The 5 most common Internet of Things myths

19th January 2016

Nat Bowers

0 0

From self-regulating refrigerators to smarter public transport, the IoT encompasses a wide range of possibilities. It has swiftly become one of the hottest topics on the tech table, but along with the chatter comes a few inconsistencies. It’s helpful to separate the fact from the fiction as you take a closer look at how the IoT will work and what its true capabilities are. By Barry Gold, Cloud computing consultant and prolific tech writer.

Here are five of the most commonly held myths about the IoT to be aware of:

The Internet of Things will allow all devices to communicate
One of the most commonly held misconceptions about the IoT is that it will work seamlessly and uniformly, allowing all connected devices to interact with one another. However, the truth will likely be a bit more complicated. At least to start with, most devices will only be able to work with related devices from the same vendor. They may be connected to a cloud platform or use some other protocols. It’s possible that in the future these protocols will be streamlined and shared to allow data transfer between different families of products, but for many manufacturers open protocols won’t be in their best financial interest at first.
Securing the IoT means giving up privacy
One of the major concerns about the Internet of Things is the idea that all of your habits and data are being recorded. In order for the concept of the IoT to work, data will need to move through internet servers to user applications, in most cases controlled by a third party. Securing this data will no doubt be a challenge with connected devices and such a high degree of information flow. The usual techniques such as encryption can be utilised to protect user data, however. Simply using secure, connected devices doesn’t necessarily mean that your data will be at any more of a risk than it currently is with mobile apps.
There will be a uniform standard for the IoT
There are a lot of major service providers currently working on the IoT, but at the moment there is no uniform standard between them. There have been a number of definitive statements made about this process, but it’s impossible at the moment what the technological landscape will really look like in five years’ time. There could be new applications available by then that we can’t even conceive of now and these could vary widely between providers rather than adhere to some perfect synergistic plan.
The transition from mobile apps to the IoT will be simple
Many providers would have you believe that the transition to IoT will be an easy one, with mobile apps seamlessly transitioning into a fully connected web of smart devices to make your life more elegant. However, it will not be as easy for app developers as one would initially think. The Internet of Things involves aspects not only of M2M communication, but also of big data and cloud computing. This is a large scope that needs to be harnessed, which is no simple task, particularly when you factor in security and privacy issues.
The IoT is just about appliances
The final myth is that the Internet of Things just involves smart coffeemakers and refrigerators. Although it does involve smarter home and office appliances, its potential reach is far wider. It will also impact the way cities are designed as well as enterprise efficiency. To understand the IoT, you must look beyond its consumer impact and think about the bigger picture. One thing is certain: there's still a long road to travel.