The natural evolution of the internet has made data the new power source. Networks, and the infrastructure and services associated with them, are pervasive and relevant with more data, or weaker and irrelevant with less. In a world where data, not electricity, powers the network, IoT devices are the key ingest mechanisms for this invaluable resource. IoT is the means to instrument the world, and reduce it to a data set, the right data set, that can be studied, modelled, manipulated, and made actionable. Evolving AI techniques will unlock the value in this data, delivering breakthroughs in autonomy, longevity, prosperity, capacity, production, leisure, efficiency, safety, and security. IoT everywhere is a watershed event for the future of technology, given its unique ability to enhance ourselves and the world we live in.
There are significant challenges along the way to this vision: barriers to widely distributing IoT devices; roadblocks to interpreting data recorded among different sources and ecosystems; threats of bad actors hiding in the stream with nefarious intent; and frustration of analysing the right data, but not acting in time. These challenges can be overcome, and the solutions have a common origin - the need for better infrastructure. The right network, platforms, and services are needed to support the massive growth of IoT. In the world of IoT, the network must come first.