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Not everyone can afford state-of-the-art technology, but it can be leveraged. Almost two years ago, we started to explore the concept of Internet of Things (IoT) where we interconnected physical devices, vehicles, home appliances and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators and connectivity such that these objects are enabled to connect and exchange data. Now we are looking at an industry that will be worth much more than trillion dollars by 2020. We expect one trillion devices to work on IoT by 2025. The question is ‘are we quick enough to think big and make the most out of it?’
Most of IoT enabled devices will run on short-range wireless technology till this technology is replaced by anything superior. Short-range wireless technology includes Wi-Fi, Near-field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth, Light-Fidelity (Li-Fi) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) to start with. We still have much scope to create customized inter-operable platforms, since very little has been explored by the industry so far and there is a lot to be done.
IoT demands out of the box thinking due to its radical nature. This leaves the door wide open for thought leadership, innovation and creativity. Interconnectivity, a core aspect for IoT is yet to be stabilized. At the moment we are facing a big challenge with respect to customization and interconnectivity of IoT enabled devices and this demands introduction of global ‘constants’ that can be easily replicated across devices. Just to add to the present woes, IoT projects are majorly driven by technological interventions rather than business model innovation and thought leadership. Organizations need to solve issues that need utmost attention and issues that could help us live a better quality of life on this planet. Above all we need to create an environment where this concept is sustainable. One cannot have IoT in its absolute form in a country where 80 percent live below poverty line and the entire geographical zone is overpopulated. This calls for a strong global governance or call it a new order to facilitate better life and encourage connected capitalism or wealth-creation.
Some of the fastest applications that will be dominated by IoT are healthcare devices, wearable devices to enhance currently restricted capabilities, energy saving devices and smart devices for inter-connectivity in real time use. We will soon have smart homes, connected mobility (transportation), smart cities, and even smart forest zones and marine life to create better air, water and live a healthier life.
Owing to its very nature, IoT also demands rigid security. Right from conceptualization to market release IoT manufacturers and everyone involved in the product need to ensure that data collection, storage and protection would be secure all the time. Network security, endpoint security and vulnerability management solutions will play the most critical role in safeguarding IoT enabled devices. IoT enabled devices in healthcare could be even more vulnerable to threats of a serious nature. Today, pacemakers can be controlled without authority, devices can get infected and display inaccurate information and home appliances could be used as weapons. All these threats need to be addressed by an in-depth approach, considering the very design of such products. At the same time we cannot afford to have underdeveloped policies and regulatory frameworks in a world that is largely accepting IoT and thus its intricacies.
We need devices that will bridge the gap between physical and digital world to improve the quality and productivity of life, society and support the eco-system. At last but not the least, allow me to share a few golden words of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, a quote which speaks a lot about what IoT should be; “Let the good in me connect with the good in others, until all the world is transformed through the compelling power of love.”
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Thanks to Pixabay.com for the lovely free images!
Originally posted on Times of Israel
