In our recently published analysis of the Top 10 Internet of Things (IoT) Trends for 2018, we provide decision makers with an understanding of the external drivers which will change and influence the IoT environment over the next 12 months and beyond.
The coming year will see major opportunities and challenges in IoT, with a lack of standards, more choices around connectivity, GDPR and security, while RTLS, Blockchain, AI and ML will provide new business opportunities.
Key areas covered in the report include:
- AI and ML
- Security
- Edge Computing
- Communications Choices
- Blockchain
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Steady Adoption Throughout 2018
As time goes on, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence and machine learning will become increasingly intertwined. Using human intelligence to manage and adapt solutions based on huge swathes of data will not be practical or feasible. Therefore AI and ML will be a requirement of IoT going forward.
Security Cannot Be Ignored
At Strategy Analytics we have stated many times that IoT security is not a finite process, but one that should be viewed as an ongoing process that will continually need to deal with unforeseen eventualities. As the Internet of Things continues to grow and have a greater impact on daily life, for both consumers and enterprises, the temptation to attack it for malicious purposes will also continue to grow.
Edge Continues to Grow
Not only does edge computing accelerate or rather shorten response times for analytics to the devices and services that require them, but it also provides other benefits too. While not all vertical markets and IoT use cases will need ultra-responsive analytics, we believe there is a sense that once you have experienced it, there are cases where it will be hard to go back to a cloud-based analytics infrastructure setup.
IoT Communication Choices Still Complex
When planning a deployment in 2018, the choice of which network connectivity standard to use will remain a tough decision, because at this point in time there are no clear winners or leaders. The connectivity choices made are a critical part of the deployment planning stage, ranging from short-range, unlicensed LPWA to cellular. Therefore we expect the decision as to which network technology to use for end user firms deploying IoT will remain critical and challenging.
Blockchain Growth Tentative
Blockchain will be a key area to watch in 2018, due to enhanced security, supply chain and smart contract applications. But we must remember that Blockchain is still in its infancy, therefore Strategy Analytics expects 2018 to be a year of growth in understanding, skills and applicable use cases.
As we look across 2018, we remain very enthusiastic for the potential that the Internet of Things (IoT) holds, the opportunities to enable business to become more efficient, have greater visibility into their operations and to use their data not just for their own benefit, but for that of their customers. However as knowledge and experience in IoT deployments grows, so does visibility into the challenges that must be addressed.
For our analysis of these and other 2018 trends in IoT, the report Top 10 Internet of Things (IoT) Trends for 2018, is available to subscribers here.