A Simple Explanation
Jacob Morgan writes about and explores the future of work. In this article for Forbes, he considers what this is, how it works and what impact it is likely to have on all of us, but especially architects, planners and all builders of our future world..
IoT
Not only does IoT (the Internet of Things) have the potential to impact how we live, but also how we work. So what exactly is the "Internet of things" and what impact is it going to have on you, if any? Despite the complexities Morgan sticks to the basics. Lots of technical and policy-related conversations are being had but many people are still just trying to grasp the foundation of what the heck these conversations are about.
A ‘Perfect Storm’
Broadband Internet has become more widely available, the cost of connecting is decreasing, more devices are being created with Wi-Fi capabilities and sensors built into them, technology costs are going down, and smartphone penetration is sky-rocketing. All of these things are creating a "perfect storm" for the IoT.
So What Is The Internet Of Things?
Simply put, this is the concept of basically connecting any device with an on and off switch to the Internet (and/or to each other). This includes everything from cellphones, coffee makers, washing machines, headphones, lamps, wearable devices and almost anything else you can think of. This also applies to components of machines, for example a jet engine of an airplane or the drill of an oil rig.
People Included
As I mentioned, if it has an on and off switch then chances are it can be a part of the IoT. The analyst firm Gartner says that by 2020 there will be over 26 billion connected devices... That's a lot of connections (some even estimate this number to be much higher, over 100 billion). The IoT is a giant network of connected "things" (which also includes people). The relationship will be between people-people, people-things, and things-things.
How Does This Impact You?
The new rule for the future is going to be, "Anything that can be connected, will be connected." But why on earth would you want so many connected devices talking to each other? There are many examples for what this might look like or what the potential value might be. Say for example you are on your way to a meeting; your car could have access to your calendar and already know the best route to take. If the traffic is heavy your car might send a text to the other party notifying them that you will be late. What if your alarm clock wakes up you at 6 a.m. and then notifies your coffee maker to start brewing coffee for you? What if your office equipment knew when it was running low on supplies and automatically re-ordered more? What if the wearable device you used in the workplace could tell you when and where you were most active and productive and shared that information with other devices that you used while working?
Smart Cities
On a broader scale, the IoT can be applied to things like transportation networks: "smart cities" which can help us reduce waste and improve efficiency for things such as energy use; this helping us understand and improve how we work and live. Take a look at the visual below to see what something like that can look like.
Endless Opportunities
The reality is that the IoT allows for virtually endless opportunities and connections to take place, many of which we can't even think of or fully understand the impact of today. It's not hard to see how and why the IoT is such a hot topic today; it certainly opens the door to a lot of opportunities but also to many challenges.
Hot Button Topic
A big issue that is oftentimes brought up is Security. With billions of devices being connected together, what can people do to make sure that their information stays secure? Will someone be able to hack into your toaster and thereby get access to your entire network? The IoT also opens up companies all over the world to more security threats. Then we have the issue of privacy and data sharing. This is a hot-button topic even today, so one can only imagine how the conversation and concerns will escalate when we are talking about many billions of devices being connected. Another issue that many companies specifically are going to be faced with is around the massive amounts of data that all of these devices are going to produce. (See also Need to Fix IOT Security)
Global Questions
Companies need to figure out a way to store, track, analyse and make sense of the vast amounts of data that will be generated. Conversations about the IoT are (and have been for several years) taking place all over the world as we seek to understand how this will impact our lives. We are also trying to understand what the many opportunities and challenges are going to be as more and more devices start to join the IoT. For now the best thing that we can do is educate ourselves about what the IoT is and the potential impacts that can be seen on how we work and live.
Intelligent Buildings
As noted in a previous Weekly Insight, buildings are rapidly becoming ‘intelligent’. The incorporation of devices that can be controlled by and report though the internet, is advancing rapidly. Recent Government initiatives to encourage R&D and the likely regulatory requirement for cabling to be provided for Electric Vehicles (EV), as well as Broad Band connectivity, in all new homes can only encourage this. Our experience is that timber, as the only renewable building material on the planet, is also highly flexible as a construction material, well able to adapt to and with such rapid changes, for which our expanding Specialist Merchants division, is also leading the way by providing unusual and hard to find environmentally sound, eco-friendly, sustainable and complimentary building products and components.
Your Partner in Development
Whether or not you are facing Custom Build plot demands, working with our teams to provide better value, more readily marketable homes could benefit Architects and Builders alike. Our specialist services deliver best value and protect the interests of land owners, house-builder developers, professionals and private individuals seeking to build their dream home. Our off-site construction systems reduce the amount of material that gets wasted on site, helping to avoid land fill, hazardous waste separation and handling, and delivers better value for you and your customers.
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