Smartphones, heart monitors, wireless speakers, tablets, jet engines- what do all of these things have in common?
They are all devices categorized in the Internet of Things.
The Internet of Things is the abstract idea that any device with a power button can connect to the Internet. It is a massive network that includes not only things, but people, too, and the relationship between all included.
Hiruy Amanuel is an avid tech investor who lives and works in Ethiopia. Mr. Amanuel invests and helps develop companies that have a vision invested in the economic and technological potential of African IT talent. Here, Mr. Amanuel sheds light on the Internet of Things, and enabling domains for the betterment of society:
What is the Internet of Things?
The Internet of Things impacts people daily, connecting devices to the Internet to help people, businesses, and societies to work more efficiently. The future of the Internet of Things is to build on what technology already makes day-to-day life more productive.
Today, when traffic is heavy or at a standstill, the GPS on your phone will direct you to a faster route. The future of the Internet of Things might not only notify you of a quicker way but also send a text to your workplace, letting them know you’ve hit heavy traffic and might be late.
BI Intelligence claims that by 2020, every human on earth will have four Internet of Things devices. That’s more than 24 billion Internet of Things devices. Also, by 2020, $6 billion will be invested into the Internet of Things, resulting in $13 trillion generated by 2025.
More companies are becoming connected to the Internet of Things, and the category is continuously swelling. Major companies that are already primary contributors to the Internet of Things are Microsoft, Amazon, Google, IBM, Cisco, Verizon, AT&T, GE, Fitbit, Garmin, Honeywell, and BlackRock. A few of these companies created some of the top platforms for the Internet of Things on the current market – Amazon created Amazon Web Services, Microsoft created Microsoft Azure, and IBM created IBM’s Watson, to name a few.
The industries which will be affected by this growth include manufacturing, transportation, defense, agriculture, infrastructure, retail, logistics, banks, oil, gas, mining, insurance, connected homes, and smart buildings, food services, utilities, hospitality, healthcare, and smart cities.
How can it benefit society?
Urban life hosts more than one-third of the world population. The future of the Internet of Things can also benefit cities and help relieve population growth challenges. The Internet of Things can help reduce waste, improve energy efficiency, improve the transportation system, and promote better manage natural resources.
The Internet of Things can also benefit those who have less education in technology. Smartphones can be set up with interactive onboarding apps that will be activated when a consumer first receives and turns on their smartphone and enters their age and gender.
“IoT enables people that are uninformed in the spheres of technology become recipients of all advancements in technology by customizing and responding to their specific needs,” said Gebeya’s CEO and Co-founder, Amadou Daffe. He went on to add, ”It links several platforms to forge a community of users engaging in driving issues of their choice. Connectivity utilizes information flow, and information plays a vital role in changing people’s lives.”
As the knowledge in the technology world grows at a rapid rate, its essential for engineers to remember, not all humans have the resources nor capability to keep up with developing devices.
Innovative ideas with the Internet of Things are helping to prevent any human from getting left behind as technology progresses. With this goal, sustainable growth can receive full benefits from technology.
