From self-driving cars to the selfie flash, the International CES has seen it all. But this year, connected devices really came to the fire, with the Internet of Things an often used phrase from a large number of companies announcing news at the show.
The application was widespread. Connected health devices were everywhere, from scales that communicate with health trackers – a common theme in the past few years – to devices aimed at tracking your furry friends.
Flowerpots are bluetooth enabled so you can keep on water levels, while cars integrate with your mobile phone, learn how to park in your favourite spot and then come pick you up from your front door.
Health trackers read your vital signs and alert your doctor that there may be a problem. A bike pedal equipped with GPS and mobile follows your every move and relays your time and distance to your phone or tablet so you can keep track of your progress. Home automation was also high on the agenda, from security to smart appliances, connected lighting to home heating.
The future for consumers is being shaped by these technologies. But it's not just consumers that are facing change. Speaking at the show, Cisco chief executive John Chambers said the Internet of Things would disrupt companies too.
“Innovation is really what makes Silicon Valley go. But what you’re about to see . . . is you begin to think about the internet of everything. When you connect all these capabilities, every country every city every company, every citizen, every home, every automobile, every sporting event will be connected. In other words, they’ll become digital,” he said.
“That’s a nice way of saying as this digitisation occurs, the speed of change in every industry and our everyday lives will mimic more what is happening in high-tech because everybody will be a tech company. As every company becomes digital, and every person becomes digital, the speed of change in healthcare or entertainment will be dramatic.”
He said he looked on it as an opportunity to lead and innovate and use technologies such as the cloud to get the outcome they want.
That speed won’t be a good a thing for everyone though, with large enterprise firms at risk of becoming irrelevant if they don’t embrace new ways of doing business.
Mr Chambers predicted that of the large enterprise customers in the room, only 40 per cent of the major ones would exist in a meaningful way in 10 years.
“As all CEOs know, change is hard, but it it’s going to be required for survival,” he said.
Chambers knows a few things about survival. Cisco last year announced it would cut 6,000 jobs from its workforce, following cuts that add up to several thousand in the previous five years.
CES features more than 3,500 exhibitors at the Las Vegas Convention Centre and the Sands Expo centre.
