#ExecInsights: IoE, Healthcare, and Parking Among Hot Topics at Gartner Symposium

So, it turns out the most tweeted topic from my recent presentation at the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo was about how much of their lives Parisian motorists spend searching for parking (let’s just say it’s more than a year!).

As I told the audience in Orlando, that stress-ridden search is one of countless challenges we can tackle and improve by connecting people, processes, data, and things to the Internet of Everything (IoE). (For more on connected parking, see Wim Elfrink’s blog.)

Interest in the Internet of Everything was high at #GartnerSym. In my meetings with several analysts, CIOs and IT leaders, it was clear today’s CxOs get the amazing possibilities the Internet of Everything can offer. In fact, more and more real-world examples are coming to light of networked connections not only driving business innovation but also changing lives.

One such example I shared in my IoE presentation is an always-on skin patch that helps couples start a family. The sensor tracks the woman’s fertility status, sends data wirelessly to a reader device for statistical analysis so couples know when they can get pregnant, and connects specialists to the customers for counseling and online support.

Connected healthcare is one of more than 20 use cases Cisco has drilled down on that illustrate the promise of IoE in the real world. Under-the-skin or ingestible digital sensors bring to mind previous industry predictions that people themselves will become nodes on the Internet, with both static information and a constantly emitting activity system.

Provocative predictions like that generated lots of conversation at #GartnerSym, as people consider the societal as well as business impact of the Internet of Everything. I found myself in an interesting discussion with one analyst on whether machines in the future should have rights. (Time to watch 2004’s “I, Robot” again!)

From an industry perspective in the IoE economy, manufacturing, retail trade, information services, and finance / insurance make up more than half of the estimated $14.4 trillion in Value at Stake for private-sector companies globally over the next 10 years. And the impact of the Internet of Everything is not just on business, but also on the quality of life we’re able to provide to our citizens.

I asked #GartnerSym session attendees to consider what the IoE means to each of us in our respective industries, how it will change things and open up new possibilities, and to consider where you are in your readiness journey for the Internet of Everything. Network connection is going to become more valuable than ever before, and your network infrastructure has to be rock solid and ready.

We believe the Internet of Everything will change the way we live, learn, work, and play. It’s an amazing potential of opportunity, and it’s already begun.

Please share your thoughts in the comments section or via Twitter @KarMWalker