Online Business Review of SCIBC

by Paul Roberts, Australia

Over the next few years consumers and citizens will come to think of having easy access to information about objects in their physical environment as the norm. Just as consumers love the convenience of mobile connectivity wherever they go, they will come to embrace the convenience of embedded information and content wherever they are, wherever they go. This ubiquity of information connectivity is expected from the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) – where more objects than people are connected.

The IoT has been anticipated for some years now, but the way that it *works* is really starting to come together. Many people have thought about the IoT as being miniature wireless data chips embedded in objects, reporting on things like their location, identity, history, operational status or operational needs. All of that is well and good.

Now add the mobile web to the mix. As Google CEO Eric Schmidt says, mobiles are at the intersection of three converging trends: computing, connectivity and cloud computing. It will become common to point a mobile device screen at a product to see an overlay of information about it. The ReadWriteWeb suggests using mobiles to read barcodes may become a mainstream activity.

IBM Social Media has a great little video demonstrating just how useful IoT is, and will be. Autonomic systems (agents) will know in advance what you want to do. Say you need to catch a bus or train; your agent will let you know just when that train or bus will arrive. Ushering in a new wave of innovation and efficiency, as well as being able to talk to each other, we’ll be “talking to the planet”. Point your mobile device at the sky to find out what the weather forecast is expected to be.

The combination of mobile devices and the IoT will be disruptive to business or agencies used to consumers or the public not having easy access to information and knowledge. This combination of embedded intelligence and smart mobile connectivity has the potential over the next 5 to 10 years to be a much bigger deal than internet connectivity over fixed networks.

Every sector will be affected. Every business, large or small will have opportunity, but there will also be risk. In terms of privacy and security, in terms of reputation and authenticity of information or data, there will be risks to manage. But most will see that the innovation and efficiency benefits will outweigh the risk.

On the back of substantial investments by some leading developed countries to date, the IoT will ramp up in 2010, with thousands of everyday objects becoming connected to the internet. China is expected to invest heavily in 2010 in China’s IoT industry. The M2M Forum will organise an event on the IoT in Milan, on 6 May 2010. The Internet of Things Europe will hold its second conference in Belgium over 1 to 2 June 2010. An international conference on the IoT for industry and academia will be held in Tokyo from 29 November to 1 December 2010.

The potential benefits from the IoT have been on the radar for more than five years. Now it’s starting to ramp up. Along with other developments in computing, mobile broadband connectivity and ubiquitous communications, now is the time to evaluate the IoT and its consequences in terms of your own business opportunities.

Article submitted on 09th April, 2010, All Rights Reserved © SCIBC Business Review

	About the Author Paul Roberts lives in Melbourne, Australia, and has tracked trends and developments in communications and media for over eight years.  Paul's passion lies in developing foresight through horizon scanning and insight through analysis, leading to clarity that empowers action.