IoT And Communications

Everyone in the tech world is talking about the Internet of Things — how it is going to simplify life, expand control of the home and make daily living easier.  The key is convenience.  Consumers will adopt IoT if it is easy to start and maintain. That is what it isn’t at the present time.  Every manufacturer and marketer has a standard that isn’t compatible with everyone else.  Installing systems and getting them to talk to one another is a nightmare.  For IoT to be successful, it will need to become as standardized as an electric utility.  In the world of power in the US, everything is the same — voltage, amps, electrical sockets, light switches, etc.  One doesn’t have to check the electrical requirements for a lamp before plugging it in nor for that matter, a toaster, microwave oven, sound amplifier, TV, hair dryer, clock or electric tooth brush.  They work because US utilities standardized long ago unlike Europe, for example.  The communications task facing the world of IoT is one of rapprochement — listening to one another and going along even when it is not in the best interests of individual companies.  It is too early to tell whether the industry will ever get to this stage but the IoT will be delayed for as long as companies fail to talk to one another.