The State of the Internet of Things in 2023 with each other seemed the next logical step after the explosion of the internet and improvements in both internet speeds and reliability. This reality has not panned out yet, and it might seem that it is doomed. But is it, or have we achieved what we sought to do without realizing it?
Big Challenges
The biggest challenges to IoT lie in what it intended to do. To ensure the connected world it envisioned, we need to deploy a high level of tech everywhere. We are talking about homes, the outdoors, and businesses. The tech to connect these devices already exists — most of us use it every day — but we need devices to connect to this network and each other.
Integrating Existing Systems
Physical security systems, cybersecurity systems, and positioning systems already exist and many of us already use them, but they need to be integrated much better. We can use the technological tools we already have to keep heading towards the world of IoT, and we already are.
A good example is homes that use connected systems to create smart homes. You could talk to a voice assistant and tell it to command another device to complete some action or task. All you need to connect these different devices is a reliable internet connection. Companies like Gateway Fiber are already doing their part by making gigabit internet available to homes and businesses.
Another example is the use of AI and computer vision to alert people if they are in danger of tripping, slipping, and falling, a type of accident that can cost businesses lots of money if they are sued for it. These systems eliminate the need for sensors embedded into the floor to detect if a surface is slippery instead using cameras.
Security
As we have seen in the past few years, almost every device is hackable. Connecting different devices to the same network can pose a security risk by increasing the attack footprint. Security experts have to chase after vulnerabilities in each device and patch them one by one. However, they have become more efficient than this, instead taking a holistic approach to security by designing systems and networks that are less vulnerable. For example, some companies build their firmware so it cannot be tweaked. This means that even if malicious actors have access to it, they cannot cause harm. Actions like this can help eliminate the security fears of using IoT.
IoT might not be ubiquitous this year, but it is advancing. We have better and more secure connections, machine learning and analytics, low-cost and low-power sensors, and cloud computing platforms making it better. The state of IoT in 2023 is that it is not where anyone thought it would be by now, but it’s coming along nicely.