The numbers being forecast for the Internet of Things (IoT) are truly mind-boggling.
$4 finds that the number of everyday and enterpries devices that will soon be connected to the Internet - from parking meters to home thermostats - will be huge.
- 1.9 billion devices today, and 9 billion by 2018, according to BII estimates, roughly equal to the number of smartphones, smart TVs, tablets, wearable computers, and PCs combined.
- It will drive trillions in economic value as it permeates consumer and business life.
In the consumer space, $4, including kitchen and home appliances, lighting and heating products, and insurance company-issued car monitoring devices that allow motorists to pay insurance only for the amount of driving they do.
Here are the top business-to-business and government applications for the IOT:
- $4 Cisco believes that this category (think Internet-connected billboards) will be one of the top three IoT categories, along with smart factories, and telecommuting support systems.
- Intelligent traffic management systems.>$4 Machina research, in a paper prepared for the GSM Association, sees $100 billion in revenue by 2020 for applications such as toll-taking and congestion penalties. A related revenue source will be smart parking-space management, expected to drive $30 billion in revenue.
- $4. In Cincinnati, residential waste volume fell 17% and recycling volume grew by 49% through use of a "pay as you throw" program that used IoT technology to monitor those who exceed waste limits.
- Smart electricity grids that adjust rates for peak energy usage.>$4 These will represent savings of $200 billion to $500 billion per year by 2025, according to the McKinsey Global Institute.
- $4 The cities of Doha, Sa~o Paulo, and Beijing have reduced leaks by 40 to 50% by putting sensors on pumps and other water infrastructure.
- $4 including Internet-managed assembly lines, connected factories, and warehouses, etc.
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