Surprise: Apple Isn’t The IoT Leader

The Internet of Things is all about connectivity, and with the seemingly endless popularity of the iPhone, one might assume that Apple is leading the IoT charge.

Not so, new data suggests. According to a new report from Barron’s, released Monday (May 11), Apple is not first – or even second – in the Internet of Things market. Instead, Google and Facebook both beat out the technology giant thanks to high-tech algorithms.

Barron’s analysis predicted that Google already has a significant share of the information-technology platform market, and will continue to increase that ownership. According to reports, Google’s share of operating systems across U.S. and U.K. markets is expected to increase by 118 percent for computers and 3 percent for smartphones.

This rise, combined with new information provided by Google executives at last week’s Global Technology Distribution Council, suggests that the company will gain a lead in operating system share thanks to the rise of the computer. In fact, reports said, the computer is expected to experience the most turnover of any device in 2016.

What’s more, Google holds the top spot for Web browser across computers, smartphones and tablets, reports found, and its control of the productivity software and video streaming service market is similarly rising.

Facebook, reporters predicted, will similarly continue its rise in the world of Big Data thanks to its sophisticated algorithms and vast expanse of personal data. The company recently published a blog post highlighting its innovative Big Data storage techniques. Both Google and Facebook, Barron’s suggested, are more equipped than Apple to efficiently store and analyze Big Data, and therefore are in a better position than Apple to monetize their participation in the Internet of Things.

The IoT could be a threat to Apple’s position in the market, experts said, because “the most viable route to monetizing the IoT [is not] in the sale of the items at a premium price to alternative items, but the synthesis of their data streams.”