Not so long ago, you thought that if you could tell your house to play you a song or your fridge to check up on the groceries and make you a list — you must be a Jetson — or some other science fiction person. To those of us who still remember the invention of the mobile phone — we can quite clearly see how The Internet of Things (IoT) has permeated almost every core of our society.
A Brief List of Reasons Why IoT can Rule Many Non-Device Industries
It no longer takes a giant imagination to see how many non-device industries are going to be ruled by IoT — and maybe IoT can completely take it over.
Real Estate Is Getting Smarter
Millennials have just started home hunting, and judging by the fact that they’re willing to pay five percent above the average price so they could have a smart home, this certainly sparks interest.
When you think about it, it’s quite expected. Smart home features go beyond thermostat. There are smart lights, smart security cameras, automatic garage openers, motion alarm detectors, and plenty of other gadgets and systems that make our lives easier.
Essentially, real estate is about “location, location, location,” bathrooms, kitchens, and good insulation. Nevertheless, the IoT is changing the real estate market. When high-tech Generation Z is old enough to look for homes, we’ll probably witness an even greater change.
Personal Assistants Lose Value
The personal assistants will always exist, no doubt about it, but the number of people needed to keep track of events and meetings has definitely diminished.
Unfortunately, a worker with superb organizational skills that were once considered an invaluable asset is pretty much replaceable nowadays. For instance, for a private dentistry office to work, one has to keep track of all the available doctors, and quickly find the best time for the client. The front office deals with the cancellations and notifies the doctor so they can be on time. All patients can be kept track of — like patients records and insurance — whose canceled a couple of times in a row — tired yet?
Well, now all of that hard work is done by software, or an application, or some other automated system. Naturally, there is a person still there, but you needn’t pay them a fortune as they don’t possess specialized skills. No longer does your professional success rely heavily on an individual — now success is on the best software, bot, and personal assistant.
Publishing Prospects
Publishing prospects are not just e-books, online self-publishing, though it is very much connected to them. What the internet of things has brought us above all is incredible access to information and impatience. With wireless, you can do research on almost everything.
In former days you had to read through a whole article in order to answer one single question, such as “What is the percentage of freelancers in the US.” Today you just type a question (or the phrase) in your browser — and wha-la — you’ll get a direct answer. Often you don’t even have to bother clicking on the article.
Consequently, reading material is becoming shorter and shorter. Books made of paper still haven’t met their demise, but newspapers are seriously shaken by IoT. At the same time, devices will start searching for online information as well.
Changes in Hospitality
Thanks to websites such as Airbnb and Booking.com, hotels and similar facilities have suffered a huge blow. Today, you don’t even have to meet the host in person to get the keys. Everything can be done with smart locks and the help of your mobile phone. Smart home amenities are especially appealing to some, similarly to the real estate situation above.
Services and Monitoring
Yes, we’re all aware mobile apps have replaced millions of workers answering the phone, especially when it comes to taxi operators, for example. We can order our food via an app, and we can do it in a matter of minutes instead of waiting for someone to answer the call, wait for them to jot down the order, etc.
However, let’s talk about drones for a moment.
Today there is absolutely no need to send a cameraman into the air with a helicopter. Apart from filming sites from above for specific purposes (traffic monitoring, law enforcement), or dusting crops, drones can have an even more serious task. Fighter pilots are more than happy to be replaced by drones in some military missions as this can literally save their lives.
Conclusion
As you can see, the IoT extends its reach constantly. Would you say your life has changed for the better? In what ways? Hopefully, the IoT has provided you with new opportunities rather than challenges.
