Description
Prompt: Review the “Internet of Things: Convenience vs. Privacy and Secrecy” resource. Then create an initial post in which you consider the following questions:Questions: As internet of things (IoT) devices become more widely adopted, to what extent are you willing to sacrifice your privacy for convenience?Given your stance on privacy, what effect does the pervasiveness of IoT have on your choices as a consumer?Note: Privacy can be a highly personal topic. In your posts, remember to maintain professionalism. Focus on the topic and not on the person.
Unformatted Attachment Preview
Business Horizons (2015) 58, 615—624
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
ScienceDirect
www.elsevier.com/locate/bushor
Internet of Things: Convenience vs. privacy
and secrecy
Bruce D. Weinberg a,*, George R. Milne a, Yana G. Andonova b,
Fatima M. Hajjat a
a
b
Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, U.S.A.
Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business, Murray State University, Murray, KY 42071, U.S.A.
KEYWORDS
Internet of Things;
Machine to machine;
Web 2.0. privacy;
Humanness;
Human experience
Abstract In this article we introduce the Internet of Things to the broad managerial
community and explore one of its central tensions: convenience vs. privacy and
secrecy. We clarify the ways in which IoT differs from Web 2.0 and then highlight
opportunities, challenges, and managerial guidance. In addition, we explore the
prominent issue of privacy and secrecy. Due to substantial increases in amounts of
consumer-related data and their accessibility as well as potential tradeoffs in benefits
associated with IoT and in properties of humanness associated with the consumer
experience, the managerial issue of privacy is elevated to a level never before
realized–—perhaps on par with, or worthy of inclusion as an element of, the classic
marketing mix.
# 2015 Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. Published by Elsevier Inc. All
rights reserved.
1. It’s all connected
Suppose a bicycle racer is on a training ride for the
Senior Olympics. On the way home, the bike’s shifter mechanism for the rear cogs gets a little wonky,
making it difficult to use the full range of gears.
More energy than expected will be required to
propel the bicycle. Getting home is not an issue.
However, there are two problems at hand: repairing
the shifter and getting a bit more nutritional fuel so
* Corresponding author
E-mail address: [email protected]
(B.D. Weinberg)
as to maintain the desired quality of the ride.
Through technology, repairing the shifter may be
handled as follows: First, a bicycle internal diagnostic mechanism identifies the problem with the shifter. The bicycle then engages the Internet and
communicates the need for a shifter part to the
rider’s personal hub computer and database. Next,
the personal hub, considering time to delivery, part
cost, and other relevant factors, either sends out an
order to a desired retailer or puts out a bid request
to a variety of electronic devices that represent
retailers and providers. Finally, a deal is struck
and the part is ordered.
The second problem engages a different set of
systems and processes. The racer is wearing clothing
0007-6813/$ — see front matter # 2015 Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2015.06.005
616
that keeps track of vital signs such as heart rate,
hydration, body temperature, energy use, muscle
strength, training ‘zone,’ and foods processed. In
addition, this information is processed in real time
by insurance providers to assess compliance with
agreed premiums or to apply appropriate surcharges
in accordance with activity and diet. An onboard
mapping system is monitoring current location and
can find a variety of places to obtain food or beverage in addition to calculating the distance to a
destination. The health-vitals system and the mapping system coordinate in determining the additional energy needed by the rider and where to acquire
nutrition to maintain the necessary energy level. A
course to the retailer is mapped, as is the ensuing
route back home.
Today, many of the systems described in this
scenario are available. However, all of the technical
aspects of infrastructure and communications to
seamlessly facilitate the scenario are not in place.
But the promise and notion of it is at hand–—and
reasonably close. Called the Internet of Things (IoT),
it can solve problems and create opportunities for a
variety of entities, including consumers, providers,
employees, organizations, manufacturers, communities, cities, and governments, among others.
Along with that, though, it may create new problems and raise concerns and associated costs, such
as those pertaining to privacy.
In an accessible and non-technical manner, this
article introduces the Internet of Things to the
broad managerial community; clarifies the way in
which it differs from Web 2.0 and earlier uses of the
Internet and related communications; and highlights opportunities, challenges, and managerial
guidance, with special attention to the highly prominent issue of privacy.
2. The Internet of Things is watching
you
When the Web emerged, organizations and people
purchased Internet real estate in the form of domain
names and built it out with websites. Consumers
shopped and people read the news online, but
information applications were typically static and
one-way in communication orientation (e.g., provider to consumer). Then Web 2.0 gathered steam.
Services allowed for dynamic information in a variety of forms and enabled n-way conversations and
collaboration. Blogging, liking, tweeting, writing
online reviews, sharing videos and photos, and such
became commonplace (see Kaplan & Haenlein,
2010). With social media, people keep private relatively fewer bits of information and reveal secrets
B.D. Weinberg et al.
more often. Now a new wave of Internet-connected
technologies is gaining steam: The Internet of Things
(IoT)–—a class of devices and associated processes
that will lead to sharing and exposing more information and keeping fewer secrets.
Indeed, IoT may impact stealthiness in a variety
of situations. For example, when a patient visits a
doctor for a checkup, it may be harder to keep
secret a lack of exercise and poor eating habits
and behaviors. Home insurers may be able to more
easily discover that doors to a house were unlocked
during a breaking and entering crime. Auto insurers
may be able to note when a vehicle exceeded the
speed limit. Similarly, IoT could be used to an individual’s advantage: It could reveal a flaw or hitch in
one’s golf swing and consequently correct the imperfection.
Consumers will have a heightened awareness that
data associated with their being, actions, thoughts,
and emotions are indeed a currency and are associated with their humanness. Thus, as society–—
including its business landscape–—moves into a more
ubiquitous technology and information era, consumers will place greater emphasis and importance on
data ownership and data flow-related issues such as
privacy, and relatively lesser weight on traditional
marketing factors such as the marketing mix. Note
that marketing mix elements are of the hand of the
marketer but consumer data are generated by and
of the consumer. These data are reflections of consumers and can be used to characterize and control
them. Thus, organizational and marketer performance constructs, such as reputation and brand
perceptions, will be based increasingly on privacy
and respect for consumer data, which in turn can
signal respect for consumers.
3. What in the world is the Internet of
Things?
A wide variety of technologies are called IoT
devices. It is estimated that there were about
16 billion IoT devices in 2014, and forecasts point
to as many as 50 billion devices in 2020 (Clark,
2014; Middleton, Kjeldsen, & Tully, 2013; Press,
2014). Climate control devices like Nest regulate
temperature within a building in a way that satisfies consumer preferences and minimizes energy
costs. Fitbit products monitor physical activity and
associated vital information, such as heart rate and
calories burned, in order to enhance health and
well-being. Similarly, Ralph Lauren offers the Polo
Tech shirt, which also transmits biometric data.
Self-driving cars will allow people to leave the
driving to machines, and IoT-capable smart cars
Internet of Things: Convenience vs. privacy and secrecy
617
Table 1. Classifying Internet of Things devices by application*
Health Care
Wearables
– Remote monitoring
– Entertainment
– Fitness
– Ambulance telemetry
– Smart watch
– Drug tracking
– Location and tracking
– Hospital asset tracking
– Access control
– Predictive maintenance
Building and Home Automation
– Access control
– Light and temperature control
Smart Manufacturing
– Energy optimization
– Flow optimization
– Predictive maintenance
– Real-time inventory
– Connected appliances
– Asset tracking
– Employee safety
– Predictive maintenance
Smart Cities
– Residential e-meters
– Firmware updates
– Smart street lights
– Pipeline leak detection
Automotive
– Traffic control
– Infotainment
– Surveillance cameras
– Wire replacement
– Centralized and integrated system control
– Telemetry
– Predictive maintenance
– Car to car, and car to infrastructure
Source: Adapted from Texas Instruments (2014)
that are driven by people will be able to provide
functions such as detecting when a driver is sleepy
and consequently taking corrective actions.
There are efforts to categorize IoT devices. Although we believe that a useful grouping will be
emergent, a reasonable way to classify is by application. Texas Instruments (2014) identifies six main
areas of application: wearables, building and home
automation, smart cities, health care, smart
manufacturing, and automotive (see Table 1).
3.1. Important distinguishing
characteristics of Internet of Things
It can be challenging to comprehend what comprises
an IoT device. We attempt to provide some clarity
by identifying characteristics that, we believe, distinguish IoT. Technology devices are connected to
and can receive or transmit data via the Internet;
these include computers, laptops, servers, smartphones, tablets, and a variety of other devices that
consumers now employ for utilizing the Web through
a browser. However, as was discussed earlier, IoT
devices extend beyond being technologies for consumers to directly access the Internet via the Web;
they enable more of the physical and natural world
to be integrated into and to become accessible via
the Internet (see Figure 1). In order to better recognize potential opportunities in IoT, it is important
to understand key distinctions between a Webbased environment and an IoT-based environment.
In the following sections we explain defining
characteristics as they relate to the nature of
Internet-connected devices, emphasizing the key
process-related aspects of data, data entry, data
sharing, learning, and decision making. The differences are highlighted in Table 2.
3.1.1. Data
In a Web-based environment, consumer-related
data reflecting behaviors is compiled by online interactions in a digital world. Data may be of a
variety of types, such as text, image, video, audio,
clicks, page visits, or other cookie-related types of
information. This data tends to be created, generated, or entered by a consumer.
In an IoT-based environment, devices monitor
and record data related to consumer behavior in
the natural, non-digital environments in which a
consumer behaves. For example, the Nest thermostat monitors and records temperature conditions and consumer behavior and preferences
within a building in order to learn and optimally
manage the temperature. A consumer does not
have to actively participate for the device to
collect data.
3.1.2. Data entry
Consumers in a Web-based environment actively
manipulate devices to interact directly with the
Web. For example, a consumer may use a laptop
to shop online, direct a browser to a particular
618
Figure 1.
B.D. Weinberg et al.
Shifting from a Web-based Internet environment to an Internet of Things-based environment
webpage for a product at an online store, put a
product in a digital shopping cart, and then purchase
the product after clicking on checkout and entering
relevant transaction information.
Consumers can interact with IoT devices, but in
many cases they don’t directly enter the data.
Rather, IoT devices by themselves monitor and retrieve relevant data from the environment and a
person. For example, an activity tracking Fitbit
product can monitor a consumer’s exercise and
sleep behavior and can record data such as number
of steps taken, duration length of a workout, distance traveled, and heart rate.
3.1.3. Data sharing
Consumer information related to Web behavior is
typically shared internally within an organization or
externally with affiliated third parties or partners,
although some organizations do share data with
others.
In an IoT environment, data are shared with
providers and with other devices. For example,
while driving home from work on a hot day,
an automobile embedded IoT-device–—or even a
smartphone–—may communicate a consumer’s location and estimated arrival time to the home climate
control IoT-device. This would enable it to set the
temperature in the house at the right time based on
consumer preference and habit.
3.1.4. Learning
Providers, marketers, and websites learn about consumers based on their activities inside the digital
world, such as shopping online and using social
media. Again, these activities may be recorded in
the form of cookies or transactional purchase information. These Web-related behavioral data can be
used for learning consumer behaviors.
IoT devices learn about consumers by observing
their habits, tendencies, and preferences as well as
Internet of Things: Convenience vs. privacy and secrecy
Table 2.
619
Key distinctions between Web-based and IoT-based environments
Data and Related
Processes
Web
Internet of Things
Data
Online/Digital, environment/context
largely constructed by providers
Physical. Environment/context largely
constructed by nature, with many
aspects/contexts created by consumers.
Data Entry
Active, Consumer
Passive, Devices
Data Sharing
With other providers
With other machines
Learning
Actions in online/digital world
Actions in natural/physical world
Decision Making
Providers, more fixed/static,
less real time
Machines, dynamic, more real time
their environments. Learning is based on behaviors
and phenomena in the natural, physical world as
opposed to the strictly online world.
3.1.5. Decision making
Marketers use Web-related data in making decisions
about engaging and serving consumers with respect
to their online behaviors. Decisions are not necessarily made in real time from a consumer perspective, as some ‘more than immediate’ amount of
time may pass between the recognition of a consumer problem and the provision of a provider
solution.
On the other hand, IoT machines are constantly
monitoring the environment through sensors and
dynamically making decisions and associated
changes in real time given these environmental
conditions and consumer or other stakeholder preferences. For example, smart pills–—that is, pills that
include microchips which communicate with other
devices and thereby a consumer, physician, or some
other stakeholder–—can provide information about
their journey and employment through a consumer’s
body. This real-time monitoring and communication
could yield, if warranted, dynamic changes in treatment or action toward a consumer who ingests a
smart pill.
4. Opportunities and concerns
Many are predicting that the economic impact of IoT
will be huge. Estimates by a number of wellrespected organizations range widely. For example,
IDC forecasts a global market for IoT of $7.1 trillion
in 2020, and General Electric estimates that IoT
could add as much as $15 trillion to global GDP by
2030 (Press, 2014). However, there may be several
tradeoffs and concerns associated with the proliferation of the IoT. This section highlights more prominent aspects from both sides of the coin; the central
issue of privacy is accorded its own distinct, more
detailed analysis.
4.1. Benefits
IoT can benefit organizations by enhancing data
collection, enabling real-time responses, improving
access and control of devices, increasing efficiency
and productivity, and connecting technologies.
One benefit of IoT is enhanced data collection.
Today’s big data will soon be tomorrow’s little data.
IoT creates an opportunity to more frequently collect data of a known type(s) or of a finer grain. For
example, a consumer wearing a health-related IoT
device may allow for constant collection of vital
information, such as pulse, body temperature, and
distance traveled. These data could be used to
optimize outcomes (e.g., weight loss or fitness)
for a person. Data could also be collected for finer
grain health-related phenomena such as blood flow,
neural activity, or–—ultimately–—protection from
life-threatening afflictions.
As an added benefit, the data can be collected
immediately to allow for real-time decision making
and action. This would enhance restocking or other
supply chain management services. For example,
pay-as-you-go could be broadened beyond mobile
phone services and automobile rentals (e.g., Zipcar)
to almost any application, such as insurance. In
addition, pricing in a variety of contexts that tend
to be fixed, such as parking meters or vending
machines, could become dynamic.
A widely realized benefit of the Internet is the
ability to have greater access to and control of
Internet-connected devices. For example, people
can access and utilize their home computers or
cable television service when away from home. This
type of access and control will extend to IoT devices. For example, a CMO could view a dashboard
that shows real-time traffic flow patterns within a
retail outlet, and have control of in-store elements,
such as display monitors, audio, lighting, and shelf
stocking. IoT-embedded smart cars, traffic lights,
parking areas and meters–—and, even more broadly,
cities–—could reduce the number or impact of traffic
jams or time to find a parking space, which in turn
620
could yield better quality of life in both professional
and personal aspects (Kavis, 2014).
As with many technologies, it is easy to imagine
increased efficiencies in a variety of applications,
such as energy use. Porter and Heppelmann (2014)
see the potential for a huge gain in productivity and
improvements in value chain processes such as
product design, marketing, manufacturing, and
after-sale service. It is reasonable enough to
imagine that IoT components and products with
embedded sensors and other ‘smart’ IT-related componentry would enhance many processes. For example, Stanley Black & Decker placed wirelessenabled RFID tags on a variety of manufacturing
materials to provide real-time information to assembly workers, supervisors, and managers. This
yielded significant productivity gains in a variety
of areas including equipment effectiveness, inventory management, labor utilization, and customer
service and delivery (Cisco, 2014).
IoTcan also enhance productivity at a larger scale
and in systems where coordination of many pieces is
vital. With proper coordination of IoT, systems could
be formed and blended to work together seamlessly.
For example, homeowners could have a system
where a variety of property-related elements–—
such as lighting, locks, televisions, and kitchen
appliances–—could be tied together into a
‘connected’ home. Combined, these elements could
be used to deliver greater efficiency, effectiveness,
and satisfaction.
4.2. Concerns
Aside from privacy, which is discussed in its own
section, there are a number of concerns and problems which may prove challenging to manage.
More data will be generated, will need to be
stored, and will need to be processed. Some estimates place growth in the world’s data generation
from about 4 zettabytes (i.e., 1021 bytes) currently
to approximately 40 zettabytes in 2020 (Adshead,
2014). New technologies and algorithms for processing and storing data will be needed.
Ownership is also a concern. Who owns the data in
a system where a variety of parties co-creates and
adds value? This has been an issue in social media
and in other cases where data are generated or
shared through third-party agents. We suspect that
issues related to data ownership may create friction
and disputes, particularly when the data are of a
personal nature.
In addition to concerns related to data processing, storage, and ownership, unanswered questions
regarding interoperability, communication, and
standards will need to be addressed. Providers
B.D. Weinberg et al.
and manufacturers will employ a variety of different
approaches with respect to IoT, such as data structures and communications, but for devices to ultimately work together, some sort of coordination or
set of standards will need to be defined. Organizations with existing popular ecosystems such as
Amazon, Apple, and Google may attempt to exert
power to control IoT. This could have positive effects
with respect to accelerating applications; however,
it could also have negative effects in that it might
stunt innovation and squelch consumer choice.
5. Privacy
Data and data-related processes such as generation,
acquisition, transmission, and interpretation are
central drivers in the design and application of
IoT. Without data, IoT does not exist. Indeed, IoT
is about the data, particularly that which is consumer related. It is one thing for an organization to
obtain and utilize for decision making one’s birthdate, income, clicks on a website, comments on
social media, and the like, but it will be something
entirely different for a connected set of organizations and machines to have access to and to utilize
information about the environment in which one
behaves and exists–—for example, personal healthrelated information such as blood composition and
dietary habits such as foods and beverages purchased and consumed. As IoT-related systems capture more of the entirety of a consumer’s being in
the form of data, it will be as if more of a person will
be inside the Internet and is being passed around
from machine to machine. Thus, respect for consumers’ being and their privacy is at the heart of the
consumer experience with IoT. Consumers will consider and act on the tradeoffs associated with the
conveniences offered by IoT and the costs and losses
in privacy.
5.1. Privacy, security, and hacking
Privacy and security are arguably the most prominent issues; they are at the heart of trust, relationship building, and exchange. With the proliferation
of technology and the associated growth in data and
databases, the opportunity for compromise can increase, and the effects can be great. Widespread
hacking has hit some of the largest companies in the
world–—including Anthem, Apple, Home Depot, JP
Morgan Chase, Sony, and Target–—and it has exposed
highly sensitive information such as social security
numbers, credit card numbers, and corporate strategy, and has created negative outcomes such as
costs associated with stolen money and identities.
Internet of Things: Convenience vs. privacy and secrecy
Although a tremendous hassle to live through, solutions for cleaning up the mess associated with
security breaches have been put in place (e.g.,
credit card protection, identity theft protection).
A security breach associated with IoT could be
more costly. One might wonder: What could be more
costly than identity theft? Loss of life. Really?
Really! Recall that IoT devices connect physical
objects to the Internet. Hacking into a database
of information is one thing; hacking into a physical
device in the proximity of a person and gaining
control of it could be disastrous. Consider automobiles. Imagine the outcome of someone wrestling
away control of a motor vehicle. This is not hypothetical. There are actual reports of automobiles
being vulnerable to hacking (Shepardson, 2015).
Imagine the risk with respect to health care. The
effectiveness and degree of care associated with
connectivity to a consumer’s vital signs and systems
can be comforting on the benefit side. However,
were these systems to be hacked, allowing uninvited
access to, say, a person’s heart or any other major
organ with which a device interacts for monitoring
and regulation, a nefarious actor could potentially
create significant or catastrophic damage to a
person.
There is greater need for privacy and security
lock-down when it comes to IoT. There will be more
(sensitive) data and more access to the physical
world in which society lives, and it can’t be assumed
that successful, experienced companies with great
talent will always do the right thing. Consider
Lenovo’s installation of Superfish Adware on its
computers, which tracked consumers’ every online
movement, even when they thought they were using
the computer in a private/secret mode. It made
Lenovo users increasingly susceptible to hacking
threats and the loss of privacy (Rosenblatt, 2015).
5.2. Privacy and relationship marketing
Given the increased importance of privacy in a more
advanced technological and connected world, it is
critical for privacy to be a more common consideration throughout an organization and the various
processes employed in serving customers and solving
their problems. Just as the relationships among various inputs and outcomes is considered in Total Quality
Management, the relationships among privacy and
various consumer-related decisions and actions (e.g.,
product offerings) need to be considered.
In an IoT-based world, privacy evolves from something elementary for which there needs to be a
policy or checkbox to being a prominent factor in
the consumer experience. Again, in a world with
significant increases in connectivity, data, personal
621
sensitivity of data, data transmission, and potential
impact of data on a consumer’s being, a consumer’s
trust and relationships will be based more on how
well privacy is respected and maintained. Indeed,
an organization’s management of privacy is becoming increasingly representative of its respect for
consumers and, in turn, consumers’ trust in the
organization and brand.
5.3. Privacy and humanness
In IoT exchange environments, there are more data
that can be used to define and to influence people.
Will these data, which in digital form are coded as
strings of zeroes and ones, lead marketers to view
consumers strictly as data, slotting them into fixed
categories and treating them with sterile precision
in accordance to their assignment? And through the
acquisition and sharing of these data–—perhaps in
the end, without much choice by those from whom
the data are sourced–—will consumers relinquish
important aspects that define their humanness,
and thus feel less satisfaction?
In the context of mortality and being human,
Gawande (2014, p. 86) draws upon Dworkin (1986)
and his perspective on autonomy to put forth, ‘‘we
want to retain the autonomy–—the freedom–—to be
the authors of our lives. This is the very marrow of
being human. . . .All we ask is to be allowed to
remain the writers of our own story. That story is
ever changing. . . .We want to retain the freedom to
shape our lives in ways consistent with our character
and loyalties.’’ Although he was writing about mortality when framing that ‘‘the battle of being mortal
is the battle to maintain the integrity of one’s life’’
(Gawande, 2014, p. 86), we believe it applies when
one, through technology and associated data, can
be increasingly represented, influenced, and controlled and as a result have choices censored. The
autonomy of one’s data and thus one’s self should be
respected and the individual should be provided
freedom of control.
We believe that the human condition calls for and
requires sufficient privacy. Indeed, privacy and all
that it represents or entails is a sine qua non of
humanness. Without it, consumers may feel like–—
and become–—empty souls and vessels through
which organizations derive profits.
6. Managerial recommendations for
engaging the Internet of Things
Technology takes on a greater presence and role in a
world where the Internet of Things is applied to
problem solving and life. A prominent part of this
622
will involve more machine-to-machine communication, interaction, decision making, and action. However, given the limited nature for machines to learn
on their own, the importance of effective process
design and associated execution becomes more
critical. There will not only be more moving pieces,
but also less direct human involvement and presence in many IoT-related actions. Organizations that
plan to employ or develop IoT-entwined solutions to
problems should devote careful attention to a variety of areas, including privacy by design.
6.1. Technologist and analytics skills
become more critical
We see an increasing need for marketers and managers to have training and take an approach to think
more like a technologist or computer scientist. At
the core of IoT devices is computer technology with
associated programs and hardware for sensing,
communicating, and delivering benefits. A telephone becomes a computer with phone-calling capabilities (e.g., smartphone); a watch becomes a
computer and communication device that can keep
time (e.g., Apple watch); an automobile becomes a
computer on wheels (e.g., self-driving cars). And a
central part of computer-based technology is data
and data processing. Thus, it is critical to have
greater data management and analytical skills.
Organizations that can raise their skillset in these
areas are going to have more potential to effectively leverage the IoT.
6.2. The human condition
Thinking more like a technologist does not suggest
thinking less like or about people. In fact, we argue
that it becomes more important to consider the
human condition when designing technology-based
solutions. We believe there is a tendency to use
technology as a mass market solution to a problem in
which solutions address the major issues or are
believed to be robust enough to provide a reasonable solution to any problem. However, such solutions may overlook smaller details or individual
preferences that may comprise the long tail and
therefore may be less satisfactory than imagined.
For example, consider automated phone call-in
systems where customers ‘‘Listen closely as options
may have changed. . .Press 1 for. . .Press 2 for. . . .’’
It seems like a grand way to handle a large volume of
calls on a variety of topics. However, in application,
too many consumers may be frustrated by such
systems. Brands take a hit when this happens. A
method intended to enhance customer service can
ironically result in annoying customers. Thinking
B.D. Weinberg et al.
more fully through the human condition will yield
more effective solutions.
6.3. Design, planning, and product
checking
It will become critical to think more broadly about
design and planning as offerings become entwined in
a collaborative network of technology, people, and
other offerings. In a system where people may be
less involved and machines more directly involved in
real-time problem solving, it will be very important
to plan along a variety of dimensions, such as product design, customer experience design, and privacy
design. It will become more important to get it right
the first time. However, increased connectivity
should allow for faster problem identification, diagnosis, and corrective action.
6.4. Real-time network minded
As the Web and social media utilization have become
more commonplace, we’ve observed that users of
these technologies expect greater speed in response,
information flow, and problem solving. Indeed, more
people expect their problems to be handled in real
time, and for corresponding solutions to be quickly
developed and delivered. Although Web 2.0 applications and tools of today allow for faster input and
response than did the first generation of Web solutions, the need for speed will increase with IoT.
IoT will further increase the speed of and possibility for real-time, solution-related actions to problems. It will be critical not only for people to design
machines that can deliver real-time solutions but
also for employees of organizations to think, respond, and act faster in IoT contexts. In addition,
it will be critical for providers to think more in terms
of networks and connectivity when developing solutions. To make this point more concrete, we’ll
recall a time not too long ago when it was not that
uncommon for a car dealer to take days or weeks to
locate a vehicle of choice that was currently unavailable on the lot. Today, a car dealer had better
be able to tap into a dealer network and provide this
sort of information soon after a consumer asks for it;
if he or she cannot, a potential sale could be walking
out the door faster than it would take for a car to go
from 0 to 60 miles per hour.
6.5. Further blurring of lines between
professional and personal lives
As more elements of one’s surroundings and aspects
of one’s life become connected via the Inter
