The Internet of Things (IoT) is a long way from reaching a crescendo, but this week's news is ample evidence that IoT is starting to build momentum.
While connecting trillions of devices to the Internet has made vendors and service providers, as well as early adopter consumers, foam at the mouth, it has been a complicated process to get out of the starting blocks. Various standards groups, vendors and service providers have grappled with how to enable IoT in a cost-effective, revenue-generating fashion, among other issues.
But this week we learned that AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) plans to put 4G LTE radios in 10 million new Ford vehicles by 2020. An AT&T exec also predicted that the company would have 25 billion to 50 billion connected devices over the same time frame. (See AT&T Deal Puts 4G in 10 Million New Fords by 2020.)
Both AT&T and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) are also working on smart city tests and trials, and both companies have been banking an increasing amount of IoT-related revenues. (See Verizon Eyeing Smart Cities Too.)
If you're reading this, you're probably already a believer in the potential of IoT. But what does it mean to shoppers at Wal-Mart, or all 440 residents of Baggs, Wyoming? Anyone have a meaningful conversation in regards to IoT with a mother-in-law over the holidays? In the real world, what IoT services or applications will change lives for the masses, and when?
Back on the technology front, here is a detailed look at how IoT has created a wedge in the mobile operator industry, and some of the potential ramifications. (See How IoT Forked the Mobile Roadmap.)
— Mike Robuck, editor, Telco Transformation