PPB April 2015

In a smart world, your entry lights

come on when you pull into the drive-

way and your alarm wakes you based on

the first scheduled appointment you put

into your calendar.

I first learned how it works from

Christina “CK” Kerley during the Expo

East keynote luncheon in Atlantic City

in March. Kerley is an innovator, speaker

and trainer on emerging technology and

a strong believer in the potential and

future of IoT. For the promotional prod-

ucts industry, IoT has significant impli-

cations because a product embedded

with connectivity becomes much more

than just a branded object, and the

applications are endless.

Imagine a roller bag that tells us

when it’s nearing the baggage carousel, a

medicine bottle that reminds us to take

our pills, cars that tell us when an avail-

able parking space is nearby, workout

clothing that can measure our vital

signs, an asthma inhaler that senses

when it’s about to be needed, and bas-

ketball shoes that track how hard we

play and how high we jump.

Stop imagining—this technology is

here now with smart thermostats that

adjust heat and cooling and microchips

that are slipped under the skin of a dog

or cat so they can be tracked if lost. But

on April 24, the Apple Watch makes its

debut as the first wearable personal

device within the IoT paradigm. Not

only does it give you the time within 50

milliseconds of the definitive global time

standard and handle your messages, calls

and emails, but it allows you to send

sketches, taps and “heatbeats” to friends

and family for a more genuine relation-

ship and a whole new way to connect.

Plus, an activity app will track and dis-

play your daily activity levels and give

you real-time stats for a variety of work-

outs. And, of course, you can personalize

it with a range of stylish, durable bands

including stainless steel, aluminum and

18k gold cases with sapphire crystals.

Yes, there’s a look for everyone.

Other companies are making strides

in the IoT area too. Just before this issue

went to press, Amazon acquired 2leme-

try, a Denver-based startup that has

developed an enterprise-focused plat-

form to track and manage IP-enabled

machines and other connected devices.

How the e-commerce and cloud services

giant will use these capabilities—and

what it could mean for consumers and

businesses

―

is still to be revealed.

IoT is big business. Kerley reported

that analysts are estimating the infu-

sion of computing and connectivity

into everyday products to be worth

between $6.5 and $15 trillion over the

next 10 years in profits to be made and

costs to be saved worldwide. And the

demand is definitely there. She esti-

mated that there are 7.5 billion mobile

devices on earth—more than the popu-

lation of the planet.

As smart objects get connected to

the internet and begin to generate data,

they are sure to bring with them

improvements in personal productivity

and efficiency. For businesses, smart

products will generate new revenue

streams, provide a strong market differ-

entiator, allow for user personalization

and optimization and give customers

deeper experiences. And it’s certain to

change our world too—both in good

ways and not so good ways.

There are the unintended conse-

quences to consider. Think about all

that data the devices are collecting—

and the increased opportunities for

cyber thieves to hack our personal

information. In addition, keeping track

of that data allows our every action to

be recorded, tracked and monetized.

However, progress is often a trade-off

with a downside we can’t avoid. But,

that’s a another challenge for bright

minds to solve.

Are You Ready For Smart

Everything

PERSPECTIVES

4 •

PPB

• APRIL 2015

HE INTERNET OF THINGS

(IoT) is the future—and it’s taking shape today. By definition, IoT

is a concept where everyday physical objects are connected to the internet and able to identify

themselves to other devices. Embedding “smart” technology into everyday items such as our cloth-

ing, dishwashers, light bulbs and coolers is expected to make our lives better and easier, and make our busi-

nesses more prosperous.

Tina Berres Filipski

Editor

PERSPECTIVES