IoT is growing, and growing fast. Some of the best technological advances related to IoT will make its debut in 2020. Here are the top IoT predictions for 2020.

1. The IoT Architecture Will Integrate 5G into New Designs

IoT technology is in a continuous state of flux, and 2020 will be no different.

The much-hyped 5G mobile networks will become mainstream. 5G promises high speeds and low latency, which IoT requires.

Many IoT devices use low power wireless personal area networking (LoWPAN) technologies to transmit data. The 6LoWPAN wireless mesh network offers every node a unique IPv6 address. These nodes connect to the Internet using open standards. 5G will augment these LowPAN networks to backhaul information, and pass data to the cloud.

Businesses embracing 5G and co-opting it to the IoT set-up will make their tech environment robust and high-speed.

2. IoT Security Will Take Priority

The connectivity brought in by IoT increases threat vectors. In 2020, ransomware attacks targeting the enterprise IoT will become commonplace.

Business managers will have to head-hunt experts capable of integrating risk-mitigating techniques. They have to facilitate collaboration among the design teams and such security experts.

A key priority for 2020 is remediation plans for attacks on IoT powered systems. The best plans answer how to detect and prevent threats, and how to recover from an eventual attack.

The increasing security risks will propel the rise of the Blockchain. Most IoT gadgets now run on a centralized architecture, increasing security risks. The decentralized nature of the Blockchain is an effective antidote to risk. Blockchain is already an efficient back-end. By 2020, any misgivings with the blockchain technology will have dissipated. Businesses will adopt the technology in droves, owing to its robust nature and trustworthiness.

3. Connected Trucks Will Transform the Supply Chain

In 2020, businesses will adopt the connected truck to improve supply chain efficiency.

IoT sensors offer deep insights on the cargo. It triggers alerts when perishable cargo show signs of deterioration, prompting the owner to sell it before spoilage. Improved connectivity lessens dead-heading, or trucks carrying around empty loads.

IoT powered driverless cars will make it to the warehouse in 2020, years ahead of its adoption in open roads. Automated cars will move heavy items, synced to the arrival of trucks, avoiding accidents. These cars also time their movements with the availability and arrival time of trucks, optimizing movements and reducing inefficiencies in operations.

Businesses will start using IoT to speed up cargo delivery. In a new logistics model, trucks remain ready at various locations. On receiving an order, the order fulfilment team directs the truck that is closest to the customer with the required widgets. This is a big improvement over dispatching from a far-off factory or warehouse on receipt of an order.

4. The Rise of Connected Services Ecosystem

In 2020, IoT will trigger to improve collaboration and alliances among businesses.

Amazon could bundle a set of Echo smart speakers along with its Prime Premium service. Likewise, Schneider Electric may sell electric power management at a flat monthly fee, the company could co-opt power management equipment, conservation upgrades, and local utility electricity.

IoT offers a platform for connected products. Tracking usage patterns facilitates such bundled services.

5. Maturity of Smart Speaker Displays Will Trigger Multimodal Designs

In the 2017 Echo Show, the Alexa digital assistant got a face. Now GoogleNest Hub, Amazon Echo Show 5, and Lenovo Smart Display offer sophisticated smart displays. More is on the anvil.

The smart display software is getting smarter by the day. A standard smart display will soak up the context, understand situations, and adapt to different situations. The device may withhold sensitive information on sensing an intruder. If the user looks away, the display senses distraction and pauses.

Smart displays will be the fastest-growing IoT niche in 2020.  These displays will become commonplace in conference rooms, giving a face to remote users. Digital collaborations will finally mimic reality. Display and touch will gain as much prominence as voice does now.

6. IoT Will Disrupt the Business Model of Healthcare Majors

Frost and Sullivan estimate the Internet of Medical Things to grow at 26.2% CAGR and touch $72,000 million by 2021. The implication of such growth is a drastic overhaul of care and treatment.

Intelligent wearables and virtual assistants track the patient’s health at home. The IoT connected wearables send reports to a doctor anywhere in the world, in real-time. Smart cars observe the driver’s vital signs when on the move. Safe tracking apps such as Xnspy allow families to keep track of their loved ones.

Healthcare majors face major disruptions in 2020, as these technologies gain ground. Hospital beds will become less in demand. Robotic-assisted surgery will reduce the load on surgeons. IoT enabled gadgets will track hospital equipment and ensure optimal usage

7. IoT Will Force New Industrial Designs

Industrial Internet of Things will grow leaps and bounds in 2020.

IoT helps managers remedy machinery problems. IoT sensors give early warning signals of abnormal behaviour. Maintenance teams who get these alerts undertake preemptive maintenance.

IoT and wearables connect the factory floor and the management cabins. Managers and decision-makers get in-depth and real-time visibility. Managers take real-time proactive interventions to set things right. They gain control to enforce time management policies and safety regulations.

Apps such as XnSpy logs inactivity. Managers may track the productivity of employees without ground-level supervision. But businesses have to draw up new industrial designs, factoring in IoT.

It is interesting days ahead for IoT in 2020. Businesses have their task cut out if they have to profit from the latest advances.