Internet of Things Is Overwhelming IT Networks

By 2020, the Internet of things (IoT) is expected to interconnect 26 billion computing devices in businesses, homes, cars, clothes, animals and pretty much everything else, according to Gartner. That's a thirtyfold increase over the past five years. While the potential for innovation is exciting, it's taking a toll on IT resources, according to survey research from Infoblox. Many tech professionals surveyed said that any required deployments for the IoT will become part of their existing IT network, even though most said their network is already at capacity. It doesn't help, findings reveal, that the business side often does not keep the IT organization informed about their IoT-related projects. "It's encouraging that IT professionals recognize the demands the Internet of things will make on their networks," says Cricket Liu, chief infrastructure officer at Infoblox. "But business units often get deep into the buying process before calling IT, sometimes forcing IT to scramble to provide support for devices that lack the full set of connectivity and security protocols found in established categories such as PCs, tablets and smart phones." On the positive side, IT employees feel their companies are committed to providing the budget and staffing needed to accommodate IoT-related demands. A total of 400 IT professionals from the United States and the United Kingdom took part in the research.