The Rise of the Internet of Things: Connecting Our World One Device at a Time

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a growing concept in terms of exposure. There are new estimates as to the number of linked devices almost every quarter. Some of these estimates go as far to say that in within five years, we will see nearly 40 billion connected devices around the globe. That would mean over five connected devices for every man, woman, and child on the planet. IoT is growing in terms of implementation. With this growth in the number of connected devices, there is a wave of adoption to take advantage of these devices. If we can enable our vehicles via connect car initiatives, if we can enable our offices and homes as part of smart building strategies, if we can learn more about our health and medical treatments with bio-medical sensors, we can improve not just our businesses, the environment, and our lives. We can also develop disruptive new ways of looking at business models, energy production, distribution, and how to treat disease and improve quality of life.

This research will discuss the recent Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) global end user study, looking at different aspects of Internet of Things — especially strategies, implementations, and projects. The EMA research panel is a well-balanced group of IT and business professionals from around the world. This research is based on 250 panelists who have visibility into strategy, budget, and implementation associated with their IoT initiatives. As part of this research, EMA delved into some key industry segments: healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and transportation. Each of these groups provides a unique opportunity to utilize IoT architectures and IoT devices to add value into their organizations.