It’s usually January that commentators make predictions about what’s in store for the year ahead but we like to do things differently. We prefer to take a longer look at the trends and assess whether they are genuine or just fads that disappear into the ether. That’s why we are offering our prediction of what 2019 holds for IOT now we have a clearer idea of what’s on the horizon.
The Internet of Things seemingly came out of nowhere and exploded onto the scene. Everyone was talking about it, everyone wanted in on the action and excitement was at fever pitch. Now things have calmed down a bit and we can see the actual potential rather than speculation, we have a much better idea of what the IoT can offer business.
So here are our ideas of what 2019 holds for IOT.
Continued growth
It’s no surprise that our main prediction is the continued growth of IoT. This comes down to a better understanding of what it can offer businesses which leads to an increased willingness to invest. There are also more devices around and more coming and with 5G on the horizon with its huge speed potential, uptake is only going to increase.
With some big names in tech driving the IoT market hard, we are beginning to see a much clearer picture of what exactly is on offer and what it can achieve.
The crossing of cloud and edge
While the majority of IoT devices will still store data in the cloud and require constant connectivity, the increase in car technology and data privacy concerns will see more IoT devices offer the ability to store data on the device, or closer to the edge rather than in centralised data centres.
We think there will be more processing done on devices and more options to store processed data locally. While cloud processing and data storage will still be the prime driver, more devices such as wearables and in-car tech will be able to manage without a connection for short periods, process their own data and store it locally.
Increased security
On the subject of security, companies are taking concerns much more seriously than before. The big names like Cisco, Google, HPE, Dell and others are investing heavily in security devices and measures to keep data secure and to protect the IoT infrastructure.
We will begin to see more endpoint security devices and solutions to keep your business secure, help prevent data loss and ensure you can use IoT devices as you need to while being confident your data is safe.
Manufacturing and IoT
We think manufacturing will continue taking up the potential of IoT in its many forms. Processes, production, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) software, AI and other innovations will continue to be adopted by manufacturers. The obvious efficiency and long term cost savings of such technologies is now being fully realised and uptake is likely to accelerate.
More IoT players
We have already seen more companies want in on the IoT market and while the incumbents still dominate, smaller brands are making a name for themselves. We think this will only accelerate and with cheaper, faster manufacturing, AI-driven design and development and an increased appetite for smart devices, 2019 will see more companies than ever before developing IoT devices for consumers or business.
