It’s 
3 a.m. one night during the holiday break, and a problem with a crucial piece of equipment escalates at an important customer’s warehouse.
Not long ago, this would have been a three-alarm crisis for the manufacturer, service provider and customer — that is, once somebody finally noticed the problem. But the rise of connected devices and the Internet of Things means service organizations are increasingly able to respond to issues proactively, before a major problem develops.
Chris Morris: Journalist 