How to Use 'Thingalytics' to Improve Business

With the continued surge of interest in the Internet of things (IoT), the number of connected devices is expected to increase from 25 billion today to 50 billion by 2020, according to industry research. During the same time period, the number of connected devices per person will grow from 3.47 to 6.58. Given the wealth of data captured by IoT devices, organizations are focused on how to capture and analyze the information to make better business decisions, thereby creating a new tech buzz phrase: "thingalytics." In the recent book, Thingalytics: Smart Big Data Analytics for the Internet of Things (published by Software AG/available now), author John Bates provides a compelling, comprehensive guide to this emerging technology trend. With sensors establishing the activity and locations of devices—as well as the users and organizations that own them—companies can launch real-time analytics initiatives to boost productivity, decrease costs, maximize operational efficiencies and seize market opportunities from the very moment they emerge. The following examples of thingalytics' real-world capabilities and best practices have been adapted from the book. Bates is the former CTO at Progress Software and is the current CMO and head of industry solutions at Software AG.