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Top trends driving IoT in 2018 Posted on : Feb 07 - 2018

Driven by the need for intelligent connected devices in industrial and commercial applications, the number of connected Internet of Things (IoT) devices globally will grow to more than 31 billion in 2018, according to new analysis from business information provider IHS Markit.

The commercial and industrial sector, powered by building automation, industrial automation and lighting, is forecast to account for about half of all new connected devices between 2018 and 2030.

 “The IoT is not a recent phenomenon, but what is new is it’s now working hand in hand with other transformative technologies like artificial intelligence and the cloud,” says Jenalea Howell, research director for IoT connectivity and smart cities at IHS Markit. “This is fueling the convergence of verticals such as industrial IoT, smart cities and buildings, and the connected home, and it’s increasing competitiveness.”

In its latest IoT Trend Watch report, IHS Markit identifies four key drivers and the trends that will impact the IoT this year and beyond:

Innovation and competitiveness

The IoT opportunity has attracted numerous duplicative and overlapping wireless solutions such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 5G, NB-IoT, LoRa and Sigfox. Standards consolidation lies ahead, but confusion and fragmentation will dominate in the near term.

Enterprises are leveraging the location of data as a competitive advantage — and as a result, a hybrid approach to cloud and data centre management is taking hold. More and more companies will employ both on-premises data centers and off-premises cloud services to manage their IT infrastructure.

Business models

5G builds upon earlier investments in M2M (machine-to-machine) and traditional IoT applications, enabling significant increases in economies of scale that drive adoption and utilization across all sectors of industry. Improved low-power requirements, the ability to operate on licensed and unlicensed spectrum, and better coverage will drive significantly lower costs across the IoT.

Cellular IoT gateways, which facilitate WAN connectivity, will be integral to edge computing deployments. 2018 will bring increased focus on compute capabilities and enhanced security for cellular IoT gateways.

Standardisation and security

Cybersecurity is a leading concern for IoT adopters. IoT deployments face critical cybersecurity risks because there are potentially many more IoT devices to secure compared to traditional IT infrastructure devices, presenting increased risk to traditional communications and computing systems, as well as physical health and safety. View More