Deloitte Prediction: Wearable Technologies to Rise

NEW YORK, Jan. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ – Deloitte predicts smart glasses, fitness bands and watches, should sell about 10 million units in 2014, generating $3 billion according to its Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) Predictions 2014 report released today. Deloitte also predicts that the total global sales of smartphones, tablets, PCs, TV sets and gaming consoles will exceed $750 billion in 2014 and then plateau as consumer usage will continue to converge.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120803/MM52028LOGO-a )

“Our predictions for 2014 touch on a wide variety of topics, but there is some commonality among them. This can be seen specifically with mobile devices including tablets, wearables, phablets and also rugged devices,” said Eric Openshaw, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP and U.S. technology, media and telecommunications leader. “These newer technologies allow enterprises and consumers to become more connected, while opening a wealth of new business and communication opportunities. Enterprises that can capitalize on these new market segments will be well positioned for success in 2014 and beyond.”

For more than a decade, Deloitte’s TMT Predictions have forecasted many of the most influential trends in technology, media and telecommunications — making them a key source of market intelligence for businesses in all sectors.

The most significant TMT predictions to impact the marketplace in 2014:

1.       Wearables: the eyes have it — Smart glasses, fitness bands and watches, should sell about 10 million units in 2014, generating $3 billion. Of these wearable computer form factors, smart glasses should generate most revenues, from sales of about four million units at an average selling price (ASP) of $500. Smart fitness bands should sell four million units, at an ASP of$140; smart watches should sell about two million units at an ASP of $200.

2.      The Converged Living Room: a plateau approaches — Global sales of smartphones, tablets, PCs, TV sets and videogame consoles will exceed $750 billion in 2014, up $50 billion from 2013 and almost double the 2010 total. However, a plateau appears likely: sales are expected to continue growing, but at a slower rate than over the past 10 years, with an estimated ceiling of about $800 billion per year.

3.       Massive Open Online Courses: the future is bright — Student registrations in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) will be double compared to 2012 to over 10 million courses, but the low completion rates mean that less than 0.2 percent of all courses completed in 2014 will be MOOCs. The growing awareness of online education will force educational institutions to increase investment in this area, drive more acceptance of online education as it becomes accredited and increase adoption by corporate training groups.

4.       eVisits: the 21st century housecall — There will be 100 million eVisits globally, potentially saving over $5 billion when compared to the cost of in-person doctor visits  and representing growth of 400 percent from 2012 levels.

5.       Television measurement: for better and worse — Measurement of the viewing of domestic television programs is increasingly reflecting the growth of online viewing thanks to the introduction of hybrid measurement, which enables the inclusion of viewing taking place on PCs, tablets and smartphones into overall viewing numbers, and also includes other data sets, such as set-top box channel selections and video-on-demand server logs.

6.       Phablets are not a Phad, but they may be peaking — Shipments of phablets, smartphones with 5.0-6.9 inch screens, will represent a quarter of smartphones sold, or 300 million units. That is double the 2013 volume, and 10 times 2012 sales. But after initial rapid consumer success, 2014 may mark a ‘peak phablet’ year, as only a (sizeable) minority of smartphones users will want to handle such a large device.

7.       The smartphone generation gap: Over 55? There’s no app for that — Those over 55 years of age will be the age group experiencing the fastest year-on-year rises in smartphone penetration across developed markets. Ownership should rise between 45 to 50 percent by year-end, lower than the approximately 70 percent penetration rate for 18-54 year olds, but a 25 percent increase from 2013.  

8.       Rugged devices at $250: reinventing the business case for mobile field force — The entry price for a ruggedized, connected data device that can be used by some field force workers, as well as to undertake tasks such as car rental check-in inspections, inspecting highways or delivering packages, will fall to $250

BT trials new network tech for ‘Internet of Things’

BT has begun trialling a new technology from tech company Neul on machine-to-machine (M2M) communications using ‘white space’ technology.

These tests involve sending traffic information to and from moving vehicles via gaps – or ‘white spaces’ – in the frequencies bands used for digital TV broadcasting.

White space networking could enable up to 50 billion devices to be connected wirelessly to the internet by 2020, say BT.

“The internet of things market has huge potential, but existing short-range and cellular networking technologies are unable to meet the requirements of many applications we see,” Mark Harrop, director of mobile strategy at BT, said. “A networking technology that can provide deep indoor coverage, last for many years from a single battery, is simple to use, and comes at the right price point is essential for realizing the true potential of the internet of things.”

Bins that ask to be emptied

BT has been conducting these trials since late last year, but now they are using the new NeulNET system. The NeulNET system provides two-way, wide area M2M networking that Neul claims “far outreaches today’s GPRS, 3G, CDMA and LTE WAN solutions”.

The NeulNET system uses an antenna-equipped base station that can provide wireless coverage in a radius of up to five kilometers, along with terminal modules that can run for up to 15 years on two AA batteries and can communicate from deep within buildings or underground.

The system, delivered by Neul as a cloud-based managed communication service, can operate in either licensed or unlicensed spectrum, and across a wide range of frequency bands.

Neul adds that it expects to announce further deployments of its NeulNET technology throughout 2014. It says the system could enable smart-city applications ranging from waste-disposal bins that “ask to be emptied” to green-belt areas and farms that are monitored and watered efficiently.

Source: http://www.machinetomachinemagazine.com/2014/01/17/bt-trials-new-network-tech-for-internet-of-things/?goback=.gde_73311_member_5830952359269793796#!

Internet of Things creating new challenges for cyber-security

The hackers who got into your computer or smartphone are now taking aim at the Internet of Things.
The connected toothbrush, sports gear with embedded sensors and smart refrigerators are just a few of the objects showcasing innovations at the Consumer Electronics Show.
They are all impressive but "they're all breachable" said Kevin Haley, director of Symantec Security Response, while attending the huge high-tech trade show.
"If the object is connected to the Internet, you will find it, and if it has an OS (operating system) you can hack it," he told AFP at the Las Vegas expo.
Haley said the pace of innovation could outstrip the security protecting the devices.
"As we start to bring all this new stuff in our houses, we're going have to take some responsibility," he said.
The devices displayed the CES show included an array of gear from a connected basketball to baby clothing which monitors an infant's breathing and positioning.
And security researchers have shown the possibility, at least in theory, of hacking into automobile electronics or medical devices like pacemakers.
Catalin Cosoi, chief security strategist at the firm Bitdefender, said the threat remains mostly theoretical for now.
"I don't think the bad guys have understood the benefits for them of making use of such things yet," he said.
But Cosoi said some new hack in inevitable which could cause people to take notice.
"We're definitely going to see something happening this year we might see the first collateral victim, a person being physically harmed," he added.
The introduction of Internet-enabled door locks at CES poses the obvious question of whether the devices can be compromised by hackers.
Alex Colcernian, director of product development at Unikey, which powers Kwikset remote-control locks, said the technology includes "military grade encryption" to stay secure.
Leo Herlin of French-based Medissimo, which introduced a smart pill box, said the system is "extremely secure" to prevent unwanted intrusions.
One factor that mitigates the risk is that with billions of objects likely to be connected, the value to hackers could be limited in most cases: would a hacker penetrate a refrigerator to steal someone's grocery list?
"You've got to be smart consumers when you're using a smart device," said Randy Overton, national product trainer for South Korean giant LG, which showed off its smart appliances that can communicate by text message with the owner.
To allay potential concerns, computer chip giant Intel announced at CES that it would offer its McAfee security service for connected devices free of charge,.
Intel chief executive Brian Krzanich told a CES keynote that offering this level of security would "allow this ecosystem to flourish."
Equipment maker Cisco estimates that 50 billion objects worldwide will be connected by 2020.
"It is impossible to put security software on every object," said Cisco's David Orain.
The answer is to look and address "abnormal activity" linked to the connected devices, said Orain, noting that this is part of what Cisco offers clients.
One of the areas where security concerns are paramount are in industrial applications.
Andreas Haegele of the France-based digital security firm Gemalto said electronic tracking has been done for decades for things like shipping containers and petroleum platforms, and that the security of these objects is now in focus.
US cybersecurity officials have also stepped up warnings for hacking into so-called critical infrastructure like pipelines and power grids.
Symantec's Haley said that last month's publicized hacking into a nanny cam drew headlines but that no real damage was done.
But the same technique could be used for industrial espionage.
"If I can break into the security cameras of my competitor's factory, I can see exactly how the factory works," Haley said.

source: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/internet/features/internet-of-things-creating-new-challenges-for-cyber-security-470666?goback=.gde_73311_member_5830728366566711298#!

Google and the internet of things Feathering its Nest

HOLY cripes, Google just broke into my home”, was a typical reaction on Twitter to news on January 13th that the internet giant had splashed out $3.2 billion of its cash pile on Nest, a startup that makes smart thermostats and smoke-alarm systems for houses and apartments. The deal is striking not just because it represents a massive pay day for a hardware company that is only a few years old. It is also a landmark deal that signals the coming of age of the internet of things, or “Thingternet”—a world in which everything from household gadgets to cars, clothes and pets are connected wirelessly to the web.
Home automation is clearly an important building block in this next stage of the evolution of the internet, which according to Intel could lead to some 31 billion web-connected devices by 2020. There are already plenty of connected televisions and personal computers in homes. But in future, all kinds of personal appliances and gadgets will talk to their owners—and to each other—via the web.
Hence Google’s decision to fork out some of the $57 billion in cash and marketable securities that it has amassed on Nest—its second-largest acquisition since snapping up Motorola Mobility, another device-maker, for $12.5 billion in 2011. The Nest deal, which Google hopes to close in a few months, after getting regulatory approval, not only wins it a big foothold in the Thingternet, but will also bring it some impressive talent. Tony Fadell, Nest’s boss, was the creator of the iPod at Apple and also intimately involved in the development of the iPhone. The sleek design of the Nest thermostat, a round device with a brushed-metal surround and a convex glass screen that displays the temperature (pictured), is testament to Mr Fadell’s design instincts. Nest is also home to a number of other Apple alumni.
Some had speculated that Apple might acquire Nest, given Mr Fadell’s past history with the company and the fact that the colossus of Cupertino seems in need of some fresh creative blood. But it is Google that has walked off with the prize. Mr Fadell will report to Larry Page, the online giant’s chief executive, and the plan is for Nest to run as a standalone business, leveraging Google’s vast resources and know-how to speed Nest's growth. The firm says that its smartphone apps, which connect customers to their devices, will continue to run on Apple’s iOS operating system, which is a rival to Google’s Android.
The deal certainly makes sense for Google, though it is hard to tell whether the firm has paid a reasonable price for Nest, whose finances are shielded in secrecy. Google is already deeply involved in the Thingternet via things such as its driverless cars and the personal robots that are under development in its secretive Google X lab.
But the move also raises plenty of questions. For instance, does Google intend to profit solely from sales of Nest’s hardware or does it see other opportunities to make money from these gadgets, perhaps by placing ads on screens? And what will happen to all of the data generated by Nest’s gizmos? That is more than an academic question given Google’s chequered history on data-privacy issues. Nest says its existing privacy policy will not change for now, but has not ruled out modifications in future. Expect privacy activists to turn up the heat on Google at the first sign of any shift in position.

source: http://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2014/01/google-and-internet-things

The 10 Smartest Cities In Europe

When it comes to smart cities, Europe is the model for the rest of the world to learn from. European cities tend to be denser, have better public transit, larger commitment to cycling and walking, a stronger focus on sustainability and low-carbon solutions, and perhaps most important, a culture and citizenry more engaged in the journey towards more sustainable and smarter cities. Of course this is a generalization: this series of regional ranking reports has demonstrated leadership from cities across the globe.
But, as I wrote in our rankings of North America's smartest cities, our urban centers "demand 21st-century solutions to accommodate their growing populations in ways that not only maintain the quality of life, but also improve it. In short, smart cities are innovative cities."
Without further ado, here is the top 10 smart cities for Europe in 2013 (and here's more about how we ranked them).

1: Copenhagen

Notching top spot for the second year in a row Copenhagen has established a reputation as the leading green city across the globe. Copenhagen led the Siemens Green City Index for Europe and has also been selected as the European Green Capital for 2014. And with good reason. Copenhagen has one of the lowest carbon footprints/capita in the world (less than two tons/capita). Copenhagen also has the most ambitious carbon reduction plan of any major city in the world. They aspire to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025. That may sound a ways away but that is only 12 years from now.
In order to achieve such an ambitious goal, the city has established hardcore targets including energy efficiency and renewable objectives, green building standards (all new buildings to be carbon neutral by 2020), and increased transit access to name a few.
Of course, our readers are well aware of the impressive cycling rates in the city-approximately 40% of all commutes are conducted by bike. The city also recently collaborated with MIT to develop a smart bike equipped with sensors to deliver to provide real-time info to not only the rider but also to administrators for open data aggregation on issues of air contamination and traffic congestion.

2: Amsterdam

Like Copenhagen the cycling rates here are off the charts. In fact, Amsterdam may be the only city in the world that has more problems with pedestrian and cycling traffic congestion than vehicle congestion. 67% of all trips are done by cycling or walking. In fact, on a daily basis there are 10,000 bikes parked anywhere a space can be found adjacent to the central train station.

But Amsterdam is much more than just bikes. In fact, in speaking with the founder of this first bikesharing project in the world, which occurred in Amsterdam decades ago, Luud Schimmelpennick, showed me videos of their first experiment in electric vehicle sharing in the early 1990s.
In recent years, Amsterdam has stepped up its pace to be a leading smart city. Amsterdam Smart City is a public private partnership focused on using the city as an urban laboratory for the use of open data, new mobility solutions and ultimately improved quality of life for all residents and visitors. The collaboration has already supported more than 40 smart city projects ranging from smart parking to the development of home energy storage for integration with a smart grid.

3: Vienna

Vienna has long been known as having a very high quality of life, but it is a city that hasn’t rested on its quality reputation. Vienna has a sizable range of smart cities activities and a planning department, led by Thomas Madreiter, that gets it.
In fact Vienna recently created a public private entity, TINA Vienna which is tasked with co-developing smart city strategies and solutions for the city. They gave me a document which summarizes more than 100 smart cities projects being developed throughout the city. One cool project is the so-called “Citizen Solar Power Plant." With a goal of obtaining 50% of their energy from renewables by 2030, the city partnered with the local energy provider, Wien Energy, they developed a crowd-funding model whereby individual citizens can buy half or whole panels and receive a guaranteed return of 3.1% annually.
Vienna is also testing out a range of electric mobility solutions from expanding their charging network from 103 to 440 stations by 2015 to testing EV carsharing and electric bike rentals. Another important innovation has been in rezoning dense neighborhoods allowing for zero-parking residential buildings. Residents in these communities commit to not owning a personal vehicle.
Finally, Vienna is renovating a 40 hectare former slaughterhouse district and turning it into a much smarter use: an innovation district focused on media science and technology. By 2016, the city expects 15,000 people to working on startups in the Neu Marx Quarter district.

4: Barcelona

Barcelona is a cosmopolitan city known for its sun, architecture, and lively streets. Yet, Barcelona has been building a rather impressive portfolio of smart city initiatives over recent years. The city has taken a unique position of not only advancing its own initiatives, but trying to provide support for the global smart cities movement. This has been manifested in a few key initiatives. One, Barcelona holds the premier global event for smart cities stakeholders, the Smart Cities Expo World Congress. Pilar Conesa, the city’s former chief technology officer, is the director of the congress, and with her support, Barcelona has actually expanded this initiative to other parts of the world. This year, they co-hosted a smart cities expo in Bogota to serve the Latin American region. Barcelona is the driver behind the City Protocol initiative which seeks to connect global cities in pilot projects to address common challenges.
But for those living in Barcelona (or visiting) there is a lot going on in this space. Barcelona was an early player in testing e-mobility. They have an excellent bike-sharing project with more than 6,000 bikes, although last I visited, only residents could use them. Barcelona has also been testing all kinds of sensors on everything from noise and air contamination to traffic congestion and even waste management. Barcelona’s 22@ innovation district is also an impressive mix of smart urban planning and entrepreneurial innovation. This sector of the city has been transformed into an innovation home attracting local and international entrepreneurs to set up shop. The district has been so successful that it has inspired cities like Boston and Buenos Aires to follow suit. With all of their innovations and strong quality of life, perhaps it is no surprise that the life expectancy in Barcelona is among the highest of cities I have studied (83 years).

5: Paris

Paris, most known for its fantastic museums and of course the Eiffel Tower, Paris has become a pioneer in the smart cities arena. Their most impressive initiatives have been in their complete embrace of shared mobility. Paris has led the world in their expansive and widely used bikesharing network, Vélib'. Currently, the system has more than 20,000 bikes and 1,800 bikes throughout the city. Evidence suggests that Velib has led to a 5% reduction in vehicle congestion in the city. Not to be outdone, the city partnered with Bolloré to create one of the world’s first and most expansive EV carsharing programs. Launched in 2011, Autolib will soon have 3,000 EVs in its carsharing fleet.

Paris has also managed to foster a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Startup Genome project recently measured city-based entrepreneurial ecosystems around the globe, taking into account variables such as access to capital, volume of startups each year and innovations generated. Paris’ ecosystem was rated 11th best in the world.

6: Stockholm

Stockholm has a deservedly green reputation. In fact, about 40% of its land mass is dedicated to green space. Stockholm was rated #2 in Siemens Green City Index. In 2010, Stockholm was the first city to be awarded the EU Green Capital status. Stockholm residents are also amongst the highest per capita users of the Stockholm Metro system. Like its Scandinavian peer, Copenhagen, Stockholm also aspires to become carbon neutral, by 2050 instead of 2025. Due to congestion management including urban tolling and pollution controls, Stockholm is the only global city to meet stringent the World Health Organization’s recommended air contaminant standards. Stockholm also can boast about its 800 kilometers of cycling paths.
It’s not all about being green. Stockholm has also received top marks for its commitment to digital governance. Out of 100 global capitals surveyed by Rutgers University, Stockholm was rated 7th and scored 1st amongst cities for its commitment to data privacy and security for citizens. The Stockholm Royal Seaside (SRS) urban regeneration project has also become a test bed for new information and communication technologies (ICTs) designed to improve the quality of life, grow the local economy and help Stockholm remain a green leader in the region.

7: London

Not surprisingly, London earned first place in the smart economy category. It has long been considered the financial capital of Europe, but it has also emerged as a leader in entrepreneurship. The Startup Genome project rated London the 7th best entrepreneurial ecosystem, number one in Europe.

Of course London made waves with its congestion zone which generates additional income for the city while reducing traffic in the urban core. London also took strategic use of the Olympics (like Vancouver before them) to help make the city greener while also focusing on economic development. London’s Royal Docks emerged from the Olympics planning as a regenerated, sustainable commercial and residential area. This area is already home to one of the greenest and smartest buildings in Europe, the Crystal, built by Siemens to showcase smart city technologies.

8: Hamburg

Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany and the first of two to make the top 10 ranking this year. Like a few others on this list, Hamburg also was awarded the European Green Capital designation in 2011. Hamburg also offers a high standard of living having been ranked 17th globally by Mercer in 2012 and eighth globally by Numbeo.
In recent years, Hamburg has embarked on widescale transformation. At 157 hectares, HafenCity (Harbor City) is Europe’s largest urban regeneration project. When completed in 2025, this roughly $14 billion project will house a university, a port, and lots of mixed-use residential and commercial development connected with excellent, green transit.

9: Berlin

Berlin has a lot going for it as well. A concept closely tied to smart cities is the creative class work led by famed researcher Richard Florida. The evidence suggests that successful cities of the future will be those that are able to attract and retain the creative class who will lead urban renewal and economic growth through innovation and entrepreneurship and by supporting a vibrant cultural scene. Berlin has that in spades.
Enrique Moretti said it better than I can, in his recent book, The New Geography of Jobs: “Berlin’s well-established progressive attitudes, gritty but interesting architecture, and tormented history inspire a feeling of experimentation ... two zoos, three major opera houses, seven symphony orchestras, and scores of museums ... Walking along the beautiful streets of the historic downtown, you cannot escape the impression that this unique mix of creativity and high quality of life is hard to surpass ...”

10: Helsinki

Helsinki barely edged out Oslo for the 10th and final spot in this year’s rankings. Helsinki really shines in the Smart Government arena. They have more than 1,000 open datasets and have been actively promoting engagement with developers through hackathons. They also played host to the first global Open Knowledge Festival in 2012. Berlin by the way is the host in 2014. Helsinki also launched their Forum Virium Smart City Project to provide ubiquitous data to their citizens in hopes of improving quality of life.
Oslo, Brussels, and Frankfurt earned honorable mention for 2013.


source: http://www.fastcoexist.com/3024721/the-10-smartest-cities-in-europe?goback=.gde_73311_member_5830952359269793796#2

Fourth wave of the Internet

Companies providing various technologies they see the opportunities that are created from the Internet of Things ( IoT ) . " There is a potential market that is growing at a rate of 30 % per year and is estimated to reach 6 billion euros in 2015," said Fabian Valverde , director of SAP's mobility during the 2013 FUTURECOM panel.
What is SAP sees also glimpsed by companies such as Ericsson , Cisco , Qualcomm , among others . Everyone wants to grab a slice - still incipient - Business IoT . Oren Pinsky , Qualcomm , emphasizes the connection machine to machine will be within almost all business processes within the short to medium term. " About 70 % of cars in 2017 will be connected in one way or another. "
Observing this scenario, Marcelo Ehalt , director of engineering at Cisco , explains that the IoT is the fourth wave of the internet . " The first wave was the web browser and e- mail , then e-commerce emerged . The third wave was the immersive Internet , with social networks , mobility , collaboration.

In foundation of everything, the network

One fact is certain: the Internet of Things deeply impacts the architecture of telecommunications networks. As explained by Jesper Rhode, director of innovation at Ericsson, many devices will be connected by wireless networks, but not necessarily for cellular networks, even though the latter may also play a key role, for example, sensors street or transportation, where cable is expensive pass.

"In the future, networks will have to connect wireless devices without mobility profiles, ie, will not require a review of BTSs in real time." And Ericsson is eyeing the market that forms from the adaptation of mobile networks -fixed.

For Cisco, the Internet of Everythings - IOE, as the provider has decided to appoint the concept - it also represents an opportunity to sell network equipment. "Connectivity is basic principle," says Ehalt. "You must use technologies for optimization and improvement."

If Cisco and Ericsson look to network components that will be affected by the explosion of connected objects for the SAP of the big issues is to enter the market of tools that analyze the huge amount of data from the Internet of Things and turn them into information . And how to make a predictive analysis to give companies tools so they take decisions in advance. Other opportunities also arise from segments such as security, privacy and control of the devices. 

Entrevista de Kevin Ashton ao portal Convergência Digital

A Internet das Coisas ainda está em fase inicial, mas seu potencial é imenso. Em entrevista ao Convergência Digital, Kevin Ashton, que cunhou o termo, fala sobre o papel das diversas tecnologias para alcançar a tão sonhada conexão entre máquinas sem interferência humana. Ashton ficou bastante conhecido pela sua defesa da tecnologia de identificação por radiofrequência (RFID). “A Internet das Coisas tem o potencial de mudar o mundo, assim como a Internet o fez. Talvez até mais”, pontuou.

Convergência Digital — O termo Internet das Coisas foi cunhado por você. Como se deu isto?
Kevin Ashton — O termo Internet das Coisas ganhou vida como título de uma apresentação que fiz para a Procter & Gamble em 1999. O que eu quis dizer naquela época, e que ainda digo, é o seguinte: hoje, computadores — e, portanto, a Internet — são quase totalmente dependentes de seres humanos para obter informações. Quase todos os cerca de 50 petabytes (um petabyte equivale a 1024 terabytes) de dados disponíveis na Internet foram capturados e criados por seres humanos, seja digitando, apertando um botão de gravação, tirando uma foto digital ou digitalizando código de barras. Diagramas convencionais da Internet incluem servidores e roteadores e assim por diante, mas deixam de fora os mais numerosos e importantes roteadores de todos os tempos: as pessoas. O problema é que as pessoas têm tempo, atenção e precisão limitados em tudo, o que significa que elas não são muito boas em captar dados sobre as coisas do mundo real.

CD — O que isto quer dizer?
Ashton — Isto é de grande relevância. Nós somos físicos e assim também é o nosso ambiente. Nossa economia, sociedade e sobrevivência não são baseadas em ideias ou informações, mas sim em coisas. Você não pode comer bits ou queimá-los para se aquecer ou transformá-los em seu tanque de gasolina. Ideias e informações são importantes, mas as coisas importam muito mais. No entanto, a tecnologia da informação de hoje é tão dependente de dados originados por pessoas que os nossos computadores sabem mais sobre ideias do que sobre coisas.
Se tivéssemos computadores que soubessem tudo o que haveria para saber sobre as coisas, usando dados coletados, sem qualquer ajuda nossa, seríamos capazes de monitorar e contar tudo, além de reduzir muito o desperdício, a perda e o custo. Assim, nós saberíamos quando as coisas precisariam de substituição, reparo ou tivessem recall. E ainda saberíamos quando as frutas estariam frescas ou passadas.
Precisamos capacitar os computadores com os seus próprios meios de capturar informação para que eles possam ver, ouvir e sentir o mundo por si mesmos, em toda a sua glória aleatória. A [identificação por radiofrequência] RFID e tecnologias de sensor permitem que os computadores observem, identifiquem e compreendam o mundo, sem as limitações dos dados inseridos por humanos.

CD — Há bastante tempo você fala sobre sensores que ligam tudo. O que mudou desde que começou a levantar a questão?
Ashton — Em dez anos, fizemos um grande progresso, mas a comunidade RFID precisa entender o que é tão importante sobre o que a nossa tecnologia faz, e manter-se advogando para ela. A Internet das Coisas tem o potencial de mudar o mundo, assim como a Internet o fez. Talvez até mais.

CD — Você sempre focou muito em RFID, mas agora, quando falamos de Internet das Coisas, aborda-se mais a conexão por chips de celular. O que aconteceu?
Ashton — RFID (que contém um chip) é um caminho para os computadores perceberem identidade. Isto é essencial antes mesmo de outros tipos de sensores (por exemplo, de temperatura) que são realmente úteis. Como já se resolveu o problema de identidade, temos sido capazes de avançar para outros tipos de sensores.

CD — Como a Internet das Coisas vai evoluir?
Ashton — É difícil prever, mas esperamos mais sensores, mais ubiquidade e mais e mais dados. E mais consequências inesperadas.

CD — Em que estágio de adoção de IoT estamos?
Ashton — Estamos apenas começando. Nós ainda temos muito que aprender. Minhas previsões são sempre erradas; e há muita coisa que não sabemos. É um grande sistema e vai levar um longo tempo ainda. Eu prevejo que vai demorar mais do que esperamos.

CD — Quais indústrias estão na frente, liderando este movimento?
Ashton — A indústria automotiva é uma delas, e o varejo é outra. A primeira beneficia-se da rápida identificação em estradas e dos sistemas de sensores em veículos. Já os varejistas estão fazendo o gerenciamento da cadeia de abastecimento, que tem escala e complexidade sem precedentes. E fazer a captura de dados de forma automatizada dá a eles uma eficiência essencial.

CD — Como você avalia os fornecedores de TI preparando-se para prover soluções para IoT? Qual é o impacto para as empresas de telecom?
Ashton — Os vencedores serão provavelmente empresas das quais nunca ouvimos falar, as start-ups que, provavelmente, vivem seus estágios iniciais hoje. É assim que sempre acontece. Eu não sei o papel que as telcos irão desempenhar. Existe o perigo de ser tarde demais. Quando você está fazendo bilhões de dólares a partir de algo como telefonia, pode ser difícil ficar animado sobre fazer milhões de algo como a Internet das Coisas. Então, um dia, IoT valerá bilhões, e pode ser que elas tenham perdido a oportunidade. A indústria de tecnologia geralmente “troca sua pele” a cada vez que há uma grande mudança como esta.

fonte: Convergência Digital

M2M: the Multinational is going shopping in Brazil

In November, according to Anatel, the assets of M2M terminals were 8,175,309 million, a significant increase over 2013. And the market is mobilized. In Brazil, mergers and acquisitions are a reality. The Wyless, multinational company, bought 65% stake in Brazilian TM Year, M2M pioneer in the country, with the investment of approximately $ 7 million, reversed in infrastructure, human resources and technology.

There are 13 years in this market, the TM Data operates a managed network that connects the four mobile operators in Brazil, Claro, OI, TIM and Vivo customers. Operates through various business sectors such as automotive, infrastructure, security, medical and financial services. According to the CEO of TM Data, Sérgio Souza, companies are accustomed with the service provided directly by operators. With that suffer the lack of an offer that suits the logistical demands, technical customizations, differentiated service, special business plans, advanced management, incentive and innovation.

Renamed Wyless TM Date Brazil, the company has bold plans and wants of the country, expand its presence in Latin America. "Alternative sales channels spread all over the country will be available, plus new options for financing equipment to meet the huge existing demand," says the CEO of TM Data.

The investment will be the first major deployment of Porthos system, the most advanced management platform and awarded worldwide, able to ensure the continuity and management of M2M solutions. The investments planned for 2014 are around $ 1.5 million in retention and training of new talents and still projects the opening of new offices in Latin America and Rio de Janeiro. "Brazil is one of the largest growth opportunities in M2M in relation to the world market, and one of the greatest challenges of the BRIC group." Concludes Dan McDuffie, CEO of Wyless.  

High-risk applications for Android will reach 3 million

By publicizing the annual report forecasts safety - "Mixing Barriers: Forecast Trend Micro security for 2014 onwards" - the company's information security indicates that a large data breach will occur each month and advanced attacks of banking on mobile devices and targeted attacks have accelerated pace. Threats to critical infrastructure and security challenges derived from the Internet of Things and the Deep Web are also highlights.

The forecasts for 2014 in the area of Information Security also highlight:

• Malicious applications and high risk for Android will reach 3 million;  
• Banking through mobile devices will be compromised by increased attacks via an intermediary, making verification inadequate in two steps;
• Cybercriminals increasingly use methods of targeted attacks, such as the research of open source and highly personalized spear phishing;  
• Mobile devices are increasingly targeted by advanced threats, including clickjacking and "watering hole" attacks;  
• Lack of support for popular software such as Java 6 and Windows XP will expose millions of PCs to attack;
• The public trust, compromised by the revelations monitoring ordered by the United States will result in a variety of efforts to restore privacy;
• The Deep Web will continue to explore the lack of capacity of law enforcement to deal with the spread of cybercrime.

The report also focuses on the rise of the Internet of Things, which promises to be the notorious watershed related to personal technology. With increased being delivered by utilitarian and usable technology as watches and sunglasses, the possibility of cyber crime on a large scale deriving from identity theft, reality is a very real possibility as technology continues its proliferation. 

Health, storage, logistics, transport and energy are among the most advanced in IoT

A wide network created from the connection objects that contain embedded that make them able to communicate and interact with each other without human interference technologies - - can be applied to various industries Internet of Things concept . Vary , however , the goal of each and pace of adoption.
To Elia San Miguel , principal research analyst at Gartner , there are areas where it is easier to drive the growth of the Internet of Things , such as m -health , storage ( warehouse ) , logistics and transportation , primarily in the communications vehicle to vehicle. " These are areas that are more mature and that , within our circle hype , are more advanced ," he said in an interview with Digital Convergence .
Jesper Rhode , director of innovation at Ericsson, ranks among the areas that are flagships for the Internet of Things boost the energy sector , the financial system , automating supermarket ( self-service , where goods and people register online payment) traffic management and the health sector , which has devoted considerable investments to this.
Elia cites applications ranging from flags wave ( that green or red signal ) communicating with the GPS to direct where the car is parked in a mall to fleet control and warehouse management .

 "We think there will be plenty on the Internet of Things in less than two years, except in the health sector. Within two to five years, we will start seeing more of the conditions of adoption and implementation, "said Elia. Health, with an aging population, it makes more sense for the government coffers monitor the patient for a preventive treatment to afford higher costs later.

For the next five years, the analyst expects greater adoption by the energy companies, deploying smart grid solutions. At present, the bottleneck is in discussions on the regulatory framework, business model and ecosystem. "The timing depends on the whole system, who will pay, how will work box. These are issues that still need to be defined, "says Elia.

 Rhode believes the business model in the area of ​​utilities is already beginning to materialize. "There were doubts about who would fund it. What is happening is that energy companies are offering cheaper rates depending on the time, but the consumer has to buy the device that makes this measurement. It is an investment that pays for itself with the economy, "he says.

Besides these, there are great expectations for the segment of housing within the concept of smart homes, with widespread adoption of automation solutions for homes and so-called smart cities.

"We deal as a management platform chips, but our strategy goes beyond. We have a pilot fleet management and a platform for utilities, "said Eduardo Tadeu Takeshi Ohmachi, Telefonica Vivo in the last FUTURECOM panel.

"The areas that will further advance this time are those with the greatest financial return to connect the devices," ponders Rhode. Some examples he mentions the monitoring and control of energy with smart grid and consumption points controlled by the internet.