According to the latest IoT research from Strategy Analytics, the Top 10 Internet of Things (IoT) Trends in 2018, the key factors impacting the IoT in 2018 are the ongoing need for stringent security, the challenge of the array of communications choices on offer, and the critical convergence of IT and OT (Operational Technology).
As the number of IoT deployments continues to grow, so does the visibility into the challenges that must be addressed. The need for Security solutions that must continually evolve and deal with unforeseen eventualities will remain a key trend across 2018.
The choice of which network connectivity technology to use will remain challenging, with many alternatives on offer. The convergence of OT and IT is a key issue that firms implementing IoT will need to address as the data generated by OT grows in magnitude and importance, said Strategy Analytics.
Other trends discussed in the report include Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain and Real-time location services (RTLS).
Andrew Brown, Executive Director, Enterprise and IoT Research, Strategy Analytics
The number one concern in the IoT remains security; where the increasing data volumes and procedures being driven by them, make it a critical challenge of any deployment. We expect to see companies embracing UEM (Unified Endpoint Management) solutions as the growth in distributed end points grows in tandem with the growth in Edge Computing. The security aspects of technologies such as Blockchain and infrastructure such as Edge Gateways do, however, illustrate how the security issue is being addressed throughout the IoT landscape.
Matt Wilkins, Senior Analyst, IoT Research, Strategy Analytics
Making the decision on which network connectivity technology to use in deployments, remains a key issue. In many cases, companies deploying IoT will not be well versed in the available options and their merits, despite vendor claims that end users select the most suitable technology for their needs. The buzz surrounding 5G in IoT continues to build, but will not rise to prominence until well after 2020, when there is broad commercial availability of 5G networks and IoT modules/gateways to run on them.
