IoT revisited

The Internet of Things [IoT] is a topic that appears in almost every news story or article in the world of embedded software right now. And it goes far beyond our immediate business – right across the electronics industry – as it is very much an encapsulation of hardware and software technologies. I wrote about IoT on this blog recently and someone suggested that I was rather dismissive of the whole IoT concept. That was not really the case – I am excited about IoT, but realistic at the same time …

My key point was that IoT is essentially a fashion at this time. That is not to say that it is not an important concept. My concern is that many people see IoT as a total game changer. It is not a revolution; it is healthy evolution, which is nevertheless very exciting.

I also mentioned that many devices are being described as “IoT”, when that is not a strictly accurate statement, as they are not really Internet-connected. My view is borne out in this blog.

I recently had the honor of presenting a keynote at the IP-SOC Conference in Grenoble, France, where I considered what IoT is all about. You can watch/hear my presentation here:

If you would like a copy of my slides, please email.

The bottom line is that IoT is an exciting concept, which brings together many embedded software technologies and promises to yield some very interesting products. It may not be a ground breaking technology in itself, however, if the concept is a stimulus to creativity and innovation, I will be the last to stand in the way.