To the Great IoT Future…and Beyond!

2015 spotlighted the IoT journey with the rise of connected cars, homes, and machinery. A smartphone is the remote control to our lives; network connectivity is the link to improving everyday experiences from finding a parking spot to monitoring personal wellness. Where is the IoT journey positioned to travel in 2016? Three main areas of focus include: 

1. Smart Cities & Connected Vehicles: Connecting Citizens & Improving Urban Life
2. Industry & Machinery: Changing Business and Improving the Customer Experience
3. Cybersecurity: Securing the Future of IoT

CES (Consumer Electronics Show) signals the official start to the new year in technology, devices and innovation and 2016 was no exception. The idea of pervasive connectivity was everywhere at CES this past January, and a main theme of the AT&T Developer Summit.

The next stop on this year’s global IoT journey was Barcelona, Spain for Mobile World Congress (MWC) last week. MWC highlighted all of the areas where IoT is poised to take businesses, industry, and citizens to the next level of connectivity, efficiency, and intelligent data.

Connected vehicles remain a strong presence in the world of IoT and directly tie in to the growing shift towards smart cities. Envisioning a world where a connected vehicle allows you to do everything from navigating to avoid traffic to finding parking spaces to warning of road hazards, is part of the growing shift for cities to integrate IoT into their infrastructure. Management of electric charging stations for hybrid and electric vehicles is key to serving the growing number of drivers using these vehicles, and something AT&T is collaborating with providers to improve via IoT devices and the M2X platform.

Monitoring road conditions, traffic patterns, and promoting public safety are integral to improving the urban experience for all citizens as cities continue to grow. 66% of the world’s population is projected to live in a city by 2050. Integrating connectivity to key resources, such as water, electricity, and air quality will provide the city with the ability to serve all citizens in the urban future. By focusing on a select group of cities in 2016, AT&T is driving adoption of technology that improves citizen quality of life.

Protecting data and providing secure connectivity are critical elements to the sustained success of IoT for businesses, cities, and consumer. 50 billion devices are projected to be connected by 2020. The average cost per cybersecurity incident in 2014 was estimated at $2.7 million, a 34% increase from the previous year. Providing business leaders with the information essential to building a secure base of connected devices is a priority for maintaining leadership in the IoT space.

All of these efforts are key in securing a more sustainable future and a low-carbon economy. Here at AT&T we are focusing on using the power of our technology to enable our customers to reduce their own emissions 10x our own footprint by 2025. When we consider the future of IoT, we realize the promises of tomorrow are upon us today.