The debate around the Internet of Things (IoT) is growing and as the number and variety of connected devices grow, the fate of IoT will lie on the cultural and social paradigms that define humanity as a whole.
While the press may focus on consumers controlling their
thermostats, lights and appliances (from washing machines to tea
kettles),
Deloitte predicts that 60 percent of all wireless IoT devices will
be bought, paid for and used by enterprises and industries. And
over 90 percent of the services revenue generated will be
enterprise, not consumer.
Regardless of which market participant will adopt IoT faster, the
debate around it will necessarily expand into much more than the
media buzz we read today. Indeed, right now, IoT is about rubbish
bins that are capable of ordering eggs when it calculates that
stocks are low, and sometimes it's about all the data that the
bin is gathering about consumers' habits. Essentially, it's
all about the technology.
As the number and variety of connected devices grow, however, the
fate of IoT will lie on the cultural and social paradigms that
define humanity as a whole.
For example, sensors can now help novice hunters
make long-distance shots with greater precision under cover, and
share the "thrill of the hunt" with friends and family
over the web. What role will the likes of PETA play in this
debate, and how impactful will their message be? Where is the line
between the (digital) gamification of (hunting) game, pun intended,
and the gamification of, say, real-life warfare. At which point
does 'live' gaming become, quite literally, too
'live'?
Alternatively, surveys suggest people are happy for sensors to
track their weight, cardiovascular health and sleep patterns, but
less comfortable with tracking their sexual activity or fertility
over the web. What does this mean for connected sex toys as
'aides' to long distance relationships? Any takers? As is
common in adult relationships today, perhaps we will take it slow
at first... how about a pillow that allows you to listen to
your distant lover's heartbeat? No need to rush
things...
Finally, parents are more than happy to place baby monitors in
their little ones' bedrooms to hear if they cry at night. It
doesn't seem like a big stretch to use sensors in later years
to check where they are, who they are with, and whether they are
actually doing their homework. But to what extent does that differ
from our managers using retinal sensors and keyboard strokes to
assess our productivity on a real-time basis? Children may not have
much of a say, but we're not sure this is what we meant by
enhancing work place productivity.
Even the most innovative 'things' will be subject to the
classic laws of demand and supply - put simply, if no one wants to
buy it, no one will be able to sell it. Yet the balancing act
between perceived costs and benefits will move beyond price,
utility and even privacy. The answers to the above questions, and
how far we take the Internet of Things, will depend considerably on
the boundaries we set as a society, irrespective of the technology
that enables it.
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