2027 IoT Infrastructure Innovation Award

Submission overview

The 2027 IoT Infrastructure Innovation Award recognizes the platforms, systems, and foundational technologies that make connected operations reliable, scalable, and manageable. The award celebrates infrastructure that strengthens how devices, gateways, networks, edge environments, cloud services, and operational systems work together.

Eligible entries may include IoT platforms, device management, gateways, observability tools, data pipelines, cloud and edge infrastructure, integration layers, fleet management, and deployment frameworks that support connected operations at scale.

Strong submissions will explain the infrastructure challenge, the architecture used to solve it, where the technology is deployed, and how it improves reliability, performance, visibility, security, or operating efficiency. Quantified outcomes, customer evidence, implementation details, and credible performance data will help judges assess the entry’s value and readiness.

Who should enter

Entries are welcome from technology providers, infrastructure teams, system integrators, enterprises, public-sector organizations, and customers deploying the foundation for reliable connected operations.

Entry schedule

• Entries Open: Tuesday, February 9, 2027
• Early Bird Deadline: Friday, March 5, 2027
• Final Entry Deadline: Friday, April 2, 2027
• Winners Announced: Tuesday, April 13, 2027

Entry fees

• Early Bird Entry: $395
• Regular Entry: $495

Each product, platform, deployment, or project requires a separate submission and entry fee.

What to include

Describe the infrastructure challenge, the architecture and integration approach, the deployment environment, and the role of connected data in producing the result. Explain the solution’s technical approach, implementation maturity, integrations, scale, security, reliability, and practical value.

• Quantified improvements in reliability, uptime, deployment speed, device scale, data quality, latency, operating efficiency, security, or total cost
• Deployment details, including locations, devices, users, systems, operating conditions, and implementation timeline
• Customer, client, or end-user identification when the entry relies on a real-world deployment
• Supporting evidence, including case studies, performance data, dashboards, customer validation, images, videos, technical documents, or information URLs
• Any confidentiality, regulatory, embargo, or publicity restrictions

Supporting collateral should make the entry easier to verify and evaluate. Include the strongest evidence available, and clearly distinguish measured results from estimates, projections, or planned outcomes.

Submission process

1. Prepare your entry. Gather the required organization, contact, product, deployment, and supporting information before beginning the application.
2. Complete the application. Describe the solution, connected technology, deployment environment, integrations, measurable outcomes, and supporting evidence.
3. Submit payment. The entry fee is charged when the application is submitted. Entries are not complete until payment is received.

Judging criteria

• Infrastructure impact demonstrated through meaningful, measurable improvement for users, operators, organizations, communities, or the environment
• Architecture and technical innovation in the use of connected devices, data, analytics, automation, infrastructure, or operating models
• Evidence quality supported by credible validation and a clear connection between the solution and the reported outcomes
• Scalability across users, locations, assets, systems, workflows, markets, or operating environments
• Integration maturity and operational value demonstrated through deployment readiness, interoperability, usability, and practical value
• Trust and reliability supported by appropriate attention to security, privacy, data quality, resilience, and responsible use

Eligibility

The award is open to organizations and individuals developing or deploying connected technologies in industrial, commercial, public-sector, transportation, energy, building, utility, and distributed connected environments. Commercial products, platforms, public-sector programs, research-led deployments, pilots, and customer implementations are eligible when the entry includes enough evidence for meaningful evaluation.

Submitted work should be active, deployed, launched, or meaningfully advanced during the current awards cycle. Entrants may submit their own solution or a customer deployment with appropriate authorization.