The IoT in Figures

• Four billion IoT devices will be in use at the end of 2017, up 31 percent from the end of 2016. IoT growth should continue at that pace until at least 2020, when there will be just over 20 billion devices – Gartner Research.

• McKinsey estimates the total IoT market size in 2015 was up to $900M, growing to $3.7B in 2020 attaining a 32.6 percent CAGR – Forbes.

• IHS forecasts that the IoT market will grow from an installed base of 15.4 billion devices in 2015 to 30.7 billion devices in 2020 and 75.4 billion in 2025 – IHS Markit

• Bain predicts that by 2020 annual revenues could exceed $470B for the IoT – Forbes.

• Smart Home households will grow to 463 million by 2021, driving unit sales to 1.4 billion – Ovum (Radicati, Francesco “Security and Utilities Devices to Drive Smart Home Unite Sales to 1.4 Billion by 2021.” “ovum.informa.com.” 14 February 2017. Web. Registration needed).

So where to next? 
Continued growth
New interconnected products are emerging all the time. This includes more appliances for our smart homes, business tools for productivity and payments, and manufacturing processes that are honed from start to finish, with parts and items traceable every step of the way.

Governments and town planners are embracing IoT as they push towards smart cities with better energy efficiency, transport and security. Retailers are using it to enhance consumer experiences of products while better enabling that consumer to make a purchase with mobile POS, and e-commerce. Meanwhile agriculture is utilising it to better monitor crops, manage resources and track their produce.

Network World notes this creation of new items is constantly upgrading, commencing with finding a solution to a very specific problem “that starts with basic sensing, expands to control, and then culminates with the explosion of imagination”.

“It is hard to imagine the benefits and capabilities of IoT in an unconnected world. As is so often the case, we don’t realize what we are building until our eyes are opened to what is possible. As we start to connect and collect, previously unfathomable opportunities become obvious.”

AI and Big Data

Big data is the big topic for the IoT. All these interconnected devices have the capacity to generate huge amounts of information about what we seek, what we search for and what we already have.
Once plugged into ever-evolving algorithms, business, industry and manufacturing have a wealth of information to better predict our needs, habits and requirements courtesy of Artificial Intelligence.

Image Credit: linkedin.com

In a nutshell this means our daily habits, statistics and usage of IoT connected products is now driving the future of what retailers, industry, manufacturing and healthcare are able to deliver.

Or as IoT For All notes: “In previous years, the focus of IoT arguably seemed to be on “connecting” things to the Internet. Now, we’re seeing a push to make those things “smart” by pairing connectivity with an AI engine.”

AI is the major playing field that the IoT is seeking to conquer in coming years in terms of consumer information that includes what and how we buy, how healthy we are, right through to predicting when machinery that services our basic needs may have a fault. But big data results in big questions.

“The amount of data collection on the horizon is staggering,” says Network World. “Many IoT devices collect all kinds of data, such as GPS coordinates, weather, motion, video and usage. There is a clear trend of low-cost sensors becoming more powerful—and thus prevalent.

“We regularly hear estimates of 25 billion to 50 billion devices on the internet by some near-term date. Big numbers provide a provocative vision, but the implications represent a radical, necessary change in current approaches and tools.”

Playing IoT Nicely

Up until recently IoT involved a lot of players kicking a ball independently on the pitch. Now each realizes the value of playing as a team. That means infrastructure providers are playing nicely with storage providers, AI creators are teaming up with hardware companies and the list goes on.

According to IoT For All: “Full IoT solutions need hardware, software, and connectivity. Few companies do it all, so partnerships are absolutely essential for success in the Internet of Things”.

But all these businesses are grappling with the fact that IoT is more complex than it seems.

“In order to collect, analyze, and act appropriately, we need to completely rethink computing architectures and tools,” Network World argues. “IoT seems so easy. Sensors are cheap, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are “free.” So, how hard can IoT be? The answer is it’s really hard! There are a lot of moving parts, since so many of the sub-components, such as networks and processors, are changing quickly, but IoT usually adds the additional complexity of scale. The challenge is much bigger than many initially realize.”

Security
Among the greatest challenges is maintaining security in a cyber-connected world. IoT For All explains as billions of new devices are connected to the internet and integrated into our daily lives, “we open up new ways to cause harm”.
““Dumb” devices that lack an internet connection are difficult to attack because you need physical proximity to the device. When it comes to “smart” devices, the very thing that makes them smart (i.e. connectedness) also opens up new avenues of attack from virtually anywhere.”

Meanwhile Forbes notes threats to IOT security take on two forms:

“First, devices are taken over to do something they are not intended to do, like a security camera that becomes part of a botnet attack. But also devices can be commandeered to do exactly what they are intended to do but in a devious way.”

And already there are examples of both occurring, Forbes continues.

“Two years ago an internet-enabled refrigerator was commandeered and began sending pornographic spam while making ice cubes. Baby monitors have been turned into eavesdropping devices and there are concerns about the security of medical devices, such as computerized insulin pumps.

“In October, thousands of security cameras were hacked to create a massive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) against Dyn, a provider of critical Domain Name System (DNS) services to companies like Twitter, AirBnB, etc. Then there is the recent disclosure of CIA tools for hacking IoT devices, such as Samsung SmartTVs, to turn them into listening devices. These are only a few examples highlighting the threats.”

All this is resulting in an increased albeit belated focus on IoT security. But the challenge is predicting what hackers will do next. For companies it’s like gazing into a crystal ball, in a darkened room, with a blindfold on. Often corporations have no idea of what will hit them until they’re reeling from the knockout punch.

The Final Word
This year’s IoT trends may not be as singularly focused on glitzy new products that are smarter and smarter in a bid to improve our lives. Instead the current drive is on the inner workings and security of the IoT as providers nut out the nitty and often gritty details of a world revolution.
*Main image credit: intca.org

Rebecca Kennedy is a writer for many leading online publications with a special interest in harnessing technology for retail. She is passionate about anticipating future tech before it becomes the norm. She wrote this article in collaboration with bosstab.com.

The post The Internet of Things: Where to Next? appeared first on Colocation America.

The Big Deal of Big Data, AI and Machine Learning

After spending the past decade plus devising products packed with sensors and connectivity, focus now shifts to realising their truly “smart” potential. This is happening via the data they produce, the machine learning they are capable of, and the Artificial Intellegence that allows them to predict our needs and better serve them.
Or as Forbes explains:

“While IoT adds value to the products we already own and the services we already use, the data extracted from IoT is meant to tell marketers what we’ll want to own and what services we’ll use in the future.”

This plays out in a series of ways already making their presence felt:

• Through Chatbots that allow us to have a conversation with computers.
• Via Artificial Intelligence that uses complex algorithms to predict our next move and desires.
• Courtesy of deep learning that enables us to train computers using the massive sea of data available.

“The Internet of Things (IoT) has received massive coverage and widespread adoption. What few people have stopped to consider thus far is where these connections will take us. As chatbots become more popular, we’re bearing witness to a move toward further machine learning. As the natural progression from smart objects to learning objects occurs, this new wave will encompass the globe,” Forbes continues.
Security
So much data, so many algorithms and such swift advancement may open up a world of potential but also open the doors to serious cyber security threats, making security the next big issue on the IoT agenda.
The issue is so imperative Gartner places security at the top of their 10 IoT technologies for 2017 and 2018 list, saying: “The IoT introduces a wide range of new security risks and challenges to the IoT devices themselves, their platforms and operating systems, their communications, and even the systems to which they’re connected.

“Security technologies will be required to protect IoT devices and platforms from both information attacks and physical tampering, to encrypt their communications, and to address new challenges such as impersonating “things” or denial-of-sleep attacks that drain batteries. IoT security will be complicated by the fact that many “things” use simple processors and operating systems that may not support sophisticated security approaches.”
Smart homes
More and more products are hitting the market as consumers vie for smarter homes with more connected devices meeting our daily needs. From smart TVs to smart fridges, climate control that links to smart phones and more, the “smart home” is no longer a futuristic obsession but a current reality.
And arguably the real key to the smart home is the technology piecing these interconnected devices together. Central hubs and voice assistants are a major focus that sees Amazon Alexa, Google Home and the soon to be released Viv, from the creators of Siri, taking charge of our domestic matters.

According to Bloomberg these voice AI hubs could reach 40 million homes by 2021, as voice assistants embrace artificial intelligence and become better at understanding human speech.
Smart transport and smart cities
Driverless cars have long been the focal point of the IoT and our obsession with a Jetson’s style future.  And while advancements continue to be made, the benefits are also playing out in the wider area of smart transport as we move towards smart cities.
Venture Beat explains: “Already, automobiles built after 2010 include numerous connected systems that provide drivers with the ability to listen to satellite radio, view streaming video, display and use smartphone apps, navigate roadways, request roadside assistance, unlock doors remotely, and find open parking spaces.”
Arguing that driverless cars may be as little as 10 years away they note: “Autonomous vehicles will free the “driver” and passengers to socialize, have a business meeting, or learn more about the environment around them. Mercedes imagines a car that is more like a living room or boardroom on wheels. The driver and front passenger seats swivel to allow face-to-face communication.”
But in addition, all this sensing and communication offers greater efficiency and safety for transport at large, and the operation of cities in general with State Tech Magazine citing major American cities as examples of IoT already being put to use.
“Cities like Chicago and Washington, D.C., are getting smarter as connected sensors provide timely and accurate traffic and parking data,” they say.
But not only that, the IoT allows for automated lighting, power plant control, pollution monitoring and so much more.
Manufacturing and industry
It’s not quite as glamorous as a fridge that automatically buys milk, but manufacturing, industry and agriculture are, and will continue to be, some of the great beneficiaries of the IoT.

The Wall Street Journal notes: “Industrial IoT can dramatically change how manufacturers run their businesses. By quickly and continually pulling process and monitoring information as well as production, supplier and customer data, the technology lowers costs, increases efficiency and speeds response time. It also ensures equipment is fixed before it fails, further lowering costs and boosting the bottom line. The IoT’s uses are as unlimited as the types of machinery that sensors can monitor.”
Retail
Using mobile Point of Sale, contactless payments and the digital wallet along with Smart Fitting rooms and item tracking courtesy of RFID, retail has long been a proponent of IoT. And this infiltration of connected items that allows for an enhanced consumer experience is only on the rise.
This year sees attention to virtual reality, virtual assistants and Chatbots as shopping harnesses the power of AI to better predict and service our needs.
Meanwhile research firm Zebra notes:

• 79 per cent of North American retailers are investing in IoT technologies such as automated inventory verification and sensors on shelves.
• By 2021, nearly 80 percent of retailers will be able to customize the store visit for customers as a majority of them will know when a specific customer is in the store. This will be enabled through technology such as micro-locationingallowing retailers to capture more data, accuracy and customer insights.

Healthcare
According to Forbes by the year 2020 there will be a $117 billion market for IoT in healthcare as we better monitor ourselves and the medical profession can better monitor us.
The industry will be driven by sensors and the steady erosion between clinical health care and in-home monitoring. Already, connected devices including wearables, sensors and even communication are impacting the healthcare landscape. Devices can tell your blood pressure relaying this data to your physician, they can track your sleep patterns and more.

Tech Target further explains: “Internet-connected devices have been introduced to patients in various forms. Whether data comes from fetal monitors, electrocardiograms, temperature monitors or blood glucose levels, tracking health information is vital for some patients.
“Many of these measures require follow-up interaction with a healthcare professional. This creates an opening for smarter devices to deliver more valuable data, lessening the need for direct patient-physician interaction.”
Meanwhile some hospitals have begun introducing smart beds that can adjust to relieve a patient’s pressure points as well as indicating when they attempt to get up.
The final word
Each month the swift evolution of the IoT brings us new developments to ponder over, marvel at and be challenged by. While the above may be the areas to watch in 2017, by next year there will be new innovations, greater data and increased applications to illicit wonder and concern.
After all it’s a revolution baby and in the words of Lenin: “It is impossible to predict the time and progress of revolution. It is governed by its own more or less mysterious laws”.

Rebecca Kennedy is a writer for many leading online publications with a special interest in harnessing technology for retail. She is passionate about anticipating future tech before it becomes the norm. She wrote this article in collaboration with ilocks.com.

The post Top 7 IoT Areas to Watch in the Future appeared first on Colocation America.