Latin America. "What are my meetings scheduled for today?" This and other questions, asked at the voice assistant command, have become routine for many people. Devices that use the Internet of Things (IoT), such as Alexa, Google Home, among others, have gained space by demonstrating that this technology is an upward trend.
In an increasingly digital world we live in, IoT has expanded rapidly. By 2022, 18 billion devices are expected to be connected. Lighting, locks, and even smart heating and cooling are just a few examples of elements that already exist. However, home integration depends on an investment in technologies to enhance virtual assistants and the ability to connect and exchange information with centralized IoT applications.
The technology is so efficient today that, according to a report by Valor Econômico, in 2013, the error rate in the recognition of voice sentences was 23%, a high figure for the functionality to be considered a success. Today that figure does not reach 5%, experts say. And, although in Latin America, this type of technology has not yet been massively adopted due to the high investment involved in transforming a house into a smart home, IT professionals have managed to offer users and consumers a good experience, taking into account the ability of devices to decode the spoken language.
Connectivity and integration beyond home use
The practicality of innovations that allow a connection between devices has already begun to be considered outside the home. This innovation is so complete that it is able to take integration to a much higher level than you can imagine. With this in mind, Orange accepted the challenge of designing Egypt's smart 'New Administrative Capital', which is located 45 km from Cairo, and which will feature advanced technologies for process integration and connection.
IoT connectivity complements and adapts the needs of different business segments, enabling new ways of using it. One of the great advantages of this technology is the reduction of costs and the improvement of productivity through the optimization of processes, in addition to generating new sources of income through innovative offers and business models, increasing customer loyalty.
There is also enormous potential that corporations can exploit in relation to this technology. With so many possibilities, which go through simple innovations within the home, or even entire cities connected and managed, we can bet that this resource, so explored in recent times, will grow exponentially. Therefore, the question remains: what else can be connected? For me, the limit is given by human creativity... then the question would be, what is the limit to our creativity?
Text written by José Renato de Mello Gonçalves, Vice President of Orange Business Services for Latin America.
