What are the most exciting IoT trends for 2018?

The Internet of Things is accelerating its entry into our daily lives and all walks of life. The connection and interaction between people and things, and between things and things are becoming more and more intelligent and convenient. There is no doubt that the Internet of Things is one of the most watched technologies in 2017. In just a few years, the Internet of Things has had a significant impact on various industries and business functions. According to Statista, the global Internet of Things market size is expected to exceed 1.7 trillion US dollars. Someone asked 17 well-known industry experts the following question: "What is the most exciting Internet of Things trend in 2018?" Here are their answers.

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1. The most exciting IoT trend in 2018 is using blockchain technology to speed up transactions, ensure trust and reduce costs

The most noteworthy IoT trend in 2018 is the use of blockchain technology to speed up transactions, ensure trust and reduce costs. The Internet of Things is such an exciting yet complex ecosystem. At various conferences this year, we have witnessed the hot discussion of the Internet of Things, and security issues will combine the next wave of innovation. With the development of industry, the number and variety of IoT solutions have exploded, providing sensing, processing, storage and communication. As we know, the Internet of Things aims to enhance and expand business processes and provide speed for innovation and growth. However, with billions of connected devices, security issues are mission-critical to address risks. Many experts believe that blockchain technology is the missing link to improve the privacy, security and reliability issues of the Internet of Things.

In short, blockchain technology can be used to track billions of connected devices, process transactions and save a lot of money for manufacturers in the IoT industry. It is a decentralized approach that eliminates single points of failure and creates a fairly robust ecosystem for running devices. Using the power of cryptographic algorithms, blockchain will ensure the confidentiality of consumer data, thereby increasing trust and reliable authentication. Blockchain distributed ledgers are tamper-proof because data does not exist in any single location. Blockchain has already proved its viability in the financial services sector through cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. By providing secure peer-to-peer transactions to eliminate third-party intermediaries, this is sure to disrupt another industry - FinTech.

2. “Smart Home”, “Smart Clothing and Smart Devices” Products

The most exciting trend in IoT for 2018 is the development of “smart clothing and devices” and products used in “smart homes”, which I very much believe will have a positive impact, making life more efficient and connected, as long as the proper protocols are in place, security awareness is present, and human factor risks are avoided.

3. Expansion of Voice-First Solutions

The most exciting IoT trend in 2018 is definitely the expansion of voice-first solutions. As consumers become more comfortable with smart assistants, every industry will be impacted by the ability to purchase products and services using voice commands. Combining AI and digital voice technology to improve the consumer experience will provide a personalized experience. In 2018, we will begin to see proactive digital concierge solutions that automatically provide contextual and relevant recommendations without the customer having to ask.

4. Voice-based services continue to grow and impact consumers’ daily lives***

One of the most noteworthy IoT trends in 2018 is the continued growth of voice services, which will absolutely impact consumers’ daily lives. We have already seen the increasing adoption of virtual assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home.

If implemented correctly, this integration of connected devices and AI has the potential to transform the lives of millions of older Americans, enabling richer experiences and safer independent living environments.

5. Growth of innovative IoT applications and the convergence of mobile, cloud, big data and IoT technologies

I believe the most exciting trend in IoT in 2018 is the pace of development and breadth we will see. We will see new IoT devices and uses being released at an accelerated pace and face competitive pressure on pricing, especially in the consumer space. We will see growth in innovative IoT uses and the convergence of mobile, cloud, big data and IoT technologies.

6. P2M, M2P and M2M devices will become smarter and be able to manage events without programming

We live in an exciting and fast-evolving world that is getting smarter every day. The Internet of Things is no exception. I think 2018 could be the starting line for AI integrated into IoT devices, with chips using low-level instruction sets working towards becoming “self-aware” sensors that can recognize and manage signals in an intelligent way, compared to the traditional actual sensors that are programmed to respond.

In other words, P2M, M2P and M2M devices will become smarter and have the ability to manage events without programming.

7. IoT will dominate 2018 as edge computing systems evolve, as the technology becomes more sophisticated and large-scale

The development of the Internet of Things will dominate 2018, with the development of edge computing systems, as the promotion of field technologies becomes more complex and larger. Edge computing represents the latest hardware, software and services located at the endpoints of the Internet of Things, making the technology more efficient, more scalable, more secure and easier to manage. By enabling the deployment of machine learning and artificial intelligence functions closer to the point of use, this will improve optimization and also make IoT solutions more intelligent. Edge computing will help make the rollout of the Internet of Things more complete and become the core of the main way enterprises work next year.

8. Next year will also see a significant penetration of IoT devices into homes and daily life

The IoT revolution has just begun. In 2018, companies across all industries will deploy IoT technologies and connect their devices and equipment. We will see massive amounts of data being generated and solutions will begin to emerge to leverage that data to make better decisions.

With the combination of machine learning and artificial intelligence, we will see many solutions that make these decisions more intelligent without human intervention by the end of 2018. Next year will also see a large penetration of IoT devices in applications in homes and daily life.

9. Machine learning will improve the ability to gain insights from IoT

I’m excited to see how machine learning will improve the insights gained from IoT, and how blockchain will be leveraged to improve IoT communications security in 2018.

10. Integrating AI technologies (such as deep learning) to improve IoT experience is key

Incorporating AI technologies such as deep learning to improve the IoT experience is key. In traditional IoT, predictive analysis and/or preventive maintenance of devices is done by analyzing data in the cloud and transmitted data from edge devices. But this is not always possible, and it will be critical to make edge devices smarter. Prediction rules can be discovered in advance in the cloud, and these lightweight rules can be deployed on edge devices. Secondly, deep learning techniques are known to require a large amount of training data, which can be a limiting factor for certain vertical industries. Advances in deep learning algorithms in this area, such as the recent "capsule" network, will make IoT applications easier to carry out.

11. The Internet of Things will take a major leap forward in 2018

The most exciting IoT trend in 2018 is that businesses are starting to take a step back and focus on IoT product strategy rather than keeping up with the latest technology trends. Companies big and small realize that IoT has huge potential, but they are also aware of the complexity of the technology. Technology trends are indeed interesting, but they alone do not guarantee the success of a product or company. If this trend continues, 2018 will create a huge leap forward in the development of IoT.

12. The big trends in IoT in 2018 are security and edge resilience

The big trends in IoT in 2018 are security and edge resilience. With the application of IPv6 to IoT, end-to-end network models for operational technology (OT) and IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) have emerged. It is expected that by the end of 2018, analytics and machine learning will be applied to edge computing.

13. Small businesses will be able to use IoT solutions in 2018

2018 will be the year when even small businesses can use IoT solutions, making IoT deployments in the “long tail.” Simple connectivity and integration with cloud and analytics capabilities make IoT solutions profitable and practical.

14. Focus on technologies that will grow exponentially in 2018: artificial intelligence, robotics, nanomaterials, biotechnology, bioinformatics, quantum computing, and the Internet of Everything

The Internet of Things represents an emerging world in which everyday objects and devices are connected to the Internet, most likely wirelessly, and can communicate with each other on some intelligent level. Today, we are already using devices, sensors, cloud infrastructure, data, and business intelligence tools. We should see exponential growth in all of these technologies in 2018: artificial intelligence, robotics, nanomaterials, biotechnology, bioinformatics, quantum computing, the Internet of Everything, these technologies will change everything we have. However, this is not just an IT industry phenomenon.

PayPal, Netflix, Skype, and Uber were also once considered toys, and in recent years the number of toy-stage technologies has increased dramatically: 3D printers, digital currencies, self-driving cars, smart watches, web TV, 3D glasses, robots, smart clothing, massive open online courses (MOOCs), drones, expert systems, DIY medical tests, the quantified self, artificial intelligence, and the list goes on. And that’s just the beginning.

15. The most exciting IoT trend in 2018 will be the use of IoT at the grassroots level to reach underserved communities

From what I understand, the most exciting IoT trend in 2018 will be the use of IoT at the grassroots level to reach underserved communities. This is a problem in developing countries, such as using IoT in agriculture, education, and health. This will be a demand for IoT and a money-making opportunity for IoT vendors, creating a win-win situation for everyone, including the government.