Internet of Things: The Road Ahead

Smart computational capabilities paired with high-speed internet are the main idea behind IoT and a big part of it depends upon the analyzation of big data.
This interconnection between objects, people, locations and the Internet is made possible by wide variety of devices available across different platforms. IoT is going to revolutionize the way humans have interacted with smart technology. Wearables like smart watch and activity tracker is just one small step towards realizing a smart product which communicates with the customers and relays the collected data through internet. IoT will transform the marketing world in these ways:
• Exchange of sales data
• Smart CRM (instantaneous customer analysis)
• Predictive social network
However, in India it will take time to reach masses and is still in nascent stage. Just like advancement from regular phone to smartphone. General perception towards mobile phones changed from just being a talking device to a go to device for everything which in turn led to adoption and shift from Nokia 1100 to Microsoft Lumia. Things take time to get adopted on a mass scale and IoT is going to take a few more years before its real potential is unlocked.
IoT in India
Last year, Government of India announced about its plans to create a $15 billion internet of things market in the country by the next five years. However, IoT is yet to create any major buzz in India as we lack the required infrastructure. Even the mainstream media apart from few tech publications have not started talking about IoT in any major way, and the vendor activity has largely been subdued to a large extent. Here are few prime concerns regarding IoT and its application in India:
Consumer IoT adoption to be slow
Due to various challenges like data security, lack of standardization, data ownership issues and ROI, consumer IoT adoption is expected to be slow in India. Apart from that Internet connectivity is still a major challenge in India which would pose a major threat for IoT applications. Security is another major concern for the IoT sector. With the rise in the number of wearables like watches and health bands connected to the internet (apart from mobiles, laptops, tablets, etc.), the number of web enabled devices increases significantly. However, this fast gaining access has raised new concerns around information security. In IoT, there are always some access/end points which are open and vulnerable to attacks and provide hackers an express-access to hack into the critical personal data like passwords and even sensitive corporate data through personal devices. So it is expected that enterprises will implement solutions that protect devices and information from data encryption, stronger user authentication across devices and standardized and tested APIs across devices and network. According to Dr. Jai Ganesh, Vice President and Head, Mphasis Next Labs, “Security and privacy are the two most critical concerns for IoT in the coming days. There is an increasing need to secure the entire IoT infrastructure right from the gateways that connects IoT devices to the enterprise network to the devices themselves. IoT infrastructure needs to advance from one-time authentication process to recurring as well as multiple authentication process.”
Data mining and analytics
The collection and storage of data has to be improved with fully integrated tracking mechanisms. Also, maintaining your brands social presence is important as this will be a good source for data collection and future investment. So we can expect that IoT hardware technology will be integrated into products and packaging. All it requires is deeper linking, more data mining and analytics to get much more out of the collected data.
The future of IoT in India
According to a recent study by McKinsey Global Institute, IoT could add up to $6.2 trillion in global value in the next 10 years. The Institute also projects that 80 -100 per cent of manufacturers will be using IoT applications by then. If 2015 was about the beginning of wearable technology then we can expect a lot next year. All the top brands like Microsoft, Sony and Samsung are ready to launch their VR headsets next year.
Many of the real world applications of IoT are still taking shape but a lot is happening in the Indian start-up sector with variety of applications and products for consumers. Smart devices for automobiles are already available to the Indian consumers. Launched in 2012 CarIQ is a Pune-based hardware startup, which makes cars smarter by connecting them to the Cloud and allowing the car and its driver to make decisions based on real time data. It offers towing alerts, battery monitor, and social badges for drivers, along with personalized driving tips and export of all the data of your car.
With the rise in the number of smartphone usage content consumption has increased manifolds. Bangalore based start-up, Teewe works on a concept which is yet to find a foothold in India. It allows the users to access their content, from pictures to movies, on their TV through a single device which connects through Wi-Fi to the laptop; phone, remote storage, whatever the OS or the platform is. So, we can expect many interesting consumer-centric smart gadgets next year.
It leaves no doubt that IoT is the future of our planetary ecosystem and brands need to integrate their strategy with this new trend. This is going to create a watershed moment in the history of technology in the next couple of years.
Customer experience
Internet of Things and connectivity is driving consumers towards a digital life in every true sense. Brands now need to figure out how to track, monitor, and make sense of the ensuing troves of data and finding ways to stay relevant not only in the digital world, but in the physical world as well. Real-world behaviors will become the new click-stream, purchase path, cookie, and search term. Online and offline engagement is now converging just like the way media has converged.
IoT in commercial sector
The booming e-commerce sector is another key driver for the logistics industry. Tata Motors and VRL have already started putting sensors into their trucks and bus fleets, so that the owners can get information on how the vehicles are used, and even predict potential breakdowns. Major collaborations have been announced to explore IoT opportunities in transportation and other infrastructure sectors. In a nutshell, a lot is happening under IoT when we talk about the commercial sector.
IoT policy in India
While the government of India is coming out with an IoT policy, and with the stated plans of developing smart cities, there is a significant scope for the growth of IoT in multiple government and utility services. Late last year, Tech Mahindra announced a tie-up with Bosch Software Innovations, to develop an ecosystem to enable innovative solutions for the connected world and connected enterprises.
Marketing and IoT
Indian e-commerce sector is one of the fastest growing markets and we know that brands rely on comprehensive metrics and measurement techniques to keep a track of their performance and website traffic. Consumer’s interaction with mobile, wearables, connected devices, touchscreens, sensors, etc. will not fit into existing measurement approaches. This is an important concept for marketers to understand as they plan their digital strategies.

Marketing done through the Internet of Things will be:
• Seamless
• Able to eliminate friction
• Will provide value to the consumer
• Real-world behaviors are going to figure prominently in marketing agenda of the brands. The biggest changes are expected in the following fields:
• Marketing will become more of a quid pro quo
• Digital commerce will gain and great marketing will be decided through, superb content and high product value
• More number crunching will be required to interpret the data, and to create better interfaces to report and take action
Hot products of 2015
Cisco CIVS-IPC-7070 & CIVS-IPC-3050

Cisco Systems has introduced two new IP security cameras as part of its IoT ecosystem. The CIVS-IPC-7070 is a 5-megapixel HD dome camera, and the CIVS-IPC-3050 is a 720p mobile dome camera. Both the 7070 and 3050 come in wired or wireless models. The cameras have built-in analytics, and can be integrated with sensors and controllers to give users a better view.
Amazon Echo

Amazon has introduced its smart-home automation device, Echo. Capable of voice interaction, music playback, setting alarms, stream podcasts, play audiobooks, provide weather, traffic and other real time information; it can also control several smart devices.
Dell IoT Gateway

Dell has introduced its new IoT Gateway which features a dual-core Intel processor and can be mounted on walls, desks or on a shelf.
It can help businesses collect and process data from disparate sensors or automation systems and also allows specific data to be relayed to the cloud or data center.
Nest Cam

Google introduced a Web-connected security camera called the Nest Cam. It allows the users to zoom in on different areas of their homes. It also includes sound and motion sensing features.
New Tech developments to be expected in 2016
Security will become the most important issue for IoT vendors. It will also be the biggest risk for enterprise failure. A very large scale hack of an IoT application or device is expected in 2016.
Secure smart home applications

More than 4 billion things will be connected to the Internet and most of these devices are expected to be in our home. However, the security of these devices is a major concern. Palo Alto based Dojo labs will protect all of your connected home devices from malware, viruses and cyber-attack. The software will automatically scan your smart home devices for unusual activity and if it finds something suspicious then it’ll notify you via its smartphone app and proceed to block the activity automatically from progressing until further approval.
Connected cars

The C2C technology will enable cars to “talk” to each other to determine proximity and help avoid collisions. It has been approved by the US federal government and just requires a new law which will make it mandatory for all new cars to fit the new technology. This is one of the core technologies backing Google’s SDC project.
Hot Products to Expect in 2016
MasterCard
MasterCard is advancing its Digital Enablement Express program (Express) to transform how consumers interact and transact. According to the company, from 2016, every wearable device, accessory, or IoT connected gadget can be payment enabled.
Set to launch in early 2016, MasterCard’s integrated payment solutions already have found support from many partners across multiple verticals.
Phree smart pen

This pen has an optical sensor at the tip that recognizes text and drawings when you write on any surface be it your arm, a piece of paper, or a wall. It then syncs whatever you write o4 your phone, computer or tablet, saving it in a program you are familiar with. It will be available in April 2016.
Apple Watch2

Apple Watch2 is the second-generation Apple Watch that is expected to arrive in mid- to late-2016, as reported by AppleInsider. The report also claims that the second Apple Watch would be thinner than its predecessor. It would feature a FaceTime camera, expanded Wi-Fi and new materials. The new Wi-Fi chip would allow the Watch to do more without an iPhone.
Conclusion
A sea of opportunity is going to unlock itself with the rise of IoT and time will tell whether the market is ready to accommodate itself to this revolutionary change. Work is continuously being done but a lot more is to be accomplished to reach maximum household.
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Prediction for 2016
The technological developments today are faster than ever. According to Dr. Jai Ganesh, Vice President and Head, Mphasis Next Labs, “Change and modernization in technology is a continuous process which will go on in 2016 and beyond.” Some of the new technological breakthroughs that we can witness in the IoT space in 2016 are:
• Quantified self – where connected devices can record different aspects of human life like mood.
• Advanced big data analytics based predictive analytics
• Smart Machines - systems that use machine learning to perform work traditionally conducted by IoT standardization across protocols, messaging and descriptions
• Gartner, Inc. forecasts that 6.4 billion connected things will be in use worldwide in 2016, up 30 per cent from 2015, and will reach 20.8 billion by 2020. In 2016, 5.5 million new things will get connected every day. With both Government and private sector spending heavily on IoT, the sector will see a significant advancement, especially through:
• Increased penetration of wearables
• Robotics solutions
• Increased adoption of Smart Home Systems, advancements in Smart Cities and innovations around connected cars domain
• Reduction in cost of hardware, and the rise of IoT middleware