01 January, 2016

The Internet of Things: a boost for European Industry

The Internet of Things (IoT) describes a world where devices of many sorts connect wirelessly with central ‘platforms’, to perform tasks. It also refers to the widespread use of sensors which are increasingly cheap and available. Industry analysts estimate that today’s 14bn connected devices could rise to anywhere from 20 billion to 100 billion by 2020.

The IoT is already a feature of some industries, notably logistics and transport. It also shows promise for manufacturing which will profit from sensory ‘awareness’ and the analytic possibilities this offers. Healthcare, too, will benefit from wearable devices to improve health and service efficiency.

This paper outlines some policy issues behind the IoT and ways policy makers can increase the benefit Europeans will derive from these new technologies.

More information can be found here: http://www.orange.com/content/download/35218/1117649/version/2/file/OrangeEUPolicy_vision_IoT_20160223.pdf