1. TRENDS:
The driving force behind the “Internet of things” is a rise in consumer demand for intuitive appliances and devices that will do their thinking for them. Cisco Systems, for instance, predicts that by the end of the decade there will be 50 billion connected devices, including everything from door locks and home appliances to cars and medical implants. Fact is that the Internet of Things and M2M technology are changing the world in which we live at a rapid pace, so let’s imagine together what we can expect.

2. BIG DATA OPPORTUNITIES:
Major partnership opportunities exist with networking wearables and other consumer and lifestyle technology in the IoT, as well as in areas such as health and wellness etc. By connecting data sensors, objects and electronic devices, consumer electronics manufacturers are hoping to market the idea that consumers can live even easier lives through Internet based cloud services.

3. CLOUD COMPUTING:
The opportunity for service transformation via applications in tandem with connectivity platform development, lower cost devices, and network evolution (such as LTE and other Bearer technologies) will exponentially increase the amount of data communicated by objects and will create new challenges and opportunities in the processing and storage of “big data”. Open standards and OTT business models in IoT threaten to significantly disrupt the world of proprietary connected platforms in 2015 and beyond.

4. SERVICE ENABLEMENT:
Appliance manufacturers have been quick to point out the ability of everyday objects to improve the livelihoods of their owners through data analysis. French technology developer Kolibree, for instance, showed off an electric toothbrush that includes both a gyrometer and an accelerometer. Data collected by these sensors can be uploaded to app servers that can tell a user if they brushed properly. Another French firm, Babolat, will be selling a tennis racket that sends data on a user’s swing patterns to an app, helping its owner find out whether their stroke is applying top spin to the ball and more, imagine that for a sport like golf etc… it’s clear where we are heading.

5. CHALLENGES FOR INDUSTRIES & SOCIETY:
Many believe that refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, thermostats and many more appliances throughout the home will be the next major growth area for the Internet of Things. However, connectivity problems between smart appliances and home networks could keep the proliferation of connected appliances at a much slower rate. Different proprietary software to control appliances and different frequencies and channels of communication can also make some connected appliances incompatible with certain home network options, bringing up the biggest hurdles that any technology faces in the open market: ease of use besides data handling and security.

6. SECURITY & PRIVACY:
Will there be any standards at all in the IoT and M2M field? Fact is that he third industrial revolution is underway with huge investments in industrial automation tools, analytics and big data capabilities. The advancements in networks, devices and applications and growth in lower cost, scalable processing and storage will facilitate this third industrial revolution.
Security will be critical at both device endpoints and in the data center as attackers will increasingly focus on compromising embedded devices and consumer devices that make up the Internet of Things.

7. ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN:
Designing for the Internet of Things (IoT) may seem like it is technology driven, but there is another approach worth consideration. Keep humanity at the heart of IoT design. Most solutions and expectations brought along tend to be mere copies of what’s already out there. Yet, once we start talking about why we like what we saw, the conversation tends to shift back to human experiences. It is then, usually, that an idea starts becoming unique, richer, and essentially an actual product or service.

8. ECOSYSTEM & PARTNERSHIPS:
Electronic component manufacturers and distributors are ramping up new product introductions around key technologies – sensors, wireless and processors – used to support new connectivity solutions, encouraging partnerships and co-operations. Since experts predict that from cars to mobile devices to wearable clothing, literally billions of things will be connected to the internet within the next couple of years, it is up to our imagination what the future will look like.