Acer Asks Whether its New Device Can Boost Internet of Things Developers
Researchers at IDC recently forcasted that the total market size for the Internet of Things (IoT) could reach $1.7 trillion by 2020. That figure represents anincrease of over 156% from current estimates. IDC pegs the current IoT market at $656 billion. The expected growth is not lost on major technology players.
Google has announced its own operating system for IoT, Brillo, along with a new common language for connected devices called Weave. And, Acer is launching a huge new IoT initiative. The company has an upcoming miniature PC that will be sold to developers and is aimed at the IoT market. It is called the aBeing One.
The problem that Acer wants to solve with the aBeing One is how to treat the huge data streams that are already starting to come from IoT devices. The aBeing One is targeted to help sift and sort that data intelligently.
"The Acer aBeing One simply connects to a smartphone or a wearable device and functions as a hub for the data to become analyzed as it leaves the IoT sensor. Since developers need a secure platform that enables consolidation, sharing of information and communication, the Acer aBeing One acts as a one-stop shop solution for IoT devices that require a hub to facilitate communication between the actual sensor and the cloud."
Of course, The AllSeen Alliance is also evolving its common tools and platform for connecting IoT devices. As its leader Philip DesAutels told us in an interview, the Internet of Things is headed for big things in the coming years:
“In five years, I think all of this will be around us everywhere, in everything,” he said. “Predictions that were made three and four years ago have already come true in terms of the ubiquity of bandwidth, connectivity, the availability of radios, and more. We are going to have a lot of power to orchestrate the experiences that we want.”
“The next phase is going to be the really transformational phase,” DesAutels noted. “Systems around you will have a whole lot more information. They’ll be able to deliver a lot more value.”