The Internet of Things, the Future of IT?

More and more companies are seriously exploring the potential of the Internet of Things. According to a recent report from Microsoft, 3,000 decision-makers surveyed believe that within two years, 30% of their companies’ sales will be attributable to the IoT. What does this new paradigm mean for IT workers and the sector?

A part of the third phase of the internet’s evolution, Web 3.0, the IoT refers to all the links between physical objects and their digital existence. These connections provide access to the larger data networks, among other things, and create new knowledge and forms of knowledge.

According to a Forbes article predicting IoT trends in 2019, 3.6 billion objects connected to the internet were used in the past year for everyday tasks. This figure will continue to rise, with most Fortune 500 companies in the United States announcing that they plan to double the budget for smart objects in the next four years.

More job in the field

For Quebec, especially for Montreal, which is a major international hub for development of artificial intelligence, the rush to IoT is good news. IT developers and workers will be extensively called on to work on the platforms and programs for connected objects.

Companies such as Rogers, Bell, CGI and many others have already announced plans to invest in IoT development. There will certainly be job creation. In addition to developing connected services to improve user experience, Big Data specialists and analysts will also be called on to get involved in the field.

Any discussion of data collection includes security. With the breakneck rate of growth of IoT, protection issues are intrinsically linked, especially following the scandals involving companies such as Facebook/Cambridge Analytica, Capital One, and closer to home, Desjardins. There will certainly be a focus on developing highly secure programs that will enable personal data protection to be preserved. This is another aspect of IoT that will require hiring of experts in the field.

A major challenge

While the shift to IoT creates jobs, the labour shortage is a concern to be able to achieve the ambitious goals that Web 3.0 and businesses have in mind. “Achieving IoT’s full potential demands that industry respond to major challenges such as the labour shortage, concerns about security and the complexity of the solutions,” Microsoft’s research report on IoT says.

Solutions must therefore be found to meet the demand…

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