“Internet of Things” is no longer just a buzzword companies add in their briefings to accentuate their launch. It has finally begun to impact the present rather than betting on the future. It has attained a momentum which has been growing exponentially and is being constantly stretched to products which weren’t even on the technological radar a few quarters ago. Despite what you might believe, the connected age is truly upon us, and we are closer than ever to a world where everything will be a tech product. Okay, hear me out before dismissing the theory altogether. This probably won’t be true for another five years for everyone, but as I look around my room, I realize that most of the products are already being fundamentally reformed to embed a chip. IDC estimates a total of 14.8 billion connected devices at the time of writing of this article, and it is expected to reach a whopping 36.1 billion (growing at a rate of 19.4%) over the next four years. Parv Sharma from Counterpoint adds, “In the modern tech world almost every product be it from household to an enterprise level is now connected. Internet of things (IoT) is the enabler for a modern connected world and thus is bringing “Everything is a tech product” statement closer to reality. IoT is and will be the biggest technological revolution, IoT promises an ecosystem where devices used in day to day activities will not only be connected but sharing, analyzing and implementing actions on their own.”
Of course, there is still a range of challenges that need to be resolved before these advancements aim for the masses. The most obvious one is connectivity which still isn’t entirely omnipresent. Parv further adds that the dream of a connected world largely depends on the success of how quickly companies enable “extensive LTE coverage with the full commercialization of LPWA coverage like LoRA or Sigfox or NB-IoT.” In layman terms, IoT-specific standards and networks need to be deployed in order to achieve a hassle-free experience. Security is another concern these companies haven’t been taking seriously. Fortunately, a few of them are developing ways to prevent your entire home from cyber threats. Symantec, not long ago, introduced a router called “Norton Core” that will utilize an extensive array of machine learning algorithms and Symantec’s threat intelligence to defend your home network. I’m sure, though, as these devices continue to become more popular, privacy will be a foremost priority. Qualcomm has been one of the few chip makers who is aggressively pursuing the field and currently, powers more than 1.5 billion IoT gadgets. The company is responsible for accelerating a vast amount of sectors by building technologies for all sorts of form factors and requirements. Adding further on its position in the market, Uday Dodla states “Qualcomm Technologies is uniquely positioned to lead to 5G, and we are expanding the capabilities of LTE to accelerate progress in IoT, including driving the new narrowband technologies (eMTC, NB-IoT). Our work in NB-IoT is establishing the foundation for Narrowband 5G, which will enable massive Internet of Things.”
We might be years away from the connected ecosystem of services and products I am describing. However, its arrival is now clearly just at the horizon where companies are building several ways to make the transition more coherent and familiar. Allowing a piece of technology into every aspect of your life might not be the most exciting scenario, but with proper measures and protocols, it won’t be as harmful as people think.
