When we first started hearing about the Internet of Things (IoT), some scoffed at the idea. It seemed like a cynical ploy by the chip companies like Qualcomm to find a market for their network hardware beyond smartphones. It seemed like a crazy and desperate idea like 3D television, obviously destined for failure.
But the failure of IoT is not so obvious anymore. And while the jury is still out on the long-term viability of IoT, in the here and now, it is a reality we can no longer afford to ignore. IoT is already having an effect on IT infrastructure. That effect extends to information security. We already have to think differently about a lot of things we once took for granted.
As an example, what used to be sufficient broadband for the home is not going to cut it in the future. It is already showing signs of strain. Your home WiFi is less capable because you are demanding more from it. The problem is not just the higher def content we are piping into the home. It is also the number of gadgets that require an internet connection to work.
It is not just the computer demanding broadband time. It is the smartphone, and the tablet, and the printer, and the toaster, and the alarm, and the security camera, and the baby monitor, and the smart speaker, and the… You get the idea.
Services like Optimum wifi have to continue to evolve what it means to have broadband in the home. Yesterday’s definitions will not satisfy today’s needs. In this way, the internet and ubiquitous connectivity have become more important than ever. Here are a few other examples:
Connected Entertainment
Good luck finding entertainment that does not require an internet connection. You can hardly by a television that does not have broadband-guzzling features. It is no longer merely a screen and a copper wire. The cable companies want to tap into your internet connection to provide service. They also are probably the service provider. So they are more capable of leveraging the strengths of TV content and broadband delivery.
Even more pressure comes from the fact that more people are getting their television service from internet-only providers. You can get full TV services minus the cable company such as Hulu TV.
Connected entertainment also extends to gaming. A few years ago, it was something of a scandal that some console games required a connection to the internet to work. Today, that is old news and mostly an accepted norm in the gaming community. These days, having the best entertainment experiences means having a broadband connection feeding your entertainment hardware.
Connected Fitness
Even running is a tech-heavy, connected activity. Popular with runners, the Apple Watch now comes with an LTE option. It won’t be long before even the inexpensive fitness bands will have to have some kind of internet connection to remain competitive.
Already, we have scales and blood pressure monitors that have an internet connection. They can even tweet automatically to the rest of your fitness-obsessed community. Food apps help you count the calories by providing information from online databases. They can even scan a photograph of your meal to determine what calories you are about to devour. A healthy body needs a healthy internet connection.
Connected Finance
We can do all of our banking without ever going to a bank. We can even deposit checks by just snapping a picture with an app. We can send money to friends or pay our bills. With the connectivity of NFC, we can pay for just about everything we buy without cash or card. If we have the smartest of smartwatches, we don’t even need the phone.
Thanks to our connected world, money means something entirely different to the present generation of young spenders than it did just a generation earlier. And if cryptocurrency ever moves into the mainstream, the meaning of money will change again. Pretty soon, we will not be able to talk about money and finance without bringing the internet into the picture.
IoT, entertainment, fitness, and finance: the internet powers them all. The internet is no longer a luxury. It is as much a necessity as electricity.
Image by The Digital Artist