The current next big thing, the Internet of Things (IOT) or “Internet of Everything” could easily be relegated to the “hype” or more damningly the “spam” folder of your mental inbox.
It is currently one of the hot topics driving the dialogue of industry analysts & business thought leaders as they strive to unlock the potential of the abundance of digital sensors and IP connected devices now pervasive in the modern world. In enterprise “systems rich” organisations, it’s fairly straightforward to understand the importance of the IP connected elements that underpin both personal and professional activities. However, the Internet of Things ideology captivating the imagination of many embraces the access and use of data from the almost invisible sensor based digital community hidden in virtually every modern, electronic device. They exist in the most diverse places including household devices (alarms, TVs), environmental (weather, planet), government (traffic signals), retail (rfid tags) and even the common SmartPhone. But without rambling “Star Trek” style perspectives, it has proved challenging to showcase IOT use cases with real substance which makes the following example from the non IT community looks very exciting.
A major well known luxury carmaker is leveraging the Internet of Things (IOT) ideology via a real world implementation within forthcoming vehicles. By using on-board wireless and GPS technology, exchanging data in real time with traffic and environmental sensors, cars with traffic light assistance will help the driver to avoid stopping at red lights (thus speeding the journey, increasing safety, reducing fuel, and vehicle wear) by adapting the vehicle speed in relation to real time traffic flows.
The well known car makers approach to leveraging the IOT, is a real world example of the power of connected devices, the Internet of Things (IOT) and a valid use case that delivers commercial and human benefits. For the “Internet of Things” to make sense to us all, emerging examples must deliver personal benefits to drive the end user/customer to seek more and greater IOT benefits in the future (thus making it commercially attractive). Following that track, the Internet of Things will evolve from an urban IT myth to deliver real world human impacting benefits.
Maybe this next big thing could actually be the biggest next thing of all time
Until next time.
Colin W
Twitter@ Colinwccuk
