The Internet of Things (IoT) is likely to be a major disruptor, a source of concern and an opportunity for broadcasters, said Paul Robinson (director, Creative Media Partners) while introducing Muthiah Thangarajan, senior vice president and head, broadcast business at Tata Elxsi, India.
Thangarajan told IBC delegates that the cost of IoT technology and machine to machine connectivity is tumbling. “The cost of processing has fallen 60-fold over the past 10 years. Storage costs have fallen 40-fold in the same period, as has bandwidth costs. IoT sensors have not fallen as fast but the applications are growing.”
He said while some MSOs and satellite broadcasters are already tapping into home security and health monitoring of their subscribers, they were “only beginning to” and that the various existing vertical silos needed breaking down.
“Abandon the silos and instead of the car, or the fridge, or the health car, think of ‘me’ and how all these elements can serve ‘me’ where I am at the centre of an eco-system. This calls for a trusted supplier, an organisation that can bridge all these silos and upon whom you can depend,” he remarked.
Thangarajan admitted that there were any number of large organisations that wanted a slice of this business, but perhaps the fridge manufacturer would not be top of the list. “But does Intel qualify, or Microsoft?”
The opportunity for broadcasters and those who were already putting trusted home gateways into the home were considerable, especially for health and security.
