By 2020, the number of devices that will be connected to the internet and communicate with each other is estimated to have reached 32 billion
The size of the digital universe is doubling every two years and according to analyst estimates, by 2020 it is expected to be ten times larger than the corresponding size in 2013 – from 4.4 to 44 trillion Gigabytes.
This is one of the findings of IDC's most recent study on the Digital Universe and in particular on the opportunities and value created by the Internet of Things.
This year's study - the results of which were presented by EMC - focuses on how wireless communications technologies, smart devices and software-defined enterprises are contributing decisively to the explosion of data volume, globally.
And to better understand the proportions:
-Today, the volume of information that exists in the digital universe would fill a stack* of iPad Airs 253,704 kilometers high, or 2/3 of the distance between the earth and the moon. By 2020, there will be 6.6 such stacks.
-Today, the average household generates enough data to fill 65 iPhones (of 32 GB) per year. By 2020, this number will reach 318 iPhones.
The Internet of Things is made up of billions of everyday objects that have a unique identity and the ability to record, transmit, and receive data automatically. For example, a sensor in our shoe that records the speed at which we run or a bridge that collects information about traffic load.
According to IDC, the number of devices that can connect to the Internet is currently approaching 200 billion, with 7% of them (or 14 billion) already connected and able to communicate via the Internet. Data from networked devices currently represents almost 2% of the volume of information worldwide, while according to current IDC estimates, by 2020 the number of devices that will have an Internet connection will have reached 32 billion, representing 10% of the data generated worldwide.
The "useful information"
The Internet of Things also affects the volume of "useful information" - that is, data that can be analyzed - within the digital universe. In 2013, only 22% of the information in the digital universe was considered usable, while the percentage of data that was actually analyzed was less than 5%, leaving a huge amount of information to constitute the "dark matter" of the digital universe.
By 2020, and thanks to the development of the Internet of Things, more than 35% of all data will be considered useful, but the percentage of that which will ultimately be utilized is a matter for businesses.
On the other hand, it is a huge challenge for businesses to manage, store and protect such a large volume of information of all types. For example, IDC estimates that 40% of the data in the digital universe requires some level of security, from simple privacy protection to full encryption. However, only half, or 20%, is actually protected.
Source: protothema.gr
