Despite the close of a tumultuous 2020 and the start of 2021, connected devices will continue to shape the future of numerous industries and businesses are confident that the Internet of Things (IoT) will play a key role in the future success of their trade.

Several trends continue to gather momentum, stimulating IoT’s prominence in 2021, from Industrial IoT devices to health-and-safety applications as COVID-19 continues to take center stage.

Here are a few facts, figures and trends, gathered across the web, that can help us understand where the IoT world is at, how it’s been impacted by the pandemics, and what to expect over the next few years.

2022 update: 6 exciting IoT power optimization trends to watch out for in 2022

Saft IOT barometer 2021

A few more words on the Top strategic Internet of Things (IoT) trends that will drive digital business innovation in 2021:

• Trend No. 1: A wider choice of connectivity.
  Organizations will really have to think about what use cases they will pursue and what connectivity option makes the most sense for them, as 5G won’t be the only option available to them. Satellite and other low-power networking technologies will increase by 20% in 2021.
   
• Trend No. 2: Healthcare investment
  The advent of COVID-19 brought digital and remote health care to the fore. New technologies at the edge, such as 5G and smarter hardware, will enable richer data-driven health experiences.
   
• Trend No. 3: Smart building technology drive employee transformation.
  Smart building technology will center more on core priorities, such as worker health and safety rather than as energy efficiency and worker productivity.
   
• Trend No. 4: The near ubiquity of connected machines.
  Manufacturers, distributors, utilities, and pharma firms began connecting previously disconnected assets, which will increase reliance on remote experts to address repairs without protracted downtime and expensive travel. Field service firms and industrial OEMs will have to keep up with customer demand for more connected assets and machines.
   
• Trend No. 5: Consumer and employee location data have become core to convenience.
  Brands must utilize location to generate convenience for consumers or employees with virtual queues, curbside pickup, and checking in for reservations. They will depend on technology partners to help use location data, as well as a third-party source of location trusted and controlled by consumers.
   
• Trend No. 6: IoT adoption is paving the way for smart cities.
  We can expect a huge surge of resources deployed for Smart Cities in order to tackle the challenges of a changing society. IoT technology will allow authorities and businesses to understand patterns of usage to more efficiently planned safety measures, and emergency response strategies.
   
• Trend No. 7: Big Data, Data Analytics and Machine Learning
  IoT partnered with AI and ML technologies will help processing vast amounts of data more quickly, synthesizing it to make smart and informed recommendations and decisions. Cloud platforms will help reducing the time needed for design, installation, commissioning, inspection, maintenance, and reporting of systems.
   
• Trend No. 8: IoT and Edge Computing
  With the confluence of 5G networks, an increase in IoT and IIoT devices, and a dramatic increase in the amount of data we are collecting, Edge computing is expected to boom. It allows for very large savings in bandwidth usage, therefore reducing energy consumption, cost, and carbon footprint. It also offers advantages to privacy and data stewardship and thus, can prove to be a key player in privacy maintenance and help IoT to progress according to the needs of society.
   
• Trend No. 9: Focus on security
  The IoT tech market will see a renewed focus on security as complex safety challenges crop up. Highlighting the security measures they have in place will help End-to-end IoT solution vendors improve sellability.
   
• Trend No. 10: Small tech contributor groups will lead to IoT innovation.
  Small groups of tech contributors will foster IoT innovations in the long-run. Technicians, developers, and other like-minded individuals will put more value on technology. IoT platform development will be a major focus.