Morgan Stanley analyzes the IoT

Morgan Stanley has published a comprehensive report analyzing the rapidly evolving Internet of Things (IoT). Essentially, the report defines the IoT as an “army of tens of billions of tiny robots” making life easier for users on a global scale.

“While this may seem a simplistic definition, in our view it summarizes very well the aim of the Internet of Things. It is like an army of small semiconductor based robots, all connected and able to take decisions on their own or based on higher level decision making. The Internet of Things is the next generation of personal computing, whereby objects interact, potentially independently, with each other and with their environment,” the report (via Barron’s) opined.

“[In reality], this is more of an historical definition, as it positions the Internet of Things as the next evolutionary step for personal computing […] The Internet of Things is the combination of sensors, actuators, distributed computing power, wireless communication on the hardware side and applications and big data/analytics on the software side. This is more of a functional definition, but it shows that there are many prerequisites for the Internet of Things to exist.”

James Manyika and Michael Chui of CFR’s Foreign Affairs journal recently expressed similar sentiments.

“The applications of a mobile-ready Internet of Things go beyond clothes: Tiny detectors that can gather and relay data about location, activity, and health (how well an object or device is holding up) have already been incorporated into everything from bridges and trucks to pacemakers and insulin pumps,” Manyika and Chui wrote in a journal article published earlier this month.

“The IoT makes it possible to monitor and control the location, condition, and behavior of objects, machinery and devices through networks. This can be as simple as tracking the whereabouts of a container of freight that has an RFID (radio-frequency identification) tag or as complex as managing machinery across an enterprise using actuators that modify the activities of the machines.”

Manyika and Chui also confirmed that the Internet of Things applications could have an economic impact of $900 billion to $2.3 trillion a year in manufacturing alone by the year 2025.

“This estimate is based on potential savings of 2.5 to 5 percent in operating costs. In addition, using sensors in the power grid (smart-grid applications) could drive value of $200 billion to $500 billion annually, and applications in public-sector services (water systems and the like) could cut waste by ten to 20 percent annually, which could save $20 billion to $40 billion a year,” the two concluded.

As previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the IoT represents perhaps the greatest potential growth market for semiconductors over the next several years. And that is why Atmel remains focused on designing the absolute lowest power sipping products, particularly with regards to microcontrollers (MCUs).

Simply put, Atmel MCUs are designed to deliver maximum performance and meet the requirements of advanced applications. That is why we offer highly integrated architecture optimized for high-speed connectivity, optimal data bandwidth and rich interface support – making them ideal for powering the smart, connected products at the heart of the IoT.

How the IoT is changing everything

The McKinsey Global Institute has identified the Internet of Things (IoT) as among the most disruptive technologies of the coming decade. As James Manyika and Michael Chui of the CFR’s Foreign Affairs journal note, the IoT is a set of technologies that incorporates the physical world into the virtual one via networks of electronic sensors and devices connected to computers.

“The applications of a mobile-ready Internet of Things go beyond clothes: Tiny detectors that can gather and relay data about location, activity, and health (how well an object or device is holding up) have already been incorporated into everything from bridges and trucks to pacemakers and insulin pumps,” Manyika and Chui wrote in a recent journal article.

“The IoT makes it possible to monitor and control the location, condition, and behavior of objects, machinery,and devices through networks. This can be as simple as tracking the whereabouts of a container of freight that has an RFID (radio-frequency identification) tag or as complex as managing machinery across an enterprise using actuators that modify the activities of the machines.”

In addition, the two Foreign Affairs writers noted that closed-loop systems are capable of responding in real-time and without human intervention to data that its sensors pick up.

“For example, with sensors and actuators in oil fields, pumping systems can automatically adjust to optimize production and reduce the potential for failures through early detection of anomalies in the flow of oil and gas,” they continued. “Already, the Internet of Things is used across industries to manage complicated supply chains, optimize performance of machinery, and sense when maintenance is needed.”

Manyika and Chui also confirmed that the Internet of Things applications could have an economic impact of $900 billion to $2.3 trillion a year in manufacturing alone by the year 2025.

“This estimate is based on potential savings of 2.5 to 5 percent in operating costs. In addition, using sensors in the power grid (smart-grid applications) could drive value of $200 billion to $500 billion annually, and applications in public-sector services (water systems and the like) could cut waste by ten to 20 percent annually, which could save $20 billion to $40 billion a year,” the two concluded.

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, Atmel is well positioned for the rapidly evolving IoT as our portfolio includes ultra-low power WiFi capability and an extensive lineup of microcontrollers (MCUs).

“As applications become more interconnected and user interfaces become richer, microcontrollers must handle and transfer ever-growing levels of data. To boost performance for these smart, connected applications, Atmel’s 8-bit Flash MCUs integrate a wide range of classic communication peripherals, such as UART, SPI and I2C,” an Atmel engineering rep told Bits & Pieces.

“Plus, our higher-performance 32-bit MCUs and embedded MPUs (eMPUs) feature Ethernet and full-speed and high-speed USB, while also providing extension ports for external communication modules such as WiFi or cellular modems. Simply put, Atmel MCUs are designed to deliver maximum performance and meet the requirements of advanced applications. That is why we offer highly integrated architecture optimized for high-speed connectivity, optimal data bandwidth and rich interface support – making them ideal for powering the smart, connected products at the heart of the IoT.”