Just hearing the term Internet of Things (IoT) is enough to excite most tech enthusiasts because it holds the promise of future wonders. Recent IoT trends hold the promise of altering industries in a positive way by streamlining processes to improve the customer experience and expand a company’s bottom line. 

The smart sensors of IoT have made automation improvements a reality while providing increased cloud storage so serverless and cloud agnostic platform services have both become the ‘norm.’ The development of 5G, blockchain, edge computing, and artificial intelligence are also pushing IoT developments further than ever imagined.

When you read about IoT, much of what is being said feels like it’s from a futuristic sci-fi movie, but it is now a reality. IoT was developed and widely pushed futuristic dreams that have the ability to change the world by letting people and technology truly communicate with each other. Everything from autonomous robots, medical devices that not only accurately make diagnosis but also have the ability to conduct surgeries, and self-driving cars are now a reality thanks to IoT. 

IoT Trends 2022 

In this article, we will take a glimpse at the future IoT trends of 2022 and see what tech and manufacturing professionals are predicting. IoT holds the promise of providing even more smart technologies in the coming year. It has already redefined the AR/VR market and will also offer solutions to help startups, large organizations, and SMEs seamlessly apply and use data for exciting new opportunities that help reduce costs and increase profits. 

Organizations that embrace modern technologies will drive business growth to even greater heights. At this point, it is mandatory that businesses embrace IoT as part of their strategies for the new year to ensure a successful and profitable future for everyone involved. 

1. Healthcare Improvements 

For the last two years, the world has struggled to cope with the COVID19 pandemic and the ever-evolving variants that have emerged such as Delta and Omicron. Healthcare is at the forefront of everyone’s mind and has become one of the most focused areas of IoT development. Specialized medical equipment such as insulin pumps, oxygen pumps, heart rate monitors, blood pressure monitors, and wheelchairs are all connected to the cloud to help with data collection so physicians can better understand their patients’ needs. 

The multi cloud managed services also let researchers autonomously improve quality of life. In order to collect data about the health conditions of patients they no longer need to risk bringing large groups of people together and exposing them to potentially infectious diseases (like Covid19). Physicians can now diagnose, examine, and track large numbers of patients in regions where physical access is often denied due to remoteness or the difficulty to reach/access. 

2. Cybersecurity

The burgeoning growth of devices connected to the internet puts people and businesses at risk of cyber threats. Through use of technology, organizations are easily hacked or exploited by criminals with bad intentions. Each year, the number and scope of cyber-attacks increases. Security researchers at Kaspersky say that approximately 1.5 billion attacks occurred in the first part of 2021 against IoT devices. It is projected that the number will only increase in 2022. 

Access points occur due to IoT because they are often not as secure as traditionally stored data on computers and smartphones. Also, IoT holds many light things which are easily stolen and need additional layers of security to protect. Luckily, change is on the horizon with manufacturers tidying up their security act with default passwords and other security measures. 

Gabriel Aguiar Nouri who serves as the robotics product manager at Canonical and the publisher of the Ubuntu operating system states in an interview with Datamation, “The IoT market is in a defining stage. People have increasingly adopted IoT devices and connected them to the internet. However, they’ve also downloaded apps onto their phones to control these devices, without even reading the terms and conditions. They’ve also been providing passwords and more sensitive data without understanding where they will be stored and how they will be protected. And even more importantly, they’re using devices without checking if they are getting security updates.” 

“The Morris worm was the first computer worm that gained significant mainstream media attention after it infested millions of computers and paralyzed the internet for several days. It was because of this scandal that the U.S. took cybersecurity risks seriously. And now, just like in 1988, people are not thinking enough about security risks, so it is up to the IoT companies themselves to take control of the situation.” 

“In 2022, we predict that more and more governments will start demanding that IoT manufacturers declare how long IoT devices will keep receiving security maintenance to their customers up-front. The U.K. is one of the first countries that started working on such regulations, conscious of the interconnected risk that IoT devices bring.” 

ForgeRock’s head of corporate development Ben Goodman believes that IoT will become more accountable for security and authorization. He states the following in the same interview with Datamation, “The evolution of IoT security is an increasingly key area to watch,” Goodman said. “Security can no longer be an afterthought prioritized somewhere after connectivity and analytics on the Internet of Things. Organizations need to start treating the ‘things’ on the Internet of Things as first-class citizens.”

“A first-class citizen means that non-human entities are prioritized and have all the attributes of traditional human-based identities. Just like a human, a thing should be required to register and authenticate, they should have relationships, and have access granted and revoked.”

“Doing this for a thing is a unique challenge because it can’t enter a username or password, answer timely questions, or think for itself. However, it represents an incredible opportunity to build a secure network of non-human entities working together securely.”

Without a doubt, heightened security is going to be the focus of the IoT sector for 2022. 

3. Edge Computing

IoT and edge computing work together to build devices that have on-board analytics capabilities which lets the computing be carried out close to the source of data. This is excellent for cloud computing and multi cloud Kubernetes management which collects data with sensors and then sends them to the cloud for analyzing.

Edge devices rely on smart sensors such as cameras with computer vision capabilities and microphones that have functions for processing of natural language. Computation takes place quickly which reduces the data being transmitted back and forth between the cloud and effectively lowers network congestion. 

Another adventure is the privacy implications from widespread IoT. When a device collects personal data, users can rest assured that they can get to the insights without relinquishing individual custody.

Edge computing increases the amount of computer power to smaller and power efficient devices like battery and interface design. 

In 2022, organizations are going to be seeking hybrid cloud management for delivery of the IoT services and edge computing is going to be an integral part of the solution because of its ability to provide fast and secure insights. 

4. Business and Industry 

IoT is often called the ‘industrial internet’ due to its far-reaching impact on manufacturing, services, goods, automation, and robotics. Small companies are turning more to IoT infrastructure. Business models with IoT automation boast increased efficiency and a greater ability to gain a better data-driven understanding of their processes and operations. 

Wearable devices such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headsets are going to become more commonplace in the coming year as they are used for training, maintenance, and simulation processes with digital twin methodologies. 

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Manufacturing operations, IoT technology like sensors within machinery that measure performance and provide predictive maintenance will also have the ability to better predict breakdowns and failures before they happen which gives companies greater efficiency. Problem parts can quickly be replaced or repaired before causing extensive and costly downtime. 

IoT tools are also encompassing 3D printing which offers more innovative and creative ways to build products. Also, there is the added freedom of greater customization and personalization all while minimizing waste.

5. Fostering Resilient Organizations

2020 and 2021 have taken their toll on businesses due to widespread disruptions. However, the emerging IoT technology has the potential to offer great opportunities to create truly disaster resistant organizations. Security is going to play a role, as mentioned above, but there will be other ways that IoT helps as businesses continue to solidify the shift to remote working and a return to the office environment for some. More than anything else, businesses want to make sure they don’t lose to their competitors.

The supply chain finished out the year of 2021 with substantial problems, but IoT is helping to track the movement of inventory between businesses. Yes, the delays are still going to occur, but the technology is helping to iron out substantial wrinkles with state-of-the-art monitoring tools that take efficiency even further for the workforces. IoT is going to foster resilience in the industry throughout the coming year.

6. Greater Customer Service Potential 

IoT has made and continues to make a massive impact on customer service with information delivery. CRM systems enjoy enhanced capabilities which allow them to quickly identify and report any customer issues. In addition, customer discussion and customer retention are also being enhanced thanks to IoT.

7. 5G Expansion 

IoT requires ultra-low latency combined with hyperconnectivity for success. 5G is the connective that is making IoT a reality. As cellular companies race to make 5G technology widely available, IoT development is continuing to expand and take things to the limit. 

In most areas, commercial 5G networks are live. 

In the next year, 5G expansion is going to let organizations further digitize their flexibility, reliability, mobility, and security. Historically, manufacturing plants would often need to hardwire their machines due to lack of Wi-Fi bandwidth, security, or reliability. With 5G, businesses enjoy greater performance and security to truly make an impact. It is going to further increase the feasibility of IoT.

IoT and 5G offer substantial cost savings to businesses which can operate, connect, and communicate with each other by relying on the following:

• Global internet coverage
• A per unit traffic efficiency of  90% greater energy efficiency 
• Faster and cheaper data transfer rates.

8. Greater Workforce Management 

Remote working appears to be here to stay for many organizations. They are now investing heavily in innovative technologies to simplify the process of remote work. Applications of IoT fosters remote workforce management and increase productivity. IoT futuristic applications include beacons and sensors for employee safety and customer service. 

Hybrid/remote work will continue with companies downsizing physical offices and investing in making the space more intelligent. Many will launch digital twins of their office space, and some might even look into shifting operations to the metaverse. Selfridges recently launched a virtual site with designer Charli Chohen. Customers can shop for garments via digital versions across over 300 virtual platforms. 

9.  Wearable Technology Surge 

The surge of wearable technology is being pushed by IoT. Smart watches have made a significant impact on lifestyle and helped fitness businesses integrate their health and fitness monitoring services for consumers. Healthcare has also embraced IoT and wearable devices. In the coming year, wearable monitors for asthma, heart attacks and EMG sensors will become widely available. 

10. Greater Personalization 

IoT offers greater depth of personalization . Currently, personalized information is already gathered and used for personalized marketing and recommendations of products and services. You probably notice this on social media and when using search engines. However, the increase is going to become even more pronounced in 2022 as data is gathered to improve day-to-day experiences. 

Devices coupled with IoT can be used for greater customized apps. An example is if you're playing music via a smart speaker, but the app could also recommend what you want to play next while giving the artist's social account or a specific news feed for the genre. The enhanced personalization is made possible as a result of IoT and will only become more expansive.  

IoT will take business and consumers to the brink and beyond with the agave 10 trending strategies that make not only business easier, but also everyday life. 

At Lyrid.io, we offer multi cloud integration architecture to code, deploy, and manage native web applications via native serverless cloud services so you can free yourself of platform dependency. We provide a variety of pricing plans and services such as multi cloud Kubernetes management, multi cloud managed services, and hybrid cloud management. 

Our platform runs P3iD's Scanner IoT solutions as a distributed serverless architecture for improved ingestion, understanding and utilization of data so you can scale your future functions to best fit your needs. To learn more, check out this case study HERE.   

Please contact us to learn more about our cutting-edge multi-cloud serverless services.

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