Published: July 05, 2011
50 Billion Devices Will Connect to Wireless Networks By 2020
Don't be surprised if soon you start getting messages from your fish tank to let you know the filter needs changing, from your house that needs repainting, or from your washing machine that found your left sock. "Network World," an international provider of information, intelligence, and insight for IT executives, predicts fifty billion devices will connect to wireless networks by 2020.
"Considering the world's population is a little over six billion, wireless connections won't be just connecting people," says Dr. Nick Bontis, author of "Information Bombardment: Rising Above the Digital Onslaught." "Machines will be talking to us and to each other."
According to Dr. Bontis, the amount of information we will be receiving daily will increase significantly. Not only will e-mails, voicemails, Internet alerts, and tweets bombard us but so will a plethora of data coming from other devices.
"You'll receive text messages from your refrigerator that eggs are running low," explains Dr. Bontis. "You'll be notified by e-mail that your car needs an oil change. The possibilities are unlimited."
Wireless network experts expect to see television remotes embedded into smartphones soon and microwaves providing notifications via cell phones once cooked foods are ready. The future is now.
"These advances represent a double-edged sword," says Dr. Bontis. "On one hand, we'll have access to data from many sources, making us better informed. But unless this information is well managed, we're at risk of becoming overwhelmed."
In his book, Dr. Bontis explains several developments making the "Internet of Things" an eminent reality. These include:
Expansion of our current IP address system
Evolution of GPS positioning abilities
Tracking abilities of radio frequency tags
Nanotechnologies and beyond
Advancement of wireless networking capabilities
Mobile-to-mobile connections are expected to nearly quadruple over the next five years, according to "Network World." Wireless networks will be the foundation in providing communication between machines, devices, and people via their IP addresses.
"The Internet of Things will be a reality in the near future," Dr. Bontis says. "Everywhere we turn we will receive information. If information bombardment is not already epidemic, it soon will be."
In Dr. Bontis' book, several strategies for managing information bombardment are provided. These timely pieces of advice address individual, organizational, and institutional challenges associated with the information age.
About the author: Dr. Nick Bontis was named a 2010 top five speaker worldwide for management and one of the world's top management gurus of 2010, along with such luminaries as Jack Welch, Tom Peters, Michael Porter, and Jim Collins. He is an internationally sought-after management consultant and keynote speaker, hand-picked by the United Nations, the US Navy, Microsoft, IBM, Accenture, KPMG, Century 21, and others to help navigate the knowledge era. He is a popular TV and radio personality, a leading academic researcher, and an award-winning, tenured professor of strategic management at McMaster University. As one of the world's most-cited authors in the fields of intellectual capital and knowledge management, he has amassed over a dozen prestigious teaching and research awards. He was recently recognized as a 3M National Teaching Fellow, an exclusive honor bestowed upon the top professors in the nation.
For more information, contact Dr. Bontis at nick@bontis.com or visit www.InformationBombardment.com .
"Information Bombardment: Rising Above the Digital Onslaught" is available on Amazon.com.
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