According to popular reports, it was estimated that the total number of Internet of Things powered devices in 2020 will cross 20 billion. This is quite a big number to consider. This officially means that by the end of this year, human beings will experience some remarkable technological advancement. This also means that the field of the Internet of Things has a bright future as most of the predictions state. With continuous development in the IT infrastructure and security regulations just being introduced into the industry, much good news about the IoT industry is expected to reveal themselves in the near future.
Based on all the reports, articles, and news pouring in from all corners of the world, the following are some of the predictions about the future of the Internet of things:
Continued Development:
The ‘Internet of Things industry’ will keep growing at a constant rate and finally get to a point where human beings will experience life the way The Jetsons(1962) did. With our own home robots for cooking and cleaning, more smart cars if not flying ones, self grocery ordering fridges, and other cool technological advancements, we will soon be reaping the benefits of this technology.
Increased Security Risk:
The security risk will only grow stronger if smart devices and ‘things’ are not properly and periodically regulated. The ‘Internet of Thing’s industry has already launched connected devices such as smart washing machines, smartphones, smart electronics, and smart cars.
Further development in the already-launched products and new smart products will be seen in the market in the near future. However, with more and smarter digitally connected products available in the market, the risk of being cyber-attacked or cyber-bullied will continue to grow and linger on our heads.
Recently IoT security ratings were introduced by the UL global certification company to save end-users’ from potential privacy threats. Even though it is a good step, more concrete regulation steps would be needed in the future with the addition of more connected devices and things in the Internet of Things family. Some companies are installing employee monitoring software to curb such behavior in the workplace.
Robots Replacing Human Potential:
With the rate at which the Internet of Things industry is growing, it is expected that soon the corporate industry will be able to lay off 20% of their workload and assign it to bots instead of humans. This is quite the ‘newsflash’. On one hand, it means human beings with the ability to work smarter will be able to retain their jobs.
On the other, it signifies cost reduction in companies’ expenses and efficient use of organizational resources. For downloading an Internet of Things Software aimed at helping individuals and businesses develop web and mobile applications which assist in full realization of the potential of their projects with efficient use of resources and lower costs of operation, click here.
Rise of Smart Cities:
With the incorporation of smart devices into cities’ networks and systems for managing their resources efficiently, it can be expected that soon our cities will emerge as ‘Smart Cities’ where everything will be interconnected.
Not just interconnected but also efficiently managed via automated devices. For example, an automatically managed traffic system, efficient use, and conservation of energy leading to reduced carbon footprint along with other emissions, improved environment, and promotion of a sustainable lifestyle.
Improved Infrastructure:
Since the Internet of Things technology is capable of determining and reporting the needs of the infrastructure of a city, the emergence of improved infrastructure in the near future can be easily predicted.
The Internet of Things technology-powered devices not just help in reporting roads, railways, and other means of transport that need to be mended but also help in town planning and other infrastructure and transportation-related management activities. The Internet of Things will make infrastructure and transportation industry smart enough to ascertain problems and ask for solutions automatically without human intervention.
Improved Healthcare Facilities:
In the past, the healthcare sector has seen growth with the adoption of Internet of Things technology devices in the sector. This sector will further grow and see improvements. A good example of already adopted smart technology is that of a fitness tracker hand band or smartwatches.
Improved Mobile Apps:
Mobile apps will only become better and be able to help people make smarter living choices. For example, fitness apps, budgeting apps, cooking apps, and online grocery ordering apps, all empower end-users to upgrade their lifestyles via the adoption of mobile devices powered by the Internet of Things technology. This sector will see more growth in the future since the new generation is a lot inclined towards using their smartphones and handheld devices even more than PCs and laptops.
Improved Connectivity:
The growth of the Internet of Things technology will not only foster machine to machine communication but also help connect people from around the globe living in different time zones. It will help them foster relationships and share interests, hobbies, etc. This connectivity will also lead to a further rise in remote work opportunities and organizational outsourcing of certain tasks to remote agencies or freelancers.
Smarter Routers:
With the rise of the Internet of Things technology, the need for smarter routers will also hike. In order to prevent end-users and corporate users from cyber attacks and privacy infringements, it will become inevitable that the internet routers be password protected and made so smart that they block the access points of fishy individuals or organizations from entering into your network of connected devices via the internet.
Further Growth of 5G technologies:
The 5G technology will grow further and thrive since it is the powerhouse of the Internet of Things Technology, enabling faster communication among the connected devices and speedy data transfers.
Conclusion
With the launch of the Internet of Things technology back in 1990, a future was planned which had previously been always envisioned in movies and cartoon shows but never sounded practical for real life. Given the rate of growth of the Internet of Things technology, it can easily be predicted that the future holds some interesting developments and discoveries. From smart homes to smart cars to smart cities, we are soon to enter the forever fantasized era of utmost technological advancements, making people’s lives easier and cutting the cost of living by huge margins.
