PLM and the IoT (#6): Issues with the IoT

Previous posts in this series have identified many potential opportunities and benefits of the Internet of Things (IoT). But what about the other side of the coin?

This post looks at potential issues with the IoT. Some of these are shown in the table below.

IoT technology is at an early stage. It's unclear how it will develop. Currently there are few standards. There's a risk of manufacturers and users finding themselves with many incompatible devices with poor user interfaces. The devices can produce an overload of data that has no meaning, or is difficult to exploit. There are security issues, as devices may be hacked. There are data ownership issues, with data being sent across the Internet between many devices, many computers and many customers, suppliers and manufacturers. There are data privacy issues, for example with users sending confidential information to products in their homes, and devices sending confidential information back to them. As devices increasingly communicate with each other, without any human interaction, these issues of data security, ownership and privacy will become even more complex.

Another issue is that the Internet of Things is the Internet on which government agencies, crime syndicates and brilliant students hack and snoop tirelessly with state-of-the-art technology. They read everything, hunting for valuable information. Product manufacturers and users may be concerned about important information being read by the unscrupulous. The latter may find out about problems with the product, and pass the information on to competitors. Or they make take control of the product, and cause it to behave in a dangerous or illegal way, resulting in heavy fines and other punishment. Or they may blackmail the company, threatening to reveal information to consumer organisations or to government agencies.

It seems there are many potential issues with the IoT. But perhaps that shouldn't be a surprise. The IoT brings together all the issues of the Internet and all the issues around products - and then adds some new ones.

These are early days with the IoT. Today it's easy to list the issues. But how will they be addressed in the future?

• Will providers of IoT components from around the world first set up an agreed framework for the IoT, and then compete within that framework? Or will each do its own thing as it tries to find competitive advantage, with the framework emerging 10 or 20 years from now?
• Will each company applying IoT technology in everyday business need to reorganise and to redefine business processes and procedures that allow it to survive and compete in the future environment? (In which case, IoT issues could be seen as a big opportunity for consultants.)
• Will people buying products using IoT technologies be taking all the issues with these products to the courts? (In which case, IoT issues could be seen as a big opportunity for lawyers.)
• Will new organisations be set up to help people learn how to address IoT issues? (In which case, IoT issues could be seen as a big opportunity for educators.)

The third post in the series showed that, technologically, there's little really new in the IoT. However, the resulting opportunities and effects look massive.

PS As usual, comments welcome.

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Next post in this series

Issues with IoT Projects

Previous posts in this series

PLM and the IoT (#1)  ;  PLM and the IoT (#2)  ;  PLM and the IoT (#3): What's New in the IoT?  ;  PLM and the IoT (#4): The Opportunities of the IoT  ;  PLM and the IoT (#5): IoT Impacts Across the Product Lifecycle