In 2018, we saw distinct trends develop in the IT industry: the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and Edge.

All of these technologies have been growing in their own ways over the last 12 months, They have been evolving and changing with the needs of modern business. The technologies have been growing together, interconnecting and creating a single IT model for the 2019 landscape.

In today’s blog, we’re taking a look at what interconnectivity is. We’re exploring why it matters and why those four trends have become so important in the business world.

What Is Interconnectivity?

Interconnectivity means ‘the state or quality of being interconnected’. In other words, it’s what happens when lots of separate systems all link together.

Interconnectivity is all around us, and as we’re now creating and refining more technologies, it becomes more and more prominent.

Why Is Interconnectivity Important?

Technology is a wonderful thing, and the world is now full of so many software solutions, apps, hardware devices and automation tools that you can do pretty much anything and solve any problem.

However, you usually have to use a couple of different solutions to really fix all of your problems and get everything you need out of your IT systems.

While each solution will solve the problem it’s designed for, using multiple solutions can cause its own set of problems, particularly when things don’t work well together.

This is the stage a lot of business owners find themselves after a few years, and it can be difficult to get out of it. But interconnectivity is all about getting those disparate ecosystems to work together in harmony. The result is a business that is seamless, simple and easy to use.

How Are These 4 Trends Connected?

Remember those four trends we talked about earlier? In 2018, those four IT trends were the high points of IT, and what many businesses were investing a lot of time and money in.

Well, over the last year, these four trends have become one, single trend. The IoT, AI, machine learning and Edge have all become so reliant on one another. They are now so deeply interconnected that they are essentially a single entity.

It’s simple when you think about it. As IoT grows and we’re able to link more and more devices together, the number of total connected devices skyrockets.

Our demand

We’re starting to connect our phones to our computers, our lights, our thermostats, our watches and even our coffee makers and ovens. As a result, we need a way to manage and control all of those devices in one place.

We as users need more storage space and better connectivity speeds to use them all effectively. In turn, we can then process the data all of these devices are capturing.

AI and machine learning are an important part of that puzzle. These technologies allow us to automate parts of our lives, improve processes on the go and manage all of that storage and data processing.

Edge computing is also an integral part of the IoT, and so of AI and machine learning as well.

For necessity

The smart city or a driverless vehicle concept simply wouldn’t work if all of that data processing took place in the cloud. For example, a driverless car needs to be able to pull in data from its sensors. It needs this to be able to make decisions about speed, turning and braking based on that data.

If the data processing occurred in the cloud, there would be a time delay between the data being sent, processed and received. During that time, the car is still driving. Without that data telling it to take action, it could have easily had an accident.

That’s where Edge computing comes in. Edge allows systems to process data on site quickly and efficiently, without a constant connection to the cloud.

This doesn’t mean the cloud isn’t important – it just means it won’t be used all the time. Known as ‘The Fog’, it refers to the data interactions on in-between devices and the cloud to maximise data.

What Next?

We specialise in helping business owners of all shapes and sizes make the most of technology. We work closely with you to understand your needs, and then design a unique solution tailored to your business processes.

If you’d like to find out more about how we could build an integrated IT solution for your business, get in touch with us to arrange your free consultation.

SHARE IT: