The Internet of Things Will Dwarf The Internet Of People

One of the most publicized statistic about Web growth during the last decade has been about the increase in the number of people using it. According to Internet World Stats, the Web has grown from 360 million users in 2000 to over 2 billion users today. However, there is a much quieter Internet growth revolution taking place that will have considerable impact for people and businesses. That is about the growth in the number of “things” connected to the internet.

By things, we are talking about all sorts of machines, computers, smartphones, sensors, cameras, videos, etc. that are feeding information to the Internet. This isn’t some future scenario. The number of things connected to the Internet surpassed the number of people connected to the Internet three years ago (see Internet of Things infographic)!

By 2020, it is projected that 50 billion things will be connected to the Web. In the future, many objects in businesses, houses, remote locations, or the environment will be able to “talk” to the Internet. In addition to the items listed above, it will include TV sets, refrigerators, thermometers, washing machines, HVAC equipment, clocks and much more. With the growing ability to embed RFID chips into almost anything, even non-electronic items such as walls, insulation, animals, and food items could send a message or data via the Web. The possibilities are almost limitless.

The data that the Internet of things sends out will be massive. It will help companies run their operations more efficiently and effectively. It will help people run their lives better. Unfortunately, for those who already feel there is too much “noise” and complexity in their lives, it will undoubtably increase. While the Internet of Things will offer tremendous opportunities for companies and people, it will also raise new concerns about “Big Brother” and the ability of governments or other authorities to use data to invade personal privacy.

What seems certain is that the age of the Internet of Things is upon us. How we use it to benefit society holds considerable promise, but as always with technological progress, some concerns.