Internet of Things. It’s only Talk. Or is it?
The Internet of Things is purported to be the Next Big Thing.
Everyone is talking about it, and experts say it will change our lives in all possible ways. Some pundits are even claiming that it’s already here, and we have already begun the inevitable march to the Singularity.
So, how true and accurate is that view? Is IoT really going to be the massive game changer that some gurus are predicting, or is it just the tech hype “du jour”? Is it merely more buzzwords that huge consulting companies are using to separate us from our cash, or are we really on the edge of a true, all-encompassing technological upheaval?
For example, Gartner — one of tech's most respected research and advisory companies — called the Internet of Things the most hyped emerging technology of 2014.
Fortune magazine in August 2015 said “The jury is still out on the latest tech-industry fad, no matter how many companies slap the label on existing products in an effort to seem cool.”
But other experts see it as the real thing, once you get past the hype. McKinsey predicts a potential economic impact of $4 Trillion to $11 Trillion a year in 2025 (McKinsey Global Institute analysis June 2015).
According to the “Father of IoT”, Kevin Ashton, despite the popular misconception, IoT is not an app for your toaster, it’s about connecting up data.
“The Internet of Things is there to help people live better and longer lives, which is what all our technology does”, he says.
Also, most major companies have begun to embrace IoT with vigour and are creating senior roles and departments to focus specifically on making sure their companies are actively engaged. There is no doubt it has begun to affect us all both on a personal and professional level.
So … it’s definitely an ongoing debate about the current and future impact of the Internet of Things, and we at xiBOSS are going to help move the debate along, and shed more light on the discussion. Please join us on March the 9th at noon EST to hear a stellar group of IoT experts debate what IoT is all about, and where they think its heading.
The Panelists:
Anthony Behan, Digital Transformation Segment Leader, IBM - Cork, Ireland
Jeff Brunet, Founder & President, Crowdcare, - Toronto, Canada
Martin Morgan, VP Marketing, Openet – Dublin, Ireland
Shawn Sanderson, Vice President of IoT (Internet of Things), Vancouver, Canada,
Kate Drane, Senior Director of Outreach, Tech and Hardware, Indiegogo – Chicago. USA