIMs, and how eSIM data can be stored, transferred and shared. These rules are emerging for three main reasons: personal data privacy, and national data sovereignty and security. Roaming fees: These are regulations related to fees for international (or national) roaming, including maximum and minimum fees. Wholesale roaming fees are charges that a home operator pays the visited operator so that home network devices can connect to visited networks. Retail roaming fees are charges that a home operator charges to their customers using networks in foreign country, or other visited network. Know Your Customer (KYC) is also an important aspect of regulation to consider when deploying cross-border IoT solutions. This topic has been covered in detail in a separate report ‘The current status of Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations for IoT SIMs’. As part of our examination of permanent roaming rules and guidelines, we approached regulators from over 80 countries to seek clarification on laws in their country and check for rules related to permanent roaming, roaming fees, operator resistance to permanent roaming, licensing for IoT and roaming fair use. The findings of this report are based on the responses received from these regulators combined with information available on regulator websites and government publications (or similar) identified through secondary research.
- DoT (Department of Telecommunications) India
- Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) China
- Subsecretaria de Telecomunicaciones (Subtel) Chile
- Communications Authority of Kenya (CA)
- Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA)
- Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)
- ARCOTEL Ecuador
- DEKRA Chile
- LB Technology
- Multibanda
- Hyperconnectivity
- Internet of Things
Virtual Briefing - Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations for IoT SIMs and eSIMs
- Internet of Things
- IoT
- contract SIM
- connected cars
- customer verification
- data-only SIM
- eSIM
- IoT service provider
- IoT security
- internet of vehicles
- Know Your Customer
- KYC
- KYC regulations
- M2M
- machine to machine
- M2M service provider
- M2MSP
- pay-as-you-go SIM
- postpaid customers
- prepaid SIM
- roaming SIM
- SIM registration
- SIM verification
- smart watches
- telecom services
- tourist SIMs
- Jim Morrish
- Suruchi Dhingra
The regulatory environment around cellular-based connectivity for IoT is becoming increasingly complex, with new rules emerging in many countries and existing rules evolving. Governments and regulatory bodies are tightening requirements around permanent roaming, data privacy, cross-border data flows, security and more, all of which have a direct impact on how IoT services can be deployed and operated. While these regulations generally aim to ensure fair competition, consumer protection, and safeguard national interests, they often create uncertainty for connectivity providers, IoT solution providers and enterprise end-users.
- Hyperconnectivity
- Internet of Things
Webinar - MWC 2026 trends for critical IoT connectivity
- IoT
- Internet if Things
- security
- infrastructure
- connectivity
- 5G
- eSIM
- AI
- Physical AI
- SGP.32
- resilience
- rSIM
Join industry analyst firm Transforma Insights and CSL Group, the leading provider of secure IoT connectivity solutions, for a webinar discussing the key trends in critical IoT connectivity from Mobile World Congress 2026.
- Hyperconnectivity
- Internet of Things
- Edge Computing
- Artificial Intelligence
Building Automation: 3.1 billion connected devices by 2035, focused on enabling sustainable living
- Internet of Things
- IoT
- Hyperconnectivity
- Smart Building
- Smart Home
- Air Quality Monitoring
- Smart City
- Smart Water
- Water Leak Detectors
- Flood Detectors
- Home Automation
- Building Automation
- Matt Arnott
- Suruchi Dhingra
The building automation market is an expanding global opportunity, with growth underpinned by the decreasing cost of hardware and networking technologies, increased construction activity, and initiatives taken by governments to promote sustainable smart buildings and smart city initiatives, amongst others. As building automation systems have become more affordable, now even small and mid-sized apartment owners are using automation to control their properties. Previously, these systems were not usually deployed in sparsely occupied buildings such as warehouses and garages, but with increased affordability, these systems have applications in such non-traffic areas as well.
- ABB
- ADT
- Aeroqual
- Amazon
- Arlo Technologies
- Climax Technology
- Emerson Electric
- Flo by Moen
- Honeywell
- Johnsons Controls
- Resideo
- Samsung SmartThings
- Schneider Electric
- Siemens
- The Genie Company
- The Water Scrooge
- Vivint
- Hyperconnectivity
- Internet of Things
- Consumer
- Real Estate
- Manufacturing
- Retail & Wholesale
- Accommodation & Food Service
Real World Visualisation: 157 million devices in 2035, dominated by Connected Glasses
- Internet of Things
- IoT
- Hyperconnectivity
- Real World ‘Visualisation’
- Human Machine Interface
- AR
- Augmented Reality
- Connected Glasses
- Headsets
- Mixed Reality
- MR
- Tablets
- Video Walls
- Virtual Reality
- VR
- Paras Sharma
- Nikita Singh
- Matt Arnott
This report provides Transforma Insights’ view on the Real World Visualisation market. This report comprises details on design, assembly, campus, field, project management, quality control, and training use cases for Connected Glasses, Tablets, and Video Walls. The Connected Glasses segment in the report comprises both consumer examples and enterprise use cases of glasses. Tablets and Video Walls applications have specific enterprise use cases. Enterprises have started using AR/VR devices not only for remote monitoring and supervision but also to enhance business efficiency, reduce manual work and error, and support workers in dangerous and remote working situations such as mining, healthcare, and manufacturing. The market is expanding, but at a much slower pace than initially expected. These devices are not only expensive, but they also haven’t substantial value to enterprises outside of selected roles. Consumer versions face the same issue of high costs and a perception of being ‘nice-to-have’ rather than an essential gadget, resulting in lacklustre adoption of these devices. Most of these devices are still evolving in terms of their technical specifications, physical attributes, and cost. The market is mostly trending towards lightweight and easy-to-use products for consumers and enterprise customers. It’s likely that as consumers and enterprises increase their familiarity with these devices, the demand and use of these devices will increase. The report provides a detailed definition of the sector, analysis of market development and profiles of the key vendors in the space. It also provides a summary of the current status of adoption and Transforma Insights’ ten-year forecasts for the market. The forecasts include analysis of the number of IoT connections by geography, the technologies used (including splits by 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, LPWA, short range, satellite, and others), as well as the revenue split between module, value-added connectivity, and services. A full set of forecast data, including country-level forecasts, sector break-downs and public/private network splits, is available through the IoT Forecast tool.
- Amazon
- Apple
- Augment
- BMW
- Boeing
- CareYaya Health Technologies
- Coach
- Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (HBC)
- Engo
- Epson
- Everysight
- FFFace.me
- Fujitsu
- Google
- INAIR
- L’Oréal
- Lucid Motors
- Maybelline
- Mercedes Benz
- Meta
- MGG Software
- Microsoft
- MSC Cruise Management
- MySize
- Nadro
- Nike
- Pico
- Porsche
- Snapchat
- Toyota
- Vuzix
- Zero10
- ZeroLight
- Internet of Things
- Hyperconnectivity
- Human Machine Interface
Personal Portable Electronics: Growing demand for multi-function and hybrid wearables to drive 3.1 billion devices by 2035
- 4G
- LTE
- Active Noise Cancellation
- Bluetooth
- Cameras
- eSIM
- GPS
- Headsets
- mWallet
- Near Field Communication
- NFC
- Smart Watches
- Smartwatches
- Wireless Earbuds
- Wireless Earphones
- Wireless Headphones
- Consumer Internet and Media Devices
- Consumer Electronics
- Wearables
This report provides a market forecast overview of the Personal Portable Electronics Application Group (which includes Portable Cameras, Headphones, Smartwatches, and Media Players), as found in the Transforma Insights Connected Things IoT Forecast. These electronic devices are lightweight portable equipment that are mostly used by consumers. One interesting characteristic of the market, which is relevant across all the categories, is that consumers increasingly prefer simplicity. The majority of the market will prefer a single device that combines the functionality of multiple devices provided compromises are limited. The availability of increasingly capable smartphones has resulted in a constrained market for cameras and media players, as most consumers have access to smartphones and they typically offer similar functionality. This has left a market for devices being used either for commercial purposes or targeted to specific consumer segments, such as cameras for photography enthusiasts and media players for those who prioritise better audio quality. However, the ubiquity of smartphones has been a key enabler for the adoption of Headphones and Smartwatches, which are often used in association with smartphones. The report provides a detailed definition of the sector, analysis of market development and profiles of the key vendors in the space. It also provides a summary of the current status of adoption and Transforma Insights’ ten-year forecasts for the market. The forecasts include analysis of the number of IoT connections by geography, the technologies used (including splits by 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, LPWA, short range, satellite and others), as well as the revenue split between module, value-added connectivity and services. A full set of forecast data, including country-level forecasts, sector break-downs and public/private network splits, is available through the IoT Forecast tool.
- Apple
- Astell and Kern
- Aviva
- Canon
- Creative
- Daimler
- FiiO
- Focal Bathys MG
- Fujifilm
- Garmin
- Google
- Iriver
- JBL
- Marshall
- Mercedes Benz
- Microsoft
- Nikon
- Panasonic
- Ricoh
- Samsung
- SanDisk
- Sony
- TicWatch
- Verizon
- Vitality Health
- Internet of Things
- Hyperconnectivity
- Human Machine Interface
Mobile World Congress and Embedded World 2026: technology takes a back seat to commercial models and regulation
- Internet of Things
- IoT
- connectivity
- eSIM
- SGP.32
- remote SIM provisioning
- satellite
- NTN
- non-terrestrial networks
- 5G
- Artificial Intelligence
- AI
- infrastructure
- differentiators
- resilience
- compliance
Two major trade shows focused on different aspects of the IoT space happened in quick succession in March 2026: Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and Embedded World in Nuremberg. This report highlights some of the key themes that emerged from the show. In large part this reflects more the author’s intense weeks meeting with vendors from across the universe of IoT – with a strong focus on cellular-based connectivity – and triangulating their perspectives, rather than listing announcements or quoting speakers on stage. There are many opportunities to hear from commentators about the latter, but rather fewer of the former. Key themes relate to technology trends (or, rather, lack of them), evolving competitive positions of players, new differentiators, and the growing challenges of compliance, amongst other things. As well as the emergence of a new term: ‘Physical AI’.
- Aeris
- Balena
- CSL Group
- Deutsche Telekom
- emnify
- Exein
- floLIVE
- Kigen
- NTT Data
- NTT
- Palo Alto Networks
- Stacuity
- T-Mobile US
- Tartabit
- Telefonica
- Vodafone
- Internet of Things
- Hyperconnectivity
- Artificial Intelligence
Below is a list of Transforma Insights' research reports on Digital Transformation, IoT, AI and other disruptive technologies. Our 'Essential' subscribers can access a select sub-set of the reports as 'Essential Reading'. User Group members can access exclusive 'User Group' content. Some reports (e.g. Peer Benchmarking) are only available to 'Corporate' users. For details on how to upgrade your subscriptions, check your Profile page. If you would like to speak with our analysts about the content of any report, or any other topic, please contact enquiries@transformainsights.com.
