The recent Internet of Things Day on April 12th brought together makers, entrepreneurs, industry leaders and citizens to discuss the emerging Internet of Things, but despite the buzz around IoT day, what does it actually mean to our day-to-day lives?
Electronics supplier RS Components decided to put the scale of IoT into perspective.
Here’s the dramatic shift in devices connected to the web from 1990 until today:
- In 1990, there were over 300,000 desktop computers connected to the internet.
- In 2000, there were over 300 million desktops connected to the internet.
- In 2016, there are now over 2 billion mobile phones connected to the internet.
But it doesn’t end there. By 2020, there will be 13 billion things in your home connected to the internet, 3.5 billion things in vehicles connected to the internet, 411 million wearable things connected to the internet, 646 million things in hospitals connected to the internet and 9.7 billion things in your city connected to the internet.
The internet is in fact just getting warmed up. It will no longer just be computers and mobiles that are connected to the internet, it’s the heating that turns on when you start heading home, it’s the kettle that’s ready when you walk through the door and it’s the fridge that orders milk when you start running low.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a world of connected devices, smart cities and homes, all powered by the latest technologies. Still not sure what the Internet of Things is? Maybe this infographic might clear that up for you.
