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What You Need to Know about IoT in 2018

By Special Guest
Donna Howard, Business Consultant
March 08, 2018

The Internet of Things has been developing for the last few years and will be finally coming to the mainstream in 2018. IoT is a simple thing in concept as it is merely the interconnection between all devices in our home and in our lives. It means that we have an internet profile connected to our car, our fridge, and our bathtub.

This also means that we are never without our information or personalized data as it can always be with us and we can always keep an eye on the other devices in our lives. Iot also provides users with the ability to monitor themselves more closely while also allowing more loopholes that can be exploited by hackers or other similarly deranged people. Iot will completely revolutionize our daily lives and, as such, you should stay informed and aware of all of the changes that it will bring.

Having a series of interconnected devices can lead to a number of fortunate things as well as unfortunate occurrences. Most security devices for homes will use IoT so that you can physically monitor your house while you are gone or see who is at the door while you are at work. The same will work for your vehicles so you can see where your vehicle is and who, or what, is near it. This will also be applied to children, pets and other beloved items like bicycles and game consoles. With the integration of artificial intelligence, the IoT will also provide you with the ability to monitor your own life so that you need not to worry about the small trivialities of everyday existence.

The Internet of Things seeks to bring a new way of productivity and living that is highlighted by ease and peace. Having your refrigerator read the contents of itself so that it can automatically order groceries that it needs, and that you want, will eliminate a good deal of stress that comes with trying to remember everything all at once. Your bicycle can now have a camera attached on either side of it and it will have a GPS locator so that you always know where it is.

Phones have remote lock and remote access to their cameras so that you won't lose track of it. The same goes for your car and truly, all of your devices in time. This makes the Internet of Things more than just an incoming phase as it seeks to become the way of life for all modern humans. There is indeed a practical purpose to IoT that will make life for all people just a little bit easier.

Another thing to know about the Internet of Things is that it will make life a little bit cheaper as well. For instance, schools will now be able to telecommute their classrooms and teaching to students all around the world for the cost of an Internet connection. As more devices become interconnected, and further connected to the Internet, the price of connection will become cheaper as well.

Elon Musk, of Tesla Fame, has already begun to launch broadband satellites into space that will provide internet access to the most deprived parts of the world. This will allow people from all over the globe to share in the internet equally and take part in all of the information and wonder it has to offer. This will truly connect us all together via the internet and will make a world that doesn't seem so far apart. All of us participating as one, along with our devices, is the primary goal of the Internet of Things.

However, risks are still abound as this level of interconnectedness also comes with a similar level of susceptibility. Malevolent people around the world will be able to hack into things far more intimate than our computer files. Hackers could then access our cameras and our GPSs to use it as leverage in an exploitative way. This will mean that people will have to become, at the very least, comfortable with cybersecurity as its importance will rise dramatically in 2018. Knowing the risks and best practices for users and for software development can lead to a safer life that will thwart the efforts of malicious hackers. Just as the benefits rise so do the risks but that in no way should stop progress. Fear in the place of progress will lead us nowhere as a people.

The Internet of Things will completely change our lives and in 2018 it will make greater strides towards its ultimate goal of complete interconnection. While this can be a nerve-wracking process, technological progress almost always pays off. The Internet of Things will give people all over the world to access information freely and equally. It will also make our lives much easier and give us a greater sense of control so that we can finally command our online presence.

About the author: Donna Howard is a business consultant working with high growth companies for their business development. She has worked with companies in scaling their business operations from Europe, Asia and Africa.




Edited by Ken Briodagh
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