By Antonio Eduardo Mendes da Silva (Pitanga), BSA Country Manager in Brazil
Since 2010, the number of devices connected to the internet has surpassed the number of people in the United States. Today, the North American has, on average, more than ten devices connected. The forecast is that, in 2022, a typical house will have about 500 connected devices. Brazil is on the same path. According to data from Ericsson, Brazil will have 2 billion devices connected to the network in 2020.
However, this trend is not just about linking objects to the internet, but also bringing us closer to infinite opportunities. Connected devices will increasingly be incorporated into important aspects of our lives and mean access to knowledge that is unprecedented in our history. We are experiencing a revolution through sensors, data, encryption and clouds.
Artificial intelligence, internet of things, cloud and big data solutions are paving the way for us to have a better quality of life and for our countries' economies to grow and generate jobs, new businesses and opportunities, changing the way we work and live. This is because they increase business productivity and competitiveness and enable governments to offer better services to the population.
The effects of these technologies are already visible in all areas and around the world, going far beyond our smartphones and files in the cloud. For example, Brazilian hospitals are using radio frequency identification tags on medical equipment, which allows their locations to be mapped in real time, facilitating inventory management and avoiding the unnecessary acquisition of new equipment. Agribusiness is using software and analyzing data to improve pest control techniques, reduce costs and boost productivity.
Contrary to what many people imagine, this potential is not limited to more developed countries. Emerging economies are benefiting greatly from new technologies. In Kenya, for example, scientists are using data from cell towers to track population travel patterns around sources of malaria like Lake Victoria. Thus, the Kenyan government was able to detect new outbreaks of the disease and make more efficient efforts to eradicate it. According to IDC (International Data Corporation), these economies, including Brazil, will overtake developed countries as the main data producers by 2020.
The results are countless, and the development potential of these technologies remains infinite. Chronic problems in today's societies could be solved through the internet of things, for example. A recent study by software.org listed data from several institutions that prove this: deaths from traffic accidents can fall by up to 90% thanks to autonomous and semi-autonomous cars; connected traffic management can make traffic flow between 5% and 25% better; public security sensors and new home monitoring models can lower crime rates in 20%; the widespread adoption of the internet of things can cause greenhouse gas emissions to fall in 19%, energy consumption in homes in 10% and that of factories in up to 30%; finally, the cost of treatment for chronic diseases has the potential to drop by up to 50%. These and other examples will mean an impact of $ 11.1 trillion on the economy by 2025.
These technologies are here to stay. That is why, in addition to all the possibilities we talked about above, they also bring the need to rethink our regulations to ensure that progress is not hampered by outdated laws and regulations. Adapting and creating new legislation should be a priority for all countries seeking innovation-based development.
An example of this movement is the new Brazilian Personal Data Protection Law (LGPD) that protects citizens, while not creating barriers to innovation. It was also successful in bringing together government, the legislature, companies from different sectors and Brazilian society around a country's need, including everyone in the discussion. Initiatives like this should be a reference to better meet the needs that new times bring.
However, this trend is not just about linking objects to the internet, but also bringing us closer to infinite opportunities. Connected devices will increasingly be incorporated into important aspects of our lives and mean access to knowledge that is unprecedented in our history. We are experiencing a revolution through sensors, data, encryption and clouds.
Artificial intelligence, internet of things, cloud and big data solutions are paving the way for us to have a better quality of life and for our countries' economies to grow and generate jobs, new businesses and opportunities, changing the way we work and live. This is because they increase business productivity and competitiveness and enable governments to offer better services to the population.
The effects of these technologies are already visible in all areas and around the world, going far beyond our smartphones and files in the cloud. For example, Brazilian hospitals are using radio frequency identification tags on medical equipment, which allows their locations to be mapped in real time, facilitating inventory management and avoiding the unnecessary acquisition of new equipment. Agribusiness is using software and analyzing data to improve pest control techniques, reduce costs and boost productivity.
Contrary to what many people imagine, this potential is not limited to more developed countries. Emerging economies are benefiting greatly from new technologies. In Kenya, for example, scientists are using data from cell towers to track population travel patterns around sources of malaria like Lake Victoria. Thus, the Kenyan government was able to detect new outbreaks of the disease and make more efficient efforts to eradicate it. According to IDC (International Data Corporation), these economies, including Brazil, will overtake developed countries as the main data producers by 2020.
The results are countless, and the development potential of these technologies remains infinite. Chronic problems in today's societies could be solved through the internet of things, for example. A recent study by software.org listed data from several institutions that prove this: deaths from traffic accidents can fall by up to 90% thanks to autonomous and semi-autonomous cars; connected traffic management can make traffic flow between 5% and 25% better; public security sensors and new home monitoring models can lower crime rates in 20%; the widespread adoption of the internet of things can cause greenhouse gas emissions to fall in 19%, energy consumption in homes in 10% and that of factories in up to 30%; finally, the cost of treatment for chronic diseases has the potential to drop by up to 50%. These and other examples will mean an impact of $ 11.1 trillion on the economy by 2025.
These technologies are here to stay. That is why, in addition to all the possibilities we talked about above, they also bring the need to rethink our regulations to ensure that progress is not hampered by outdated laws and regulations. Adapting and creating new legislation should be a priority for all countries seeking innovation-based development.
An example of this movement is the new Brazilian Personal Data Protection Law (LGPD) that protects citizens, while not creating barriers to innovation. It was also successful in bringing together government, the legislature, companies from different sectors and Brazilian society around a country's need, including everyone in the discussion. Initiatives like this should be a reference to better meet the needs that new times bring.
Disclaimer: The opinion presented in this article is the responsibility of its author and not of ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies
EN 
PT 
