Dive Brief:

• Gartner predicts that 6.4 billion IoT devices will be used across the globe in 2016. That’s a 30% increase from 2015.
• Gartner also predicts that approximately 5.5 million new “things” will become connected each day, and that the number of connected things would jump to 20.8 billion by 2020.
• The firm says IoT should support total services spending of $235 billion in 2016.

Dive Insight:

Enterprise will account for the largest spending on IoT, says Jim Tully, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner.

In the enterprise, Gartner considers two classes of connected things: generic or cross-industry devices used in multiple industries (connected light bulbs, HVAC and building management systems mainly deployed for purposes of cost saving), and vertical-specific devices (specialized equipment used in hospital operating theatres, tracking devices in container ships, etc.)

"Connected things for specialized use are currently the largest category, however, this is quickly changing with the increased use of generic devices,” said Tully. “By 2020, cross-industry devices will dominate the number of connected things used in the enterprise.”