Powering tomorrow's
smart homes
The Internet of Things is already well and truly
here and it's set to change the way we interact with technology in the coming
decade. It's a relatively new concept, but thanks to its application within
daily-use objects, it'll soon become an indispensable part of our lives.
There is still plenty to learn about this
concept how much it's worth, and how it will change the world we live in so
here's what the Internet of Things is all about.
It's a general term used to describe the growing
network of objects that can communicate with each other and complete tasks
without any human involvement.
IoT, which is intricately linked to the concept
of M2M (machine to machine), is gradually coming to market and in the coming
decade or so, tens billions of devices around the home, cars and even the trees
on our streets will communicate with each other.
It is made up of three major components that are
the things themselves, the networks connecting them together, and the analytics
that make use of the data flowing from one device to another.
Insights drawn from the data collected fuel the
behemoth that is big data, which is brings a whole new facet to the IoT.
The reason that so much enthusiasm is
surrounding the Internet of Things is the sheer size of it. Last November,
Gartner pointed out that there will already be 4.9 billion connected “things“
in use by the end of 2015, which is already a 30 per cent increase on 2014.
That is on track to hit 26 billion by 2020 and
the consumer sector will make up some 13 billion of those devices, with
business and automotive making up the remainder.The amount of new devices led
analyst firm IDC to estimate the sector as a whole will grow by over $5
trillion between 2014 and 2020, to hit $7.1 trillion. Another nod for that
smart home we keeping hearing so much about.
Before the Internet of Things was mentioned, the
smart home of the future was anything but a reality. Now it is the biggest part
of the IoT with Gartner estimating that, by 2017, about 40 per cent of the 2.6
billion things connected within smart cities will be inside smart homes.
The smart home will be able to track everything
we do on a daily basis lock and unlock the front door, automatically order
the groceries once the fridge is bare, and a whole lot more besides. With
devices like the Microsoft HoloLens also looking to feed into this, a future
that involves a smart home at its centre is a mighty exciting one.
One of the major concerns coming from consumers
about having billions of devices collecting data at all times is the security
and privacy that will come with it.
The IoT has already had teething problems when it
comes to leaking data, with the case of the smart LED bulb that gave up Wi-Fi
passwords a fine example. And if healthcare adoption starts to catch on as many
think it will, the potential disasters just don't bear thinking about. Handling
the rollout correctly from the outset is the best way to make sure there are no
horror stories, and regulators are already waking up to this.
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
has given huge thought to the security and privacy issues that accompany the
IoT and to that end it produced a report in January.
At its heart is the belief security and
safeguarding privacy have to be integrated “into devices at the outset rather
than as an afterthought“. It went on to make recommendations on data
minimisation, which would prevent firms keeping any data beyond what they need,
proper network security, and data on individuals should be anonymised so it
cannot be linked back.
Ofcom, the UK telecoms regulator, has admitted
it will look at the security of the IoT at some point in the near future, but
it has yet to make any bold public assertions like the US FTC beyond saying it
sees the IPv6 protocol as crucial to make sure there's enough space for the new
devices.
Intel and ARM have also already unveiled
security measures to cover new devices and, even though this is all a good
start, there's still plenty of work to be done to fully safeguard the security
and privacy surrounding the new devices.
5G
HAS A HUGE ROLE TO PLAY
All of these connected devices need the space to
live and breath, and connectivity is the biggest part of all of this. 5G is
being called the smartest network ever and will act as the catalyst for all
these sophisticated devices.
Some of the conjecture surrounding 5G has gotten
people very excited, and for good reason. Estimates on the speed expect it to
run at an average of 10Gbs with a maximum speed as high as 800Gbs.
There are also claims that it won't “break“ like
current 3G4G networks, underlining why it is suitable for connected “things“,
especially driverless cars that must remain connected at all times.
The concept of the smart city stands to benefit
more than most from the implementation of 5G. Projects in the same category tat
as GGlasgow's scheme to put sensors on streetlights and traffic lights that
integrate stre with CCTV are among those in line to bene from the role 5G will
undoubtedly play fit f in the IoT in the decades to come.
ALL
THE BIG PLAYERS WANT A PIECE
Google and Apple are just two of the com panies
betting on the success of auto mation. You only need look at the billions
Google spent on Nest to realise how serious it is, while Apple's development of
the HomeKit SDK for its mobile devices shows its readiness to embrace it wholeheartedly.
Microsoft threw its hat in the ring by beefing
up Azure ready for the Internet of Things ahead of the release of Windows 10,
showing that any company not taking it seriously will be left behind. Samsung,
meanwhile, has huge plans for the IoT and this is before you even consider what
the likes of IBM are already doing with the huge data sets on offer.
Nest is an interesting example to look at.The
small device started life as a smart thermostat before being bought by Google
and is piling on the partnerships through the `works with Nest' program that
plans to eventually take over the entire home.
It already has deals in place for the Nest app
to control the August Smart Lock, Philips Hue lights, LG smart appliances, the
Withings Aura sleep system, and they are a part of 15 such devices in the
range.
Apple, meanwhile, has begun to use the IoT to
advance medical research using a handful of specialised apps designed for
smartphones that plug into its HealthKit SDK and improve the future of medical
care by using Apple devices to collect data.
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Jamie Hinks
MM10SEP15
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