The Internet of Things

While IoT is not new (first reference that I could find was a TED talk in 2014) it is now exploding. With a continued downward spiral in costs associated with IoT, including sensors and bandwidth, IoT is becoming pervasive in all aspects of our lives. Many examples abound in the consumer space. Think smart devices in your home that already exist and automatically hook up to your wireless network. From refrigerators to thermostats to TVs, the number of devices attached to IoT will likely surpass a billion in the next two years. And the race is on with automobiles, from packing them with assist features like automatic steering, parking and braking, to make in them completely self-driving.

The implications are wide reaching. Manufacturers must not only produce and distribute these devices, but also either build or attach to IoT with a strong backend that not only gathers the enormous amount of data these things produce, as well as distribute that data into the community of services that support the IoT. Most of these services will require new training in that community as well. Researchers and analysts require simplified access to the data to provide insights into actual usability as well as for product enhancements and new product opportunities. Consumers must understand issues around privacy and security, as well as implicitly or explicitly know that they are providing a level of detail into their daily lives never seen before. The exchange for that being convenience and quality of life. Schools from literally pre-K to post graduate must develop new coursework, and make available the tools with which to train. Example: One of my daughters is in college, studying business in Silicon Valley, and IoT hasn't been mentioned yet in her two years there.

So, IoT is big, exploding and becoming an integral part of our lives. Us mere mortals have to figure out how to catch up. More to come.