Commentary

2016 IoT Predictions: Big Data, Beacons, Wearables, Security

For most of the current year, we have dealt with the continuing evolution of The Internet of Things, with all of its marketing and consumer ramifications.

For the future, much of what we focused on was research from various and leading research sources.

Some of the studies we wrote about here were massive in scope, often encompassing large, worldwide samples.

But since we’re nearing the year end, there are many (and I mean many) predictions of what will happen next year that have been sent to me over the last several weeks.

These are not necessarily based on new research, but rather are the viewpoints of a person or organization self-perceived to be in a position to make some educated guesses.

I’ve aggregated some of these predictions to give you at least an IoT snapshot of what some see in store for the next year.

So here are IoT-related predictions for 2016, in no particular order, with the source of each prediction at the end.

  • Data-driven local ad sales become the new normal. (BIA/Kelsey)
  • Beacon technology will be implemented across nearly all retail, CPG and entertainment segments, basically anywhere there are goods being purchased, where loyalty can be rewarded and where the local experience can be augmented via mobile engagement. (Mobiquity Networks)
  • Suppliers of all kinds will tout platforms and many users will scratch their heads, since there are so many different platforms, which will get more confusing before sorting itself out. (ARC Advisory Group)
  • The fashion industry will lead the way into bringing wearables more prevalently into our day-to-day lives. (Ambarish Mitra, Blippar)
  • The gap between data collection and data analysis merge into a real-time feedback loop, providing more immediate, personalized customer experiences driven by more efficiently run businesses and precisely targeted marketing. (Merijn te Booij, Genesys)
  • Encryption technology will become the norm. (Keeper Security) 
  • R&D will become the heroes of the organization. (Zach Supalla, Particle)
  • In-store, the use of beacons will expand beyond deals and offers to include efforts to improve customer service and loyalty. (Mobiquity Networks)
  • Mobile payments and beacons face a moment of truth. (BIA/Kelsey)
  • Beacon technology will be used as much for counting, identifying and segmenting audiences as for pushing mobile ad campaigns. (Mobiquity Networks)
  • Drone-related security threats will grow. (Kasey Cross, A10 Networks)
  • Hackers will get more creative and breach IoT devices. (Keeper Security)
  • Businesses will stop chasing the colorful rainbows of interesting IoT use cases and instead narrow down to business cases that deliver results. (Sudip Singh, Infosys)
  • The Internet of Things expands the attack surface and enterprises become more vulnerable than ever before, as wearables or smart home objects can be used as a starting point to penetrate networks. (Richard Greene, Seculert)
  • Facial recognition apps will start to enter the consumer space much more aggressively, resulting in new legislation to protect the use of biometric data. (Ambarish Mitra, Blippar)
  • The increased use of sensors across various industries leads to a tsunami of data driving massive developments in big data. (Frost & Sullivan)
  • Smart machines like drones, driverless vehicles and robots will disrupt the marketplace. (Frost & Sullivan)
  • Instead of a waterfall approach to innovation, companies will test multiple technologies and options to arrive at a faster time to market by testing and proving or disproving a product/vendor very quickly. (Tal Nathanel, MyCheck)
  • Consumer robots become a reality. (Juniper Research)
  • Data will finally be used intelligently. (Omaid Hiwaizi , Blippar)

As you can see, the predictions for what’s ahead on the IoT Road are wide ranging.

It won’t be that long to see which end up proving true.
7 comments about "2016 IoT Predictions: Big Data, Beacons, Wearables, Security".
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  1. Roy Smith from PrivacyCheq, December 23, 2015 at 11:30 a.m.

    I noticed the word "Privacy" didn't appear even once in your predictions. I submit that 2016 will be the year that proper handling and explanation of privacy issues will become a market differentiator, particularly in retail.  Consumers already don't trust IOT as you reported a few weeks ago.  In order to get opt in for all these great beacon-enabled services you predicted, that consumer trust will have to be fixed.   

  2. Chuck Martin from Chuck Martin, December 23, 2015 at 12:38 p.m.

    Good point, Roy. It was not highlighted in any of the numerous predictions I received, though the issue of security seems front and center.

  3. Paula Lynn from Who Else Unlimited, December 23, 2015 at 9:34 p.m.

    Beacons, wearables - Security: contratdictons

  4. Chuck Martin from Chuck Martin, December 24, 2015 at 11:31 a.m.

    They are predictions from different sources, Paula.

  5. Larry Logan from Digimarc Corporation, December 27, 2015 at 3:20 p.m.

    Chuck, throwing our hat in the ring here at Digimarc. As the Barcode of Everything, we're changing retail by enhancing every package with a pervasive network identity. The Barcode is replicated across all sides of a package but is invisible. Checkout is significantly speeded up and consumers can engage with brands simply by pointing their phones at a package. This creates a new marketing channel in-aisle and post-venue. Same platform also works for print and audio/video.

  6. joanna bucior from kontakt.io replied, December 28, 2015 at 9:23 a.m.

    Well, I can't agree on that. Yes, beacons, by default, are open and static, and they communicate “in the clear” which makes infrastructure vulnerable, and with little effort someone can attack it. But this issue has been recently addressed. You can read more here -- http://kontakt.io/blog/beacon-security/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_content=blog_post&utm_campaign=security. I would be more than happy to connect and chat more;)

  7. Chuck Martin from Chuck Martin, December 28, 2015 at 10:46 a.m.

    Thanks, Larry. So any 2016 preddictions in the area of product scanning?

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