Connected devices have arrived in the form of smart thermostats, smart home appliances, smart vending machines and even smart grids. And there are more on the way. By some estimates, there could be 50 billion Internet-connected devices by 2020.

Gartner dubbed the Internet of Things the most-hyped technology trend of 2014, topping wearable user interfaces and consumer 3D printing. Despite the hype, there’s no doubt that a system of intelligent, interconnected devices will have a profound impact on field service. Radical changes to the things that companies sell will trigger changes to how companies service those things, deal with their customers — and make money.

The infographic below from ServiceMax shows the far-reaching effects that more devices, more intelligence, and more data will have on a company’s service division.

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