By: Ben
Iyoha
Within
the next five years, the number of devices connected to the Internet will
outnumber the people on the planet by over seven to one. About 50 billion
machines, ranging from networked sensors to industrial robots, household items
will depend or be connected to the internet to help us function smarter.
Have
you ever imagined a time were you’ll have to travel with a device called an
electronic passport which would often make use of the Internet to read out your
data to an electronic border protection robot at an airports point-of-entry?,
have you ever imagined your car’s component been operated via a device
which connects to the Internet?, have you also imagined your traveling bag
having a clock-like digital screen that helps you lock and open it digitally
with the connivance of the Internet?. Though the list could be endless, but
what really is IoT?
The internet of things (IoT) is the linkage or
prospect of almost every human-used devices e.g. vehicles, buildings and other
items being embedded with electronics, software’s or sensors that enables these objects to collect and exchange
data (internet) in order to work smartly.
You may
call it a smart house, smart car, smart air-conditioner but the reality is that
our lives and environ are getting faster and better. In 2013 the Global
Standards Initiative on Internet of Things (IoT-GSI) defined the IoT as
"the infrastructure of the information society.
When
the internet of things which is gradually blowing steam on its own runway is
then fully flying, what will be the implication for Africa?
Currently,
access to reliable, fast and affordable data or internet connection has been
the bane of internet users in Africa and as the case have always been, Africa
may not nurse a need to bother about the technology or contribute to the
development and propagation that IoT needs to be rooted here but in essence may
just be lagging from issues ranging from improper implementation,
infrastructural deficit, poor government policies and slow paced adoption.
Again, Is
Africa prepared for a massive job cut in the eventuality of what the internet
of things could do in regards to its projected role? The sad truth is that a
lot of gates wouldn’t need a gate man, a lot of factories wouldn’t need its
manpower and even the medical and healthcare industry most importantly the
diagnostic sector could be highly drowsed by IoT devices that can be used
to enable remote
health monitoring and emergency notification systems. These health monitoring devices can range
from blood pressure and heart rate monitors to advanced devices capable of
monitoring specialized implants and medical conditions.
Countries of the globe are desperately looking for new avenues for income and foreign
exchange and it interest me to inform my folks here in Africa that the Internet
is the new crude. Imagine how much the combine forces of Facebook, Google,
Twitter and Apple are pulling In back into the US in foreign exchange and there
after job creation? Your guess is as good as mine. NOTE, the Internet of Things
will cost us a lot of our hard earned money holistically but we can’t deny
ourselves the reality of growth just because of its cost.
So
much for the African lag, what about the benefit(s)? The truth is, Africa is so
much in love with tech and the Internet of Things will most certainly find a
supreme and reliable home here. However, to me I see just one benefit which is
ADVANCEMENT. Sadly, we just have to pay the cost of acquiring what we can’t
create and inasmuch as we need to ADVANCE, we just have to pay for both the
Internet (data) and the distinct technology of choice (The Thing or IoT). But for those who 'll create, it’s a win-win, whilst they ADVANCE they also EARN. It’s time we tap
into this emerging plane called the Internet
of Things in an African way. This
is my clarion call.
contact@beniyoha.com
social handles @beniyoha01
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