The EggMinder — everything will be connected, and like with most connected devices, software is central. Quirky
A walked through the floors of CES 2015, they immediately suggested that the trends for the year ahead are steeply inclined towards the Internet of Things (IoT). With Gartner predicting that the IoT market is poised to reach nearly $24 billion by 2020, companies are looking at rapidly capitalizing on the market with a range of connected offerings. The most important of the lot, wearable devices, connected cars and connected home entertainment.
Despite the popularity of the overarching theme, visitors at CES were left with a very certain message: Software and Data is the pivot, driving the Internet of Things.
Every device is virtually turning into a smart device. The convergence of device, data and cloud will be driven by powerful software at the back-end, bridging the gap between the user and their gadgets. While the focus of Internet of Things was across sensors, and wireless technologies, but 2015 is expected to see software leading the charge.
It’s hard to imagine the rapid journey of the technology ecosystem from dial up days to hyper-connected everything. Looking back, the evolution was evident, but the seamlessness of the transformation is nothing short of astonishing.
Moving From Physical to Digital
Early 2000 saw a shift in the way businesses were transforming themselves. With customers gaining easy access to the Internet and phones getting smarter, customers were looking for their solutions online rather than literally walking into a store. Companies like Amazon capitalized on this shift by structuring their business based on consumer interactions online. The lack of a physical store provided Amazon the edge that allowed them to capture the market early and capitalize on the customers who were changing their online behavioral patterns.
Similarly, Uber was able to disrupt an entire industry by solving a very simple customer problem, by taking services to their doorsteps. The lack of a physical booking center or even a contact number put Uber on the digital map, allowing the ‘always online’ customer, to choose his mode of transport and engage in cashless transactions. Products like Oculus Rift and Microsoft’s Hololens began bridging the gap between the digital and the physical world. The increasing growth of digital businesses proved their success with a very specific group of customers, the connected ones.
From Digital of the Connected
Being digital simply wasn’t enough to thrive. Disruptive innovation unleashed itself across markets worldwide, allowing companies to find ways to move away from age old traditions of selling and be present at the point where the customer was most likely to make her decision. Gradually moving from digital, companies began focusing on being connected. Soon the word was abuzz, connected cars, connected homes, connected lifestyle, connected healthcare, connected devices, it was everywhere!
Google’s acquisition of Nest was a raging example of how a software led business expanded its offerings into the connected world. By allowing devices to communicate with each other, Internet of Things (IoT) steadily began its ascent to the $24 billion business which we will know by 2020. Software continued to be the backbone of the connected ecosystem, allowing the seamless communication between device and data. Devices like Jawbone UP24 are taking health and fitness to mobile devices. The band like device transmits user information like sleep patterns, steps taken and time the user has been slacking off to the smartphone application allowing user to assess their cycles better.
In Connected Cars lies the current gold rush, after Tesla broke the myth about electric vehicles and packed their cars with a series of features event the best of models were yet to witness. With over the air updates and remote diagnostics, software became the new driver of the car.
We are not far behind the point where manual intervention is necessary. The convergence of software and hardware is rapidly building intelligent systems that can make decisions on their own.
From Connected to Intelligent
Eight years ago, the pinnacle of a smart device was the cellular phone which could connect to the Internet. Today, houses can turn on the heater based on when the owner leaves work and depending on how bad the traffic is. Devices are no longer just connected, but making intelligent and informed decisions based on the data available to them from extrinsic sources. Watches are informing doctors about their patient’s current medical condition and allowing them to diagnose the patient even before they enter the hospital. Cars are able to relay information to the manufacturer about the need for a software update and scale up, without the owner’s explicit intervention.
With the quantum of data generated, devices and systems are able to adapt to their own requirements in a self-sustained manner and provide the end consumer with hassle free experiences. In several cases, smart devices are connecting with other smart devices to form a network of intelligent systems that can function on an end-to-end basis.
Through this journey, there has remained a constant that shaped the future of the connected experience ecosystem as we know it today: Software.
With software forming the glue that brings connected devices closer to their experiences, the market will soon see a steady increase in the demand for software led services. For our company, HARMAN’s announcement to acquire Symphony Teleca is a big step in this evolution – a partnership that promises to bring software and hardware closer to each other.
The next year is bound to see newer technologies flood the market, lowering the drawbridge that gaps the physical from the connected world.
Sanjay Dhawan is President and CEO of Symphony Teleca Corporation.
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