The internet of things (IoT) is the network of physical devices, vehicles, buildings, and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and connectivity, enabling these objects to collect and exchange data.

According to McKinsey analysts, 127 new devices are connected every second. As advancements in technology are made, and people and businesses that own and use these connected 'things' continue to grow, so will the number of connected devices.

Here are some top IoT trends to watch for in 2022.

The IoT enables items to be sensed or controlled remotely through the existing network infrastructure, allowing for closer physical-to-digital integration in management, manufacturing, smart homes, transportation, smart cities, and more.

1. Improvement of IoT CyberSecurity

As more devices are connected to the internet, there’s an increased need for security. While some cyber attacks can threaten homes and businesses, others can impact our lives in more significant ways- like taking control of a car or hacking a pacemaker. This is especially important post-pandemic as more devices are connecting to the internet for remote work and education than ever before. Unfortunately, many device owners are unaware of fundamental security standards.

According to Kaspersky, hackers and cyber terrorists launched over 1.5 billion IoT attacks in late 2021. As a result, companies are now starting to address the issue of insufficient security in IoT devices. To keep their devices safe while online, several companies are now releasing timely security updates, establishing more secure software ecosystems, and following best practices. This trend of improving cybersecurity is anticipated to continue in 2022.

2. 5G Enabled IoT Devices Create More Opportunities

5G cellular technology will help the internet of things become more widely accessible and commercial services catch up with the new standards. 5G's enhanced spectrum availability enhances total capacity and facilitates massive IoT device connectivity. Currently, 5G is mostly used for consumer applications, but Gartner predicts that it will change in the next two years.

5G is ten times quicker than existing LTE networks. Now IoT devices can interact and exchange data quicker than before. This boost in speed reduces latency and improves overall data transmission and notification speed for smart home devices. This will also benefit healthcare and industrial applications. Aside from speed, 5G networks will be more reliable, resulting in more consistent connections. A robust network is critical for IoT devices that rely on real-time updates, such as locks, security cameras, and other monitoring systems.

Along with 5G, NB-IoT and LTE-M are now competing with non-cellular LPWAN (Low-Power Wide-Area Networks) connectivity solutions such as LoRa and Sigfox as the preferred network for Internet of Things (IoT) development, especially in sparsely populated or poorly covered areas.

3. IoT Makes Advancements in Healthcare

With the arrival of Big Data and the Internet of Things (IoT), new opportunities for medical providers are arising. These technologies allow more data to be automized, analyzed, and shared in real-time. This enables medical personnel to make the most informed decisions about treatments and medications. As a result, lives have been saved, improved, or extended through prevention measures.

With the transition to Telehealth during the pandemic, IoT devices are being used to monitor and diagnose patients, and this is likely to stay around post-pandemic. Vheda Health, for example, employs its digital chronic management platform to handle high-risk, high-cost Medicaid and Medicare patients. Its tailored remote monitoring helps patients manage chronic illnesses, including hypertension, diabetes, heart failure, asthma, and COPD.

Aside from consumer applications, wearable health monitoring is also a growing trend in the healthcare field. Wireless vital monitoring in ambulances, hospitals, and homes is now more common than ever. These health monitoring gadgets capture actionable data in real-time, allowing health professionals to make better choices quickly.

4. IoT Benefits for the Manufacturing Industry

According to Mordor Intelligence, the manufacturing IoT market was worth USD 175.3 billion in 2020 and is predicted to reach USD 399.08 billion by 2026. Manufacturers benefit from seamless data collecting and analysis through IoT devices. As a result, many manufacturers are transitioning to IoT to make the most of their investments by using sensors, data analytics, and machine learning to optimize operations. This means they can minimize downtime, increase productivity, and reduce waste while keeping consumers satisfied with their products.

With IoT devices in a factory, data can be collected at every step of the production process and analyzed to reveal trends, patterns, and anomalies. This new technology has enabled manufacturers to capture valuable information in real-time and react quickly to changes or problems before they escalate.

5. IoT Integration with ML and Big Data

As stated in the last two trends mentioned, IoT and machine learning uncover hidden data insights for rapid answers and better decisions. From agriculture to consumer smart gadgets to industrial automation, IoT has applications in almost every industry and sector. Sensors can be utilized for various purposes, including asset management, fleet tracking, remote health monitoring, and more.

Using natural language processing and computer vision, organizations may also use IoT devices to discover abnormalities and boost intelligence by collecting and analyzing images, video, and audio. The most common applications for this technology are predictive maintenance and remote monitoring.

However, data from IoT devices is only as valuable as the analysis that can be taken from it. IoT solution providers such as Soracom and Balena have developed platforms, apps, and other products that corporations and organizations can use to manage their IoT devices and securely feed data to cloud services for analysis. With the emphasis that is currently put on Big Data, this will likely continue to be a trend in IoT.

6. Continued Growth of Smart Homes

Smart homes are an example of how IoT gadgets can be used for everyday users. By purchasing smart locks, remote-controlled cameras, and motion sensors, users can increase their home security. In addition, with smart TVs, smart speakers, and internet-connected game consoles, users can take advantage of IoT for entertainment.

Even pet owners benefit from products like self-cleaning litter-boxes that store information in an app about how often it’s used and automatic feeders that let users schedule feeding times from their phone even if they are across the globe from their pets. As technology advances, the devices that users can purchase for their homes will continue to grow too.

INGENO expertise with IoT

INGENO develops high-quality custom cloud solutions.

INGENO is currently working, has designed, improved, and successfully launched web and mobile applications integrating IoT components in several sectors: healthcare, supply chain, transportation, industry 4.0, Insurtech, Smart Cities...

As an example, we successfully launched an MVP in only 2 months, based on AWS Cloud IoT solutions.

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6 IoT Trends to Watch in 2022