Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO)’s Connected World of Tomorrow: An Internet of Everything

The third primary issue at hand in deploying an Internet of Everything is the data it will generate. Big Data platforms are growing rapidly, but most businesses still haven’t capitalized on this torrent of information. Big Data makes up a tiny sliver (about $34 billion) of the total value created by the Internet of Everything, but it should be one of the largest beneficiaries — what use is a connection to everything if you can’t make sense of what everything is doing? It doesn’t help that Big Data remains a specialist niche within the already highly specialized world of software engineering. Two of the largest Big Data specialist firms, TIBCO Software and Splunk Inc (NASDAQ:SPLK), each had dozens of unfilled jobs in the field earlier this year. This isn’t something that can be taught in a weekend seminar, and it will take time for the analytic side of the coin to catch up to the Internet of Everything’s ongoing hardware deployment.

Where do we go next?

The same issues that plague implementation of an Internet of Everything have been with us since the earliest days of the Internet itself. They may slow the spread of connectivity through the world, but it won’t be stopped — this is one of the last frontiers of technology that’s still within reach today. Understanding the long-term implications of this trend toward constant connectivity can help you adapt in a changing world, whether you’re looking for a better job (remote factory foreman, perhaps?) or are simply looking for investment opportunities on what might just be technology’s next great wave.

The article Cisco’s Connected World of Tomorrow: An Internet of Everything originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Alex Planes.

Fool contributor Alex Planes has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) and Tibco Software. The Motley Fool owns shares of General Electric.

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