What last year’s developments tell us about IoT in 2017

2017 is going to be another big year for the Internet of Things. To have a better idea of what’s ahead in terms of smart devices and home automation, it’s worth looking back at last year’s most significant IoT moments.

Amazon Echo has truly become mass phenomenon in 2016 when millions of people in America and elsewhere bought it for their homes. The Echo featured in Amazon’s first ever Super Bowl ad in February 2016.

The smaller and cheaper version, Echo Dot, launched last year and has been extremely popular. Sales of Amazon Echo were up more than 9x over the previous holiday season.

Google’s own smart speaker, Google Home, launched in November. These devices incorporate artificial intelligence assistants — Alexa and Google Assistant — and can be used to control other household devices such as thermostats, lightbulbs or surveillance systems.

In 2016, the number of IoT platforms shot up to more than 400, according to IOT Analytics. IoT stocks proved a great investment last year, outperforming the overall market on Nasdaq. Many businesses are showing great interest in developing connected products.

The world started to realize that IoT security is a major issue. Devastating cyber attacks took advantage of vulnerabilities in smart devices.

In October, hackers hijacked large numbers of connected household gadgets and appliances such as printers, baby monitors, cameras and smart refrigerators infected with the Mirai malware and used them to take down major websites in Europe and North America.

Many manufacturers don’t take security seriously, which means smart devices are often vulnerable to hackers. So in 2017, before you buy that shiny smart device, just make sure it comes with security features. And ideally secure your home network with a security solution that provides protection for all your devices.

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