The Internet of Things has ballooned into something that everyone knows about in some way or form. In recent years this has exploded into an industry all its own. The technological innovation of cloud computing and direct access has made its way into our everyday lives. We have all gotten used to seeing our information wherever we are and being able to access it whenever we want to.
All of our vehicles and televisions now have monitors in them that relay information to the companies from which they originated so that they can better develop new devices and machines. We now have our telephones connected to spectrum so that we are never without data or our personal information. The benefits of having this technology boils down to streamlining our everyday lives and making them easier. The technology has so many interested developers and individuals involved that the growth of the platform will far exceed any other technology in the coming year.
The year 2018 will see an incredible amount of innovations that use the Internet of Things to converge technologies and create a network ecosystem that is fully inclusive and far-reaching. Whether we like it or not, all of our devices are communicating to each other and with their parent companies. In a way, this means our devices are constantly talking and letting companies know what we are up to. The Internet of Things is not something to fear however, it is in fact something that can completely change our lives for the better so that we are always informed and always in control.
The first thing we will see in IoT is the expansion of the technology into every sector and industry. As of right now, it is primarily seen in the technology industry and drives a lot of AI development. What we will see this year is the expansion from personal devices to public communication. This means, in simple terms, that our personal devices will be able to communicate with entities or public devices.
The most direct example of this would be an interconnected refrigerator talking to a local grocery store to place an order for food items that are needed or missing from its contents. This, in a sense, will simplify and automate large facets of our lives so that we are not stuck doing mundane things or accidentally forgetting something important.
This will also extend past our personal lives as it will continue to innovate in the medical sector and transportation sector. Both of these industries require constant communication as records update and shipping logs change. It will allow for dynamic business to take place that can be modified at any time with constant access to information. For all Industries this will create a huge network that can be used to mine important data and plot inefficiencies that can be corrected and streamlined.
Cybersecurity will also expand in the new year as the Internet of Things leaves a lot of devices vulnerable to hacking or other exploitative action. Security teams have a hard enough time dealing with traditional hacking of large corporations and now will have to face the integration of billions of devices into susceptible networks.
This is no simple feat but will be accomplished without a doubt by the many cyber security companies in the industry today. This would also mean that individuals will become much more educated about basic software practices as well as cybersecurity practices and personal safety. Even though the Internet of Things leaves us more susceptible to attacks it also grants us greater freedom and knowledge as we can access our information wherever. So, while the attacks may become more frequent, we will know immediately when something is breached and can respond to it in kind.
Ultimately, the Internet of Things will continue its reign and will expand into all facets of our lives. The incorporation of the technology into our major growth sectors will allow businesses to flourish more quickly and more efficiently. The interconnection of these devices and industries will create a network of mass information that can be used to create further innovations. This will then lead to progress in both technology and our personal lives. The Internet of Things will change how we interact with the world and how the world responds to us. Hopefully, we will see innovations this year that will make life better and encourage optimism all around the world.
About the author: Ellie Martin is co-founder of Startup Change group. Her works have been featured on Yahoo! , Wisebread, AOL, among others. She currently splits her time between her home office in New York and Israel. You may connect with her on Twitter.
Edited by
Ken Briodagh
