Letter from the Editor: Evolution
Evolution is persistent, constant, and there is a certain purity to it. The things that must change do, and others remain unchanged as reminders of what once was. In nature, many caterpillars keep their spots, even as they are almost entirely transformed through metamorphosis. Sharks are still here today and serve as a reminder of our prehistoric past. The duck-billed platypus is a living demonstration of just how messy evolution can be. But, at the heart of evolution is the necessity for change. And suffice to say the world has changed, a lot.
The truth is the world was already changing. The world had been embracing technology and digital transformation was well underway prior to the pandemic. The only thing that changed was the necessity of transformation which has led to an acceleration of a whole host of new and emerging technologies, such as 5G, AI, and IoT. Many of these changes are here to stay as we come together, now as a globally connected digital community, to continue to combat the pandemic, and evolve.
This is just the beginning, and the emerging world will be a lot more like the butterfly than the caterpillar. While its spots may remain, it will only be reminiscent of what it once was. This new world will ultimately be more vibrant, but it will also come with its own, unique set of risks and challenges.
The race to provide ubiquitous global connectivity has unlocked new business models and, with it, risk. We’ve seen unprecedented cyberattacks on businesses, infrastructure, institutions, and governments. And, as the pandemic-threat continues to evolve in its own right, new global threats are emerging – as our reliance on technology continues to intensify and tensions between nation states escalate.
Beyond the pandemic, climate change, clean drinking water, and feeding the world’s population become our next greatest global concerns. Armed with technology, we too can overcome these things. But, we must do so now and do so prudently. Which is why this issue of Pipeline is so important.
In this issue of Pipeline, we explore IoT and the device revolution. Vodafone looks at the momentum of technology investments related to the COVID pandemic and how IoT and the device revolution are unlocking new connected-business models. OneM2M explores IoT standards to provide a unified platform for the proliferation of IoT use cases such as air quality monitoring, public safety, first responders, highway control systems, and disaster response. ST Engineering iDirect shows us how drones, sensors, and self-driving tractors are being used to conserve resources, increase food production, and feed the world's population with smart agriculture and precision farming. Incognito tells us how building a diverse IoT ecosystem can help support the growing number of IoT use cases. Anritsu illustrates the importance of IoT and RF connectivity testing and Digital Matter discusses key considerations – such as antennas, batteries, GPS, PCB, housing and performance – related to IoT device size. The Trusted Computing Group discusses the increasing importance of satellite connectivity and the satellite security imperative, Positive Technologies looks at security for IoT and mobile IoT (MIoT) in the 5G era, and FirstPoint Mobile Guard underscores the importance of cellular IoT security to prevent IoT signaling attacks. All this plus the latest technology industry news and more.
We hope you enjoy this and every issue of Pipeline,
Scott St. John
Managing Editor
Pipeline
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