“Many business leaders say they’re nowhere near mature in how they’ve enabled and launched smart tech,” says Michael Slovin, Vice President and General Manager of Comcast Smart Solutions. “They can pilot it, but complexity holds them back. It’s not just about connectivity—it’s the hardware, the software, the ecosystem of partners and how you support it all long-term.”

While enterprise leaders navigate moving from pilot to large-scale implementation, the number of IoT devices will continue to rapidly increase. According to forecasts from Statista, 31.2 billion IoT devices are expected by 2030, up from a projected 19.8 billion in 2025.

With the volume of data rapidly expanding and the pressure to generate real-time insights intensifying, enterprise leaders are increasingly concerned about missing out on opportunities to optimize, automate and speed up their operations. For many, the challenge now is finding a partner that can turn pilot projects into fully integrated systems that work across the enterprise.

Smart tech that works in real time

When properly implemented, smart systems can bridge that gap between the digital and physical worlds, giving organizations the same type of real-time, data-rich insights they’ve come to expect from digital sources like e-commerce sites.

In many of Comcast’s Xfinity retail stores, for example, AI-powered video analytics can track customer wait times, staff responsiveness, and overall traffic flow. “We’re doing predictive analysis around how we plan for traffic in real time,” says Slovin. “We can see how long our queue was, how quickly someone was helped and which products they interacted with.”

The goal is to bring brick-and-mortar operations closer to the intelligence of online platforms. “Think about what a traditional e-commerce site gives you,” Slovin says. “You see who visited, what they looked at, what they added to their cart, what they actually bought. That level of insight has been hard to get in physical stores until now.”

Video analytics can play a leading role in that transformation. Retailers use it to understand how long customers linger in front of displays, how effective signage is compared to past promotions or whether store layouts are helping (or hindering) the customer journey. But it also has broader applications, including queue management in stadiums, notifications in multifamily housing and crowd control in transportation hubs.

A surge in use cases—and complexity

Smart technology solutions can support a variety of goals, says Amit Verma, Chief Technology Officer at Comcast Business. “Most consumer-facing businesses are looking at how to improve productivity and profitability,” says Verma. “Whether it’s a water leak detector in a resort or temperature sensors in a quick-service restaurant, the more you reduce costs that could become very large, the more value you unlock.”

The variety of use cases—from refrigeration monitoring to digital signage to AI-enhanced crowd flow—has created its own challenge: integration. Even when some systems are built to work together, managing multiple technologies across a large footprint can quickly become complex and resource-intensive.

“You want a way to standardize—not just the devices, but how you’re aggregating the data and acting on it,” says Verma. “If you’re a large enterprise with hundreds of locations, you can’t scale that with a different vendor for each piece of the puzzle.”

Another critical factor to consider is connectivity. AI-powered video and sensor systems demand reliable, low-latency and high bandwidth network connectivity, which can be particularly challenging in environments with intermittent or limited infrastructure. To better address the needs of enterprise customers, Comcast Business now offers a mix of wireline, wireless and low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity, to support deployments, including those in rural locations.

“Connectivity used to feel like a commodity,” Verma says, “but a strong foundation is critical to making any of this happen.”

Managed services make the difference

One reason enterprises are struggling to move beyond pilots is that most internal teams simply aren’t built to manage the operational demands of these technologies at scale. “You might have a few staff members run a successful trial,” says Slovin. “But once you’re looking at 50, 100 or 1,000 locations, that model breaks down fast.”

That’s where managed services come in. For most enterprises, successfully deploying smart technologies at scale depends on simplifying the ecosystem—bringing together connectivity, hardware, software and support under a unified approach. “We like to say we make smart simple,” says Slovin. “Customers can focus on their business—we handle the complexity behind the scenes.”

Slovin points to a QSR client who used to manually record refrigeration temperatures multiple times a day to address health concerns. Now, with sensors and analytics from Comcast’s MachineQ platform, the process is automated, freeing up staff to focus less on their clipboards and more on their guests.

Security at scale

As smart systems proliferate, so do the threats. From bad actors targeting edge devices to vulnerabilities in third-party software, enterprises need a clear, coherent approach to securing their networks.

“The conversation is no longer just about networking. It’s about secure networking,” Verma says. Comcast Business addresses this with managed security services and cloud-based security solutions that segment networks, detect anomalies and help prevent data exfiltration.

For many enterprise leaders, the challenge isn’t recognizing the potential of smart tech—it’s knowing where to begin. Verma’s advice? Don’t go it alone. “Smart technology is here to stay. The key is to find a partner that understands the ecosystem, has the scale to support it and can help you standardize across all your locations.”

Learn more about advanced technology solutions from Comcast Business

Originally posted on CNBC, https://www.cnbc.com/advertorial/2025/06/23/how-ai-video-analytics-and-iot-are-creating-real-time-insights-for-the-enterprise.html