Tech Sellers Expect Rising Demand for IoT in 2019

Tech producers and sellers looking for consumer research on IoT will find a report from zdnet.com encouraging as smart technology will likely expand its already large footprint on society in 2019.

The Cambridge, UK-based foundational technology company Arm commissioned research firm Northstar to survey 2,000 global consumers on what IoT will look like during 2019. The survey included regular working people, tech experts, as well as futurists.

Two out of three (66 percent) of survey respondents said that technology had become “more a part of my life” in 2018. Only 3 percent said it was ‘less important’ than a year ago.

Nine out of 10 respondents said AI will become even more widespread this year than in 2018, not surprising considering the widespread dependence on smartphones, for instance. In addition, drones, VR and other tech toys were huge sellers over the 2018 Christmas season. It’s the “convenience” of the tech that respondents said they loved or liked. “keeping up with their peers,” too, is another reason for a positive response to the tech survey.

Additionally, smart cities, smart buildings and smarter hospital tools to assist in treating patients were among advances expected to grow in 2019.

Smart cities should be able to use their resources far more efficiently, detect crime more rapidly and accurately, and cut municipal expenses tremendously, according to the story.

Smart buildings will make better use of energy for heating and cooling. They will use green sources of power to illuminate offices and distribute the workspace more economically.

Delivery options in purchasing products online will become more flexible. With GPS and low-cost sensors, consumers will be able to receive deliveries almost anywhere, not just at home or at an office building.

But being “all in” on AI is not universal. Not all experts agree that AI-based products are completely safe for personal use. Security issues remain, so hacking into a consumer’s smart-life can cause serious problems. Although the Northstar survey was generally positive about IoT, other experts advise caution.

According to Forrester Research, as reported in Information Management magazine, the five top trends for IoT in 2019 are:

  1. Bundled service offerings will catalyze a sleepy consumer IoT market.
  2. The umbrella term “IoT” will fade.
  3. IoT platforms will proliferate, and cloud giants will compete to be their destination.
  4. Cybercriminals will lay siege to a smart city implementation.
  5. A market for IoT managed services will emerge in 2019.

A story in Mobil ID World warns that security will remain a major issue for IoT. Its survey of information security professionals found that “only 30 percent of respondents said they felt their organizations were prepared for security threats related to IoT devices.”

read more at zdnet.com