We’re nearing the end of the year 2016, which has seen the introduction of many significant technological trends. 2017 is all set to herald even further trend-setting innovations in the technology space.

According to Gartner, one of the top strategic technological trends which the digital world is going to witness in the near future is “device mesh”, making a widespread impact in the way humans and organizations make decisions.

After witnessing three major industry revolutions, the world is now at the cusp of the fourth revolution. Industry 4.0 is causing a metamorphosis in the manufacturing sector, with IoT steering its way into the shop floor. Machine-to-machine communication is transforming factories by decentralizing control, and sensors are guiding factory workflow through smart devices; industrial assistant systems that use augmented reality and intelligent communication are helping manufacturers augment production efficiency, and social media leads new forms of collaboration. Industry 4.0 represents a paradigm shift from centralized to decentralized production; industrial production machinery no longer merely processes the product, but the products now have the ability to communicate with machinery and provide instructions.

There has been a lot of buzz around wearables and IoT. As more and more connected devices inundate the market, there is a paradigm shift in the way people, processes, data, and things interact with each other. Billions of intelligent devices are connected via Wi-Fi, cellular, barcode scanners, and other network devices. Today, we are surrounded by a web of not just smartphones and tablets but a plethora of other smart devices such as alarms, fitness trackers, thermostats, traffic systems, light bulbs, and vacuum cleaners - IoT is truly transforming how we live our lives. In fact, Gartner predicts that the total economic value add for the Internet of Things will be $1.9 trillion dollars in 2020. 

UX is the foundation for amazing products that people buy, love, and recommend. When UX design is implemented in the right way it can provide optimal experiences at every touch point from marketing, sales, device setup, and use. IoT is growing at such an incredible pace that it’s bringing with it a wide array of opportunities. Product creators and developers have a tendency to focus on the data and technology needs of IoT (sensors, data, storage, security, and data analytics), but often forgotten is the end user who has to interact with the devices.

In a marketplace where manufacturers are battling competition, embracing state-of-the-art technological solutions like Internet of Things (IoT) will help catapult them to achieve unparalleled success.

IoT is an invisible system that employs embedded technology and helps objects communicate with each other over the Internet. Considered as an intelligent network that can be programmed, sensed, and controlled, IoT has extraordinary capability in helping create enterprise value and transform business thereby significantly impacting the way the world lives, works, and plays. According to a report by Gartner, approximately 26 billion objects will be connected to the Internet by 2020, generating incremental revenue exceeding $300.