To fast track the development of the Internet of Things (IoT) in Australia, government agencies, telecommunication companies, and some of the world’s biggest technology enterprises have joined together to form an industry coalition with a shared interest in the opportunities presented by the IoT.
What is the The Internet of Things Alliance Australia?
The IoT Alliance Australia (IoTAA) is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that aims to define the IoT eco-system, informing and enabling Australian companies to exploit the business opportunities afforded by IoT technology and services – increasing Australia’s innovation, productivity and economy.
ITnews.com.au reports that about 25 groups have been named to the Executive Council of the alliance composed of government agencies, such as the Prime Minister’s Department, Department of Communications, ACCC, ACMA, CSIRO, OAIC, and the nbn®; telecoms including Telstra and Optus; and tech giants like HPE, IBM, Intel, Nokia, Ericsson, and more. It has more than 200 experts and 100 organisations on board, including industry groups representing more than 60,000 Australian businesses.
Shadow Minister for Communications Jason Clare led the launch of the new alliance in Sydney recently and said that IoT brings both “massive opportunities and significant risks”.
“If we don’t get our skates on we will be left behind. A lot of countries are already ahead of us when it comes to IoT. If we don’t turn this around, we will miss out on a lot of new jobs, more investment and new businesses,”
The idea of forming the group originated last year from Communications Alliance Ltd, the industry body representing Australia’s telecom sector. The IoTAA will be managed out of the Broadway campus of the University of Technology, Sydney.
The IoTAA has created six workstreams working on issues including spectrum availability, Smart Cities, network resilience, fostering IoT start-ups, data sharing, and privacy.
The workstreams include a significant project to work with the industry verticals, such as transport, food and agribusiness, and water and resource management, which stand to enjoy some of the greatest benefits from the IoT.
“Complemented by the looming power of 5G technology, IoT seems certain to transform sectors and economies by revolutionising industry methods and supply chains, unleashing analytical power undreamt of until now, and enhancing our ability to predict and control the future,”
-Communications Alliance remarked.
The IoTAA states that there are already more than 14 billion devices globally connected to the Internet, and projects an increase to about 26 billion units by 2020 and estimates a trillion connected devices by 2035.
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image courtesy of arnnet.com.au