Where Are We? And Where Do We Go From Here?

The term “Internet of Things” was first coined by entrepreneur Kevin Ashton, one of the founders of the Auto-ID Center at MIT. Ashton was a member of the team that discovered how to link objects to the internet through an RFID tag. He first used the phrase “Internet of Things” in a 1999 presentation. The phrase has never gone away, since.

Those of us who work in the technology and IT field know that we are clinging to our laptops right now, eyes glued to the screen. We are probably at home and comfortable. The shift from office to home has been momentous. But it’s also symbolic of a larger trend: That despite being away from the office, the epicentre of where work used to be, we are still very much connected on every device, and are still ready to work. Even your fridge has an internet connection now. Internet of things is why the paradigm has shifted so effortlessly.

Internet of Things (IoT) is the archetype that has changed the traditional way of living into a much faster, more intricate life style. Smart city, smart homes, pollution control, energy saving, smart transportation, smart industries are such transformations due to IoT. The interconnection of devices within the existing Internet infrastructure goes to show that IoT is expected to offer advanced connectivity of devices, systems, and services that goes beyond machine-to-machine communications (M2M) and looks at a variety of protocols, domains, and applications.

“The big thing about IoT is that it has completely overhauled traditional and legacy systems.” Mentions Francis Kamuyu, the CIO at Multichoice. This helps us understand that today’s growing multitude of IoT endpoints is tying the digital and physical worlds ever closer together, improving the accuracy of predictions and delivering event-driven messages that can be acted on without human intervention.

“IoT is the driver of success in several aspects of business. The modern business model is scaling towards tech savvy employment.” Continues Kamuyu, alluding to the significant role IoT plays in spearheading the digital transformation.

Advanced analytics, including artificial intelligence (AI), has been earmarked as the way to harness value from the Internet of Things. In a world so technologically advanced as ours, data management, cloud and high-performance computing techniques help manage and analyse the influx of IoT data from Internet of Things sensors. These sensors are extremely intelligent and can be woven into any facet of technology. Insights from streaming analytics and AI underpin digital transformation efforts that result in better efficiency, convenience and security

The CIO100 Symposium and Awards offered invaluable insights on the innovative tactics used by top tech people, and company’s, in today’s historically demanding environment. Plus, details of innovative projects that are positioning companies for current and longer-term success. CIO100 holds a space for the narrative of the industry, telling its stories through technologies.

With a changing technology landscape being the playing ground, through the CIO100 Symposium and awards, the linking together of industry players and connecting them with engaging workshops on various aspects affecting information, technology, and insights was well received.