Mozilla and Market Researchers Herald Big IoT Future
Early last year, Mozilla announced that the Internet of Things (IoT) will be the next big opportunity for its open source software platform. "The Internet of Things is changing the world around us, with new use cases, experiences and technologies emerging every day," wrote officials in a post. "As we continue to experiment in this space, we wanted to take a moment to share more details around our approach, process and current projects we’re testing."
We've heard similar predictions from several companies, and now two recent studies are confirming that the Internet of Things (IoT) is poised for huge growth.
Studies from International Data Corporation (IDC), and one from the U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC), confirm that worldwide IoT spending is set to skyrocket.
The IDC report forecasts that spending, including hardware, software, services, and enabling connectivity, could grow to $1.29 trillion by 2020, versus $737 billion of spending estimated for 2016. And a DoC study, or “green paper” sets forth recommendations for the U.S. government to foster growth by adopting IoT technology, and focusing on workforce training.
IDC is calling for compound annual growth of 15.6 percent for IoT expenditures between 2015 and 2020. The company envisions envisions annual smart-home investments will double by 2020, reaching $63 billion.
More news from the DoC report, and a downloadable copy, are available at the department’s IoT page at www.ntia.doc.gov/category/internet-things .
As for Mozilla, it is out with a new report calling for "responsible IoT."
"IoT can work for the public good. It can fuel the movement for open knowledge and technology. IoT can contribute to a better planet: Cities like San Antonio, Barcelona and Hubli have used IoT to conserve water and energy. IoT can empower citizens: From Hong Kong to Dublin, people are using the web to participate in government. And IoT can fuel do-good organizations and movements, from Arduino to makerspaces.
On the flip side, there are existential dangers. IoT can erode privacy: Legions of connected microphones and cameras unknowingly track our movements and conversations. Governments surveil citizens en masse, and profit-minded businesses horde personal data. IoT also means more vulnerabilities, from the recent Dyn attack to the hacking of elections."
The Mozilla report calls for everyone to check out a paper on the road ahead called “We All Live in the Computer Now.” It explores the opportunities of a pervasive Internet, the challenges and where we go next, and comes from the the NetGain Partnership.