Will drones take off in the business world?

Zdroj: itpro.co.uk - Autor Nicholas Fearn - IN-DEPTH - 14 Mar, 2018
Adresa článku: https://tinyurl.com/yatgpwqd
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"While they're a familiar sight in the hands of hobbyists and soldiers, drones are only just making inroads in the enterprise
- It's easy to think of drones as gimmicky toys that end up getting caught in trees after just a few minutes of being used, or as weapons of war used to remotely launch attacks. What's less talked about is their potential role in the future of business.
- As a market, the personal and commercial drones industry is growing rapidly. According to the latest research from Gartner, the industry is expected to grow from $6 billion in 2017 to $11.2 billion in 2020. Meanwhile, more than three million drones were manufactured in 2017, an increase of 39% compared to 2016.
- Outside of the consumer and military sectors, drones are being considered for a wide range of applications within business. Companies such as Amazon and Domino's have already been working on plans to use drones to deliver products to customers, believing that unmanned vehicles could streamline the whole logistics process and help save lots of money at the same time.
- Commercial drones are still in the early stages and increasing regulations mean companies need to have certain permissions and infrastructure in place to be able to use this technology. Nevertheless, organisations in sectors ranging from retail to insurance and beyond are looking at how drone technology can transform their business.
- New opportunities
Amazon is among a string of retailers that are investing in delivery drones. But Chris Longstaff, senior director of business development at Imagination Technologies, is sceptical that this application will completely take off. Instead, he thinks the use of drones in logistics will be more niche. "Drones are really starting to make an impact. You could certainly see them used in remote regions for delivery – indeed; we've already seen a pizza delivery service via drone come online in New Zealand," he tells IT Pro." ( Cont. )