Digital technologies have made our lives instantaneously simpler, for the most part. And as Moore's law of technology posits, it keeps swiftly moving in that direction with smaller items serving as catalysts. The next (and current) chapter is household and wearable items becoming more intelligent and connect to further inform our decision making processes. This is what is being called "The Internet of things," a framework for a digitally connected life.
We've been already happily operating in this mode through popular gadgets such as the Smart Phone and GPS systems. The newness will be the ubiquity of these objects, and the unexpected sources of digital connection, i.e. your microwave sending you texts. It's begun with the premise of smart homes that tell you what to do.
The critical mass around digital technologies now also makes all of this commercial and hence scaleable. One of the biggest business milestones in this space was Nest's (cool home thermostat) recent acquisition by Google, who is jockeying for lordship of this Internet of things domain. They're on their way there with titillating future-state consumer pieces such as Google Glass and Google Car. But it's not just Google, AT&T, through its mobile engagement is selling its consumers the premise of a worry-free "digital life." On the performance spectrum, Nike has always told us to just do it. Now they can help us track it, and share it with products such as Nike Fuel.
Cisco, the technology leader, has run with this platform as its vision statement and branding communications platform. It has developed an entire creative campaign around "The Internet of Everything," as an anthem to all its key stakeholders, including ultimately end-users who will drive demand for these types of products.
The future looks more connected than ever, and with that will come an amplification of the elements we're wrestling with already: greater relevancy and personalization; concern, or not, about privacy; and a continued gold rush to try to come up with next stacked (and profitable) idea on this Internet of things.