Cutting through the hype
1 min read
In much the same way as some parents want to be 'down with the kids', politicians are keen to demonstrate they have their finger on the technological pulse.
Chancellor George Osborne - who professes that 'science is a personal priority' - has done this a number of times. His interest in taking graphene to the 'British factory floor' is one example; more recently, he has put his weight behind quantum research. Now Prime Minister David Cameron is waking up to the Internet of Things (IoT), announcing at CeBIT in Germany that the UK is to invest 'an extra' £45million to support technology development - apparently, £28m has already been provided.
Prime Minister Cameron talks about a 'new industrial revolution', suggesting the IoT will solve a wide range of issues. It's good the Government continues to invest in technology, but it's too early to expect the IoT to be the panacea which David Cameron claims. Gartner's Hype Cycle illustrates this perfectly. Currently, says Gartner, the IoT is approaching the 'peak of inflated expectations', one indication of which is 'mass media hype' - and you could add 'interest from politicians'. This is followed by the 'trough of disillusionment', where reality fails to meet expectations and the real work begins.
Part of the problem is defining what the IoT is - or will be - and where it can make a difference; today's ideas continue to be centred on ideas such as the internet connected fridge and on finding vacant parking spaces. But there's no reason why UK companies shouldn't be identifying applications where the IoT could make a real difference and on exploiting those opportunities.
