Many people wonder now, as we entered a new decade, whether the Internet of Things (IoT) will continue to grow this year or has already reached its peak.
Bruce Lancaster, CEO of Wilson Electronics, a producer of cellphone boosters for commercial and also consumer use, discussed in a recent interview the future of IoT. He said that IoT has a different meaning to different people, but if you only consider the basics, which is electronic devices connecting with each other wirelessly, he predicts a strong path for it in the future.
“The need to connect tons of devices across the world, I don’t think will die out,” Lancaster said.
However, some IoT apps have now become a kind of rage. “Light bulbs that can change color at the sound of your voice, I think, is waning in its popularity,” he explained. “It spiked a few years ago.”
In the meantime, security devices, for instance, connected surveillance cameras, and telematics, which gather diagnostic for things such as medical devices and automobiles, have also become more common in the last few years.
The Future of IoT
“But there doesn’t have to be the flash, I guess you could say, that was there a few years ago,” Lancaster added. When it comes to a full-on smart home, the concept has failed to catch people’s interest. “Apple Home has tried to make a big play there,” he said. “They don’t talk about it much anymore … They’re still pushing it, right? But they haven’t gotten super strong.”
Other technologies, such as Nest thermometers and Beko’s smart appliances, have gained more popularity, though. Even so, a halt for IoT, overall, is a lack of a network regular for devices. They can connect through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, cellular, Z-Wave, and so on.
With this in mind, Apple, Google, Amazon, ZigBee, and more have revealed a joint collaboration in December 2019 for ‘Project Connected Home over IP,’ whose goal is to simplify development for producers and raise the compatibility for consumers.
Lancaster also says that Wi-Fi will be the main source of connectivity between IoT devices in the future. However, he also sees cellular as a regular continuing to grow, in spite of a fee coming with it, more so when it comes to medical devices. “People don’t want to spend three or $5 a month to be connected,” he said. “But if you have a heart monitor that’s keeping you alive and $3 a month is pretty much a no-brainer, right?”
