IOT next big thing in technology, says MIMOS

KUALA LUMPUR: Internet of Things (IoT) is the next best thing in technology as it is the inevitable integration of enabling technologies, says Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic Systems (MIMOS).
Its President and Chief Executive Officer Datuk Abdul Wahab Abdullah said technologies like Internet, wireless sensors, radio frequency identification, global positioning systems and more when combined could change the way the people live, work, study and play.
The Internet was developed in MIMOS and it was a logical progression for them to continue with the IoT as MIMOS advocated the concept of Open Innovation Platform to drive open innovation optimally, Abdul Wahab said.
MIMOS today launched the first IoT technical working group to kick-start the development of the National IoT Blueprint, which is expected to be presented to the government in October.
The blueprint will play a key role in shaping Malaysia's information and communications technology landscape and will take advantage of the numerous opportunities offered by the IoT technologies, Abdul Wahab said.
Meanwhile, Science Advisor to the Prime Minister, Professor Emeritus Datuk Sri Zakri Abdul Hamid who launched the workshop said that the IoT would also act as the Science to Action (S2A) enablers.
He said the S2A initiatives, launched last year by the Prime Minister, was aimed to intensify the application of science and technology for industrial development and wellbeing of Malaysians through three keys components such as Science to Industry, Science to Wellbeing and Science to Governance.
Zakri said Science to Industry for example would realise opportunities in the digital age, which in turn could lead to gross national income of RM1.7 billion conservatively, and the creation of 14,720 new jobs by 2020.
"Although this had been happening since the day the Internet was created, IoT will present a totally different means of of doing so, it will digitalise the world and connect people, processes, data and things.
"We are evolving from human to human and human to machine connections to embedded intelligence," he said.
Zakri said according to research, by the year 2020, businesses related to applications, data analysis and services related to devices would grow to US$262 billion a year, the devices market were expected at US$31 billion, communications and networking would be worth US$17 billion while cloud computing, data centres and servers would be worth US$17 billion. – Bernama