By 2030, the world is expected to have 43 megacities that host more than 10 million inhabitants, while by 2050 it is likely that 68 % of the world population will live in urban areas, according to a UN report. With continued urbanisation, successful management of cities has become more important than ever. Thanks to its potential to improve the quality of life in areas ranging from energy and environment to transportation and healthcare, the concept of smart cities is increasingly becoming popular.

Source: How to Unleash the Full Potential of the Internet of Things | i-Connect007

Robert Bosch, the world’s biggest auto parts supplier, is plunging deeper into a new world of Internet-based technologies and vehicle services in a bid to remake itself as what it calls “an IoT company.”

The supplier of parts ranging from humble spark plugs to electric vehicle powertrains believes there is an enormous opportunity beckoning with billions in business from such new technologies — even if many consumers don’t understand what the term “IoT” means.

On Monday, Bosch launched a new IoT identity campaign here at the kickoff of the global electronics trade show, CES 2019. The new public relations effort, built around an advertising theme called “Like a Bosch,” will attempt to present the old German company in a cheerful and humorous light as a purveyor of Internet solutions, including vehicles that communicate with their owners and with other vehicles.

Source: Bosch pounds out an Internet of Things future | AutoNews

Challenges related to IIoT device management, unknown or changing cloud environments, and so forth have designers looking at solutions such as integrating a cloud SDK with OS/System services.

Source: Architectural Issues for Embedded Devices in the IIoT | Electronic Design

The use of malicious software to attack IoT devices like smart home security monitoring systems is rising substantially and growing more sophisticated as cyber criminals take advantage of lax security, Nokia’s Threat Intelligence Report 2019 warned on Tuesday.

Driven by financial and other nefarious purposes, IoT botnet activity accounted for 78% of malware detection events in communication service provider (CSP) networks in 2018, according to the report, which is based on data aggregated from monitoring network traffic this year on more than 150 million devices globally where Nokia’s NetGuard Endpoint Security product is deployed.

That is up sharply from 33% in 2016, when IoT botnets were first seen in meaningful numbers. A botnet is a system of computers that can be infected with malicious software and controlled by a single computer for doing things like stealing bank account information and shuttering web sites.

Source: Nokia’s Threat Intelligence Report 2019 warns on the fast-growing and evolving threat of malicious software targeting Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to revolutionise the way companies across various industries carry out their business, and organisations are rapidly getting on board. According to an IDC survey, over half of respondents said they intended to do something within IoT in the next twelve months, although the data also showed that current adoption is low.

Manufacturing has been picked out by many experts as one of the industries set to benefit significantly from IoT. The industry has reacted accordingly, being forecast to spend big on the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) this year. Making the most of these capex dollars, however, is another matter. Manufacturers may have many qualities, but the variety of specialist skills needed to successfully design, deploy and manage an IoT solution are ones they’re not likely to possess. For those manufacturers looking to take advantage of increased productivity, reduced wastage and real-time insight, all is not lost; within the channel there are a number of partners who can fill the manufacturer’s skills gap and help them to take advantage of Industry 4.0.

Source: How manufacturers are innovating with the Internet of Things | ITProPortal

The “Internet of Things” has created all sorts of problems on the cybersecurity front — and the problem may get worse soon.

The Internet of Things, commonly called IoT in tech circles, is the concept of conventional, physical objects being linked to the internet and communicating with each other — think, for instance, of automobiles or appliances that are linked to the internet.

But just like computers that are connected to the internet, those networked devices can be hacked.

Source: The ‘Internet of Things’ will cause more security problems next year, exec warns | CNBC

A House lawmaker wants federal agencies to prioritize cybersecurity when buying internet-connected devices.

The Internet of Things Federal Cybersecurity Improvement Act, which Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., plans to introduce next week, would require all internet-connected devices purchased by the government to meet a set of basic cybersecurity standards. The bill would also pressure agencies to avoid using so-called lowest technically acceptable price criteria when choosing vendors for those devices.

Under the legislation, the government could only buy devices that accept security patches and allow users to change passwords. Vendors would also need to notify agencies of any security vulnerabilities they discover and issue software update as new threats arise.

Source: Upcoming Bill Would Lock Down Agencies’ Internet-Connected Devices | Nextgov

A new international standard has been produced for the Internet of Things, signifying the growing use of connected technology and the need for a global commonality of practice for the various types of emerging technologies.

The new standard is ISO/IEC 30141, Internet of Things (IoT) – Reference architecture, and it sets out to provide an internationally standardized IoT Reference Architecture using a common vocabulary, reusable designs and industry best practice.

Source: New international standard for the Internet of Things | Digital Journal

By 2020, the Internet of Things (IoT) is predicted to generate an additional $344B in revenues, as well as to drive $177B in cost reductions. IoT and smart devices are already increasing performance metrics of major US-based factories. They are in the hands of employees, covering routine management issues and boosting their productivity by 40-60%.

Source: 9 Internet of Things Predictions for 2019 | BBN Times 

Look through any technology publication or retail catalog, and I bet that you will find something described as “connected,” “smart,” or “intelligent” on every page. From smart digital supply chains to connected refrigerators, intelligent thermostats, and smart razors, the idea of connecting devices to an unlimited variety of things to do things better, safer, faster, and easier has been considered a competitive advantage or critical selling point.

But now that everything possible is connected, is there really anything left for the Internet of Things (IoT) to do? According to recent predictions from IDC and Gartner, now is not the time to discount the IoT as old news. In fact, it’s not yet done changing how businesses run, people go about their daily lives, and the world views what it means to be “connected.”

Source: The Internet of Things: Get Ready For Big Changes Ahead In 2019 | B2C