Internet of Things: 10X as many “things” connected by 2020

The Internet of Things differs from the Web of Things. The Web of Things refers to the extension of the World Wide Web (the internet network as we know it today) to things that are not usually connected. These devices are connected to the Internet only to optimize their capacity. The Internet of Things is a new type of network, a web, connecting objects with other objects in a 3.0 Web.

What “things” will shape tomorrow’s Internet? Goldman Sachs divides them in five key sections, according to their status of adoption: first comes the individual with wearable items such as connected watches (e.g. the Apple Watch), fitness trackers, etc. Then come connected cars, connected homes and connected cities. Last but not least comes what the study refers to as the “Industrial Internet”, far less visible but concentrating the most value, such as transport infrastructures, factories, energy and hospitals.

The IoT revolution most and above all benefits Telecoms, semi-conductors (particularly sensors) and the Big Data, since the connected devices should generate far more data than humans. The next experts’ meeting at the Internet of Things World Forum to be held in London on November 25 and 26 will probably see fierce debates on that particular subject.

> www.goldmansachs.com