It's difficult to talk about the future of business and technology without discussing the Internet of things (IoT). The forecasts vary, but almost all analysts and vendors agree that the number of smart, connected devices worldwide will only grow—according to Cisco Systems and Intel, to more than 50 billion by 2020. At the same time, IDC analysts predict that IoT spending will rise 17 percent a year, from $698.6 billion last year to almost $1.3 trillion in 2019. While much of the early focus on IoT has been on consumer products—such as home appliances and security systems—the real benefits will be in business, where smart systems, devices and sensors will give companies massive amounts of data that they can crunch and analyze to quickly churn out informed decisions on everything from business to manufacturing to medical procedures. QuinStreet Enterprise—which publishes a number of news Websites, including eWEEK—recently surveyed 600 professionals about IoT and what it means to their businesses. About half said the IoT will be important to their companies, and almost three-fourth said it will have a significant impact on their industries. Here's a look at key takeaways from the study.
- eWeek