Last updated: 07 July 2017
It’s time to celebrate! The IoT has now been added to the dictionary, symbolizing how the term is entering the mainstream. Few additions to the lexicon actually have the potential to revolutionize the way we read a dictionary (perhaps dictionaries of the future will come with IoT-connected touchscreens where readers tap to hear word pronunciations), so we’re delighted to see the phrase recognized in this way.
The last few months have witnessed the IoT expanding into new realms, opening up possibilities and revolutionizing a diverse range of fields, from the Rugby World Cup to children’s toys. Specialist sports wearables such as powerful fitness trackers equipped with heart monitoring systems, in-clothing sensors measuring anaerobic threshold and connected detectors monitoring head impact force are making Rugby safer.
The IoT is also making Toy Story a reality by creating toys which act out narratives independently, interact with humans and even each other. There are even possibilities to enhance our enjoyment of events, as we discussed in our post on Oktoberfest. There’s no question that wearables and M2M technology are the future.
The acceleration in IoT innovation means it’s difficult to predict where the technology will take us in future. That’s why we partnered with Telecoms.com to investigate the future of IoT and extrapolate the key issues facing business leaders. The report concluded that 62% of service providers will be ready to monetize their IoT investments by 2020.
Significantly, the IoT isn’t the only new technological development to be recognized by Dictionary.com. The phrases ‘fitness tracker’, ‘digital wallet’ and ‘digital citizen’ have also been added, reflecting their increasing prevalence in our connected society. The concept of the ‘digital citizen’ is particularly intriguing and is driven by countries like Estonia attaching huge importance to digital public services, online document validation systems and seamless connectivity with the provision of free Wi-Fi.
As the pace of technological change continues to gain momentum, we’re wondering what will be the next additions to the dictionary. If we had to take a guess, we’d say the IIoT might be a future inclusion. The Industrial Internet of Things is influencing a broad range of key sectors, such as oil, gas, healthcare, transport and utilities.
What’s your view on this exciting news about the IoT – and what do you think will be the next technological trend recognized by Dictionary.com? Let us know by tweeting to us @Gemalto or by posting a comment below.
