How will the Internet of Things (IoT) evolve?

Imagine craving a soda and walking up to the nearest vending machine only to find that it’s out, or worse, that the soda is warm. In the early 1980s, college students found a way to solve this problem by connecting a vending machine to their local network to find out if there was still soda in stock and if it was cold or not.

The most impressive thing about this system was that it was developed before the existence of the World Wide Web. Even so, it had all the hallmarks of an early Internet of Things era. How? Internet Engineering Task Force The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of physical objects or “things” that are embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and connectivity so that the objects can exchange data with a manufacturer, operator, and/or other connected parties. devices”.

10 years ago, in the early 1990s, when the World Wide Web existed. engineer John Romkey invented the first IoT device when he connected a toaster to the Internet, allowing users to turn on the toaster remotely. Later, Romky even introduced a crane to place the bread in the toaster, automating the entire toasting process.

Today, connected devices are commonplace, in the form of smartwatches, dishwashers, and smart cars, to name a few. Connected devices will continue to permeate everyday life for many reasons. However, three of those reasons stand out the most: falling costs, network improvements as 5G rolls out around the world, and a wide variety of connected technologies.

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Greater accessibility

In 1965, Intel co-founder Gordon Moore observed that “the number of transistors on a microchip roughly doubles every two years, while its cost halves over the same period.” In the future, the effect of Moore’s law may be manifested beyond the boundaries of semiconductors; as computing devices grow exponentially, we simultaneously see producer and consumer costs decrease.

This idea was revolutionary as it became clear that processors, sensors and devices could be made smaller and, more importantly, cheaper. And indeed, the price of IoT sensors has come down significantly.

Moore’s Law means that as devices have become cheaper to manufacture and purchase, there has been an exponential increase in the number of devices in circulation and connectivity. We can see an expected increase in the number of these devices even in the last year. There were 12.2 billion IoT connections worldwide in 2021, and that figure is expected to grow 18 percent to 14.4 billion connected devices in 2022, according to IoT Analytics. Increasing affordability is the main driver behind the widespread adoption of such devices.

Network Improvements / Enhanced Reception

However, cost alone is far from the only factor that will determine the growing availability of IoT devices in the future. For the IoT to really take off, there needs to be an efficient, fast way to connect to networks and other devices. IoT really took off in the 2G era thanks to networked, machine-to-machine communication.

Now 5G, the fifth generation of network technology that is up to 100 times faster than its predecessor, is poised to become the IoT game changer it has been waiting for. Data transmission is integral to the success of IoT, and 5G enables significantly faster device connectivity and data transmission, which will enable major advancements in IoT.

Furthermore, 5G is having a global impact as more countries implement its capabilities every month; As of June 2022, 70 countries have a 5G network, instead of 38 in June 2020. A statistician.

Companies must be ready to capitalize on this global growth of 5G and its implications for IoT devices. Technology is constantly evolving, and companies need to evaluate how to incorporate such technology into their business, not today, but for the long term. Creating an IoT strategy is not something that can happen overnight, but rather requires planning and long-term vision, especially with significant investment. Enterprises that want greater connectivity and more granular data should consider such a strategy and map out the infrastructure and security investments that will be needed to make it possible.

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Future growth

It The IoT could lead to a complete change in the way people live, ushering in an era more enabled by technology. It has already enabled connectivity and insights through our personal devices, homes and cities.

Personal devices continue to evolve, enabling new ways to use data to improve our lives and make us more connected, whether through smartwatches, smartphones or even smart rings, especially as devices become cheaper. For example, smart health monitors allow users to track daily physical activity and monitor health issues. Similarly, homes are adopting smart home technology so that our homes can be automated. This includes everything from more efficient electricity and gas use to automatic alarms, smart door locks and smart thermostats.

On a broader scale, emerging smart cities include metro areas and other communities that use sensors to collect data with the goal of improving city operations and citizens’ lives. Apps to learn about water consumption, air pollution, crime statistics and traffic are just a few ways cities are becoming more connected. In terms of these types of applications, New York is one of the smartest cities in the world, according to McKinseyembedding sensors as they implemented a “smart city pilot program” to track everything from water leaks to traffic jams.

The future of IoT is endless. As its use around the world continues to grow and more devices have the ability to connect, network capabilities will also continue to evolve and expand.