Dive Brief:
- Campus IT departments are trying to plan for the security, data storage, and network issues that will be created by the expected onslaught of the “Internet of Things” — networks of sensors and other devices, such as wireless security cameras and building controls.
- Campus Technology cites a Gartner study that predicts the Internet of Things, or IoT, will expand to 26 billion units by 2020, which would be 30 times as many as in 2009.
- Besides the demands on wireless networks, the IoT will stress data centers with the workload associated with processing and analyzing IoT data in real time.
Dive Insight:
Gartner’s IoT prediction for 2020 compares to 7.3 billion units of PCs, tablets, and smartphones. Another study cited by Campus Technology, from Hewlett Packard, shows that most IoT devices have security flaws that can make them accessible to hackers. With budget limitations for expanding wireless bandwidth, some campuses may have to limit the use of certain devices. One way to alleviate the strain on wireless networks is to hardwire IoT devices when possible.