Connected devices will reach 6.5 times world population by 2020 (infographic)

18 Apr 2014

Image via pogonici/Shutterstock

By 2020, the world’s population is expected to reach 7.6bn, while the number of internet-connected devices is expected to reach 50bn. This infographic looks at the growth of this internet of things and explores the barriers to its integration.

The internet of things (IoT) is a concept first coined by Kevin Ashton, co-founder and executive director of the Auto-ID Centre at MIT, in 1999.

As advanced technology can be packed into smaller and smaller spaces, chips and sensors can be added to all sorts of devices to track and measure data. This data can either be simply relayed back to users or can even trigger a device to take action.

From smart home appliances to citywide infrastructure, the application of the internet of things knows no bounds – much like its forecasted growth.

But even as Intel plans to transform Dublin into the world’s first IoT city, there are still barriers to its full integration, as this infographic from Exigent Networks explains.

Internet of things infographic by Exigent Networks

Main connected world image by pogonici via Shutterstock

Elaine Burke is the host of For Tech’s Sake, a co-production from Silicon Republic and The HeadStuff Podcast Network. She was previously the editor of Silicon Republic.

editorial@siliconrepublic.com