Month: December 2017

Every year , new and interesting technologies come out, are updated, expanded upon, or combined together.  Technology is evolving at a very high rate and us tech-geeks have a field day exploring all the new developments.  The internet of things (IoT) is no different and there’s a lot to be excited for in the coming year.

Manufacturing and Security

The first thing that comes to mind for me is just how many companies are just now starting to invest into IoT technologies, primarily manufacturing.  According to recent reports, manufacturing companies are expected to spend up to £140 billion.

The next, an equally important issue if not more so, is security.  Security has needed some real improvements since the conception of the IoT and that is especially true in recent years.  As more and more companies begin utilising the technology and more start coming out with IoT-enabled consumer goods, security is going to be at the forefront of consumer and company concerns.  With recent attacks such as the 2016 attack against Dyn, security is definitely an issue that’ll be at the top of the 2018 list.

Connectivity

Connectivity is something that’s been growing and changing ever since the dawn of time.  From individual cavemen up to multinational organisations, we’ve grown tremendously and technology is no different.  The Internet of Things is one of those technologies that thrives in connectivity and it’s expected that things will be much more connected in the future.

This is true in more than just technologies but also companies.  To help make IoT-enabled devices talk, those companies have to start sharing information… something that’s always been met with hesitance, considering how important keeping one’s intellectual property secret is.

More up-and-comers

With a lot of the wetwork, so to speak, out of the way, more and more start-ups will… well, start up.  These could include anything from companies trying to create their own unique products to others helping larger organisations as consultants or just extra hands.

There’s a lot to expect in 2018 and a lot of hype for the Internet of Things to live up to.  One thing’s for certain though — the future is looking pretty bright thanks to the IoT.

Let’s face it, some people are just more equipped than others to do a specific job.  Charismatic people make for better speakers and leaders, open minded people are better problem solvers, and dedicated people are great with tough or long jobs.  With every job, something different is required and when specialising in IoT, there’s also certain requirements that help to make a person a better employee.

One must be able to think big while keeping things small.

When it comes to the Internet of Things, smaller is not only better but a necessity.  Many of these devices need to be able to do a lot without much added equipment.  We can’t very well have baby monitors the size of a baby or a light fixture taking up half the room.  Added sensors and components to make devices “smart” are going to be a necessity, and knowing how to not only put them in the right spots but do it with minimal additional weight is a must.

At the same time, you have to remember things like limited battery life, processing power, and storage capabilities.  Every added use of the device means it’s going to get just a little bit bigger, so you might have to decide between different optional additions.  Keep things simple and small when able and you’ll do well when working on IoT devices.

You have to be able to work with data on a large scale.

Moving away from the building aspect of the job and towards the data.  You’re going to be working with a LOT of data, even during testing and trials, so if you hate big data then you might want to consider other job opportunities.  Now, the great thing about the IoT is that it’s designed to use this data to communicate, but that doesn’t mean the data won’t have to be checked consistently.  You’ll have to sift through it to find errors and also to help streamline this data for consumers.  They won’t need to have all the data from sensors, just the big picture.  Your job is making sure that big picture is being recorded and transmitted right.

More on the personality side of things, you need to always be picturing the future.

With IoT being a future-tech that’s still very much evolving to this day, you need to always keep in mind technology that’s being developed and on the rise.  It’s no good to simply copy what all of your competitors are doing because even at your best, you’ll only be their equal.  Improve upon their designs or, better yet, take a risk and create something completely new.  Even your worst blunder is a learning experience that can help you with future projects.

On this same note, it’s also a good idea to keep yourself open to collaborations with other like-minded individuals.  Getting a project rolling with a few different teams working on different areas might make you nervous, but the fact is that you’ll likely not be the best in every aspect of your design.  Sometimes you’ll need help and sometimes others will need help from you.  Be open to this and it’ll only be a benefit.

The Internet of Things is an ever-changing market.  If you’re the type of person that can keep things small, while looking at the big picture and the big data, and always thinking of the future, then it might just be your type of market.