The Internet of Things as a Way of Life? We’re Almost There
By Amol Ajgaonkar, Chief Architect of IoT, Digital Innovation, Insight
Previously on this blog, my colleagues have explored the fantasy versus reality of artificial intelligence. But AI isn’t the only technological innovation receiving attention of both the excited and hand-wringing variety. In fact, the Internet of Things (IoT) may be further along in the development and adoption spectrum, with both residential and commercial customers alike dipping their toes into the waters of “smart spaces.”
In other words, IoT has become a fact of life. But what does all of this look like in practice? How has IoT already begun to change our lives, and how will it continue to improve them in the future?
Where we are now. For many of us, IoT currently looks like ad-hoc solutions: home security systems accessible from a smartphone, virtual home assistants like Alexa and Google Home, etc. These are intended to improve our living and work experiences without being noticeable to us. At this point, a fully connected smart home is not a reality — gadgets are not equipped to “play” with each other quite yet, and connectivity remains a challenge. But we’re not too far out from this.
From a commercial perspective, we’re seeing some more advanced uses. For example, manufacturers, warehousing and construction companies are finding ways to use IoT to make their work more efficient and frictionless. IoT solutions like RFID, LoraWan, and microcontrollers with GPS and LTE connectivity are already being used to assist companies with tracking their inventory to provide a real-time, more accurate picture of their supply chain. Manufacturers also can leverage IoT to improve the warranty experience — IoT solutions allow them to understand how customers use their products and how those products perform in the field, in turn enabling the manufacturer to fix issues, add features and reduce warranty claims.
Where the opportunity lies. IoT already is helping to make our lives simpler and more connected, and we’ve only just scratched the surface of the possibilities. In the near-term, we’re likely to see even more innovations that add value to our everyday lives in a frictionless way, such as a smart home that can detect if you come home late from work and encourages you to order dinner, then can do so on your behalf if you’d like.
On the commercial side, IoT enables automation. The more companies, especially manufacturers, use IoT solutions to eliminate onerous tasks like inventory tracking or monitoring equipment for malfunctions, the more it frees up employees to pursue higher-level tasks and to innovate to drive new revenue streams into their business.
And these are only the near-term opportunities. In the years to come, we can expect to see larger-scale applications, such as the development of fully realized smart cities, where services are interconnected to help make day-to-day life easier, more seamless and safer.
The hurdles we need to overcome. There are two key challenges that currently hinder larger-scale adoption of IoT solutions, and that we must overcome before we can experience all the benefits an interconnected world can offer: 1) connectivity and 2) cost.
Connectivity is among one of the more daunting challenges facing IoT. Consider how often your in-home WiFi falters. Think about all the “dead zones” in cell phone service you experience, even in large cities. Reliable, ongoing connectivity is essential to IoT deployment, and if we still struggle in our own homes, imagine how difficult it is to connect an entire city. However, with 5G rolling out in the near future, we can expect to see strides on this front within the next few years.
As with all technology, cost remains prohibitive for many, both on a residential and enterprise level. That said, we’re seeing significant advances in terms of efficiency and, for device manufacturers, accessibility to IoT-ready technology.
For example, Microsoft’s Azure Sphere makes it easier than ever to develop devices that quickly and securely integrate themselves into an IoT ecosystem. And, of course, as more devices hit the market and development becomes more efficient, costs to the end user decrease.
Security and privacy: The elephant in the room. Consumers and businesses are enamored of the possibilities of IoT. Yet the specter of hacking, data theft and a loss of privacy looms large. For the consumer, there is an understandable concern about the amount of data IoT-connected devices can collect, including day-to-day movements and consumption habits. Combined with a broader lack of knowledge about best security practices, smart spaces entail some inherent risk.
There are several developments on the security and privacy front, however, that could mitigate these concerns. First of all, embracing IoT is an opt-in model; users have to consciously choose not only to use these devices, but also have some control over what information they feed to them. While this may limit functionality, it enables the end user to act according to their own risk tolerance.
Additionally, technology is evolving to better anonymize and aggregate data, allowing smart spaces to become smarter without compromising individual privacy. Finally, device manufacturers are always innovating to find ways to better secure their technology.
What we can take away from all these developments is that smart spaces and IoT are no longer hypothetical: They are here to stay, and we can expect to see major advancements in this technology in just a few short years. Within one year, we’ll likely see more mature, accessible technology; within a generation, smart spaces will be a way of life — today’s kids likely will never remember a world in which they didn’t interact with IoT-enabled technology.
Amol Ajgaonkar is Chief Architect of IoT with Insight’s Digital Innovation team. He has more than 15 years of experience successfully implementing technology for business outcomes. He specializes in architecting and implementing IoT solutions for manufacturing and other industry segments.
