Technology How To Survive The Internet Of Things

An IoT forecast predicts that by 2035 there will be a trillion connected computers built into everything from bridges to food packaging

As Hurricane Dorian advanced towards the east coast of the States, locals started to prepare. Tesla drivers noticed that they were suddenly able to drive further on a single charge. At the push of a button, Tesla was able to lift range restrictions on the cars. Even after their cars had been sold, Tesla had control. This is the result of the Internet of Things (IoT). Everything is connected.

What is the IoT

Tesla's control is evidence of a broader trend. As connectivity and computers become cheaper, everyday objects will increasingly include available functionality. Computers will soon be everywhere. Coffee machines, cows, nappies, and factory robots will include computers. Some of them already do.

This revolution has been slowly gaining steam for years and now it is about to go into overdrive. A forecast predicts that by 2035 there will be a trillion connected computers built into everything from bridges and clothes to food packaging.

Convenience

Computers in everyday objects will certainly be convenient. Products of the quotidian will be able to do amazing things. Businesses will be able to work smarter, not harder. On the other hand, global issues will change. Information about the physical world which was once fleeting and uncertain will soon become analyzable and concrete.

Computerized machinery could manage its own upgrade and maintenance schedules. For instance, smart lighting can save energy in buildings. Connected cows can supply real-time information on their eating habits and vital signs, they are able to produce more milk and remain healthier.

The larger economy will benefit from the compounding of these small gains. These are the raw material of growth.

IoT services vs goods

The IoT will change how the world works. This is the second phase of the internet. Real-world companies are going to pivot to be primarily tech companies. These companies will have the business models of platform domination and surveillance capitalism.

As this occurs, unresolved issues of ownership, surveillance, competition, data, security, and competition will escape from the virtual world into the real world. Business issues are changing.

Ownership

Tesla's recent actions highlight the issue of ownership. The internet makes it possible for firms to technically own their products even after they have been sold to the consumer. Businesses are providing something closer to services than goods and unclear boundaries are blurring the traditional lines of ownership.

John Deere has incorporated software restrictions that prevent customers from repairing the tractors that they purchase. Because the software in the tractors is not sold but licensed, the firm argues in some cases that the customer might not be buying the product. Rather, the John Deere customer buys a license to operate John Deere's product.

Updates

Android updates are available for two years and Apple updates are available for five years. But washing machines and industrial machinery have lifespans of a decade or more. Therefore, companies will have to consider how support will work for computerized devices after the original programmers have moved on.

Virtual business models will continue to struggle in the real world. One cannot release a beta model of a fridge. But there will soon be solutions to these difficulties.

Who owns the data

Another flashpoint in IoT is data ownership. Many internet companies offer seemingly free services which are actually paid for by the provision of valuable user data. And this data is collected with questionable consent. Many connected real-world products are similar in this way.

Mattresses monitor sleeping patterns. Medical devices change and monitor heartbeats and insulin levels. Cars provide insurance companies with data about driving habits. There will continue to be arguments about who owns the resulting data and what should even be tracked. These arguments will have more urgency in real-world settings.

Competition in IoT

Besides ownership, there are other important issues with data in the real world. Competition is an important point of consideration. Flows of data from computerized gadgets are incredibly valuable. Today, Google search histories and Facebook posts hold massive business opportunities.

Data collection

Data-driven businesses will mirror the pattern that we have already seen in big companies like Google and Facebook. These giant platforms have gained vast amounts of power as they collect and process information.

Communication

As leaders in the field of connected devices arise, their influence will increase. Importantly, connected devices will need to communicate. They will need to connect with each other. This need leaves space for powerful companies to exercise their control.

Significantly, leaders in the field will be able to create standards. This will add to their advantage. Consumer fears will grow over the vulnerability of connected cars, medical devices, and other gadgets to hacking. When everything is connected, everything is at risk.

Maximize benefit and reduce harm

It is difficult to predict the consequences of technology as universal as computing. Many were optimistic at the advent of the consumer internet. But nowadays the defects of the internet dominate headlines.

The trick with the Internet of Things is to maximize benefit and reduce harm. This will be difficult, but people who have survived the first internet revolution will have an idea of what to expect.

At the end of the day, the IoT is inevitable. Not only that. It is happening now. Connected devices are all around us. And they are only becoming more common. We can remain attentive and make sure that we are using the current environment to our advantage.

To learn the difference between Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, click here.

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