Today we kick off the third annual Internet of Things World Forum here in Dubai, where more than 2400 attendees from around the globe are getting awakened to the IoT possibilities. We are all on a journey together as we take what was a bold new concept three years ago and transform the way businesses, cities, and countries operate and engage their customers and citizens.

IoT is no longer a buzz word-it's real.  According to IDC'sGlobal IoT Decision Maker Surveyof more than 2,300 global businesses, 58% said that IoT is strategic to their business strategy and 48% have already deployed an IoT solution today. Clearly, IoT is seen as having real potential to change businesses. And it is impacting all industries.

A Cisco study indicates that a$20 billion manufacturer can see a 19% profit gain from IoT projected over 10 years. In the oil and gas sector, increased IoT data analysis can save millions of dollars by eliminating up to 50% of unplanned outages and boosting crude output by up to 10%. In healthcare, IoT applications are projected to reduce the cost of chronic disease patient care by 15%. And on a personal level, I love the way the smart connected devices throughout my home simplify a wide variety of controls and also save us money. This is even more important with a teenager in the house.

As we celebrate IoT this week, the World Forum will focus on three themes, one for each of the three days:

• Awaken- On Sunday we will explore opportunities across all industries, identify multiple business cases, and discover the competitive advantages that IoT can bring
• Activate- Monday is about laying out roadmaps to IoT deployments and discussing best practices and learning from the experiences of those who went there first
• Accelerate- The final day will focus on moving the industry forward quickly, and highlight the roles that service providers and application developers play in enabling this speed

There are a wide range of exciting things happening here this week:

• More than 25 customers will present how IoT has changed their business
• IoT Hackathon-This learning session and coding competition took place this past weekend, and winners will be announced on stage on Tuesday. Catch up on some of the fun they had at#whenicodeialways
• Cisco Innovation Grand Challenge-This is the second annual Cisco Innovation Grand Challenge at the IoT World Forum, and the winners will also be announced on the final day of the IoTWF
• Dubai Smart City Experience Tours- Dubai is one of the most digitally advanced cities in the world. Forum attendees will have the chance to learn first-hand how Dubai has connected transportation, education and healthcare across the city for a better citizen experience. Learn more about how Cisco's Smart+Connected Communities Platform drives Dubai's unique citizen experience.
• Visionary keynotes from many great companies like Etisalat, Emirates, Visa, Intel, Siemens AG, Rockwell Automation, GE, Schneider Electric, our own John Chambers, Chairman of Cisco, and more

Where are you on your IoT journey? Are you just now awakening to the value that IoT can bring to your business? Have you already activated IoT and seen results? I look forward to talking with customers, partners, press and analysts here in Dubai about this journey and what the future holds. And I'd love to hear from you, as well. You can follow news and updates from the event on Twitter @Cisco_IoT on Twitter or#IoTWF.