The Industry’s IoT Scorecard

5.5 million.

That’s how many new devices will get connected to the Internet every day in 2016.

Thermostats. Refrigerators. Cars. Clothes. Jewelry. Industrial pumps. Shelves in stores. Marine mammals. Bridges. Barbie dolls.

The list is limited only by the imaginations of the innovators who see the opportunity to bring intelligence to devices, new business opportunities to those with the vision to seize them, and commerce to environments where it was once impossible.

Keeping track of what those 5.5 million devices will be doing, and who’s enabling them, is where the The PYMNTS IoT Tracker^TM, sponsored by Intel, can help.

The PYMNTS IoT Tracker^TM organizes IoT applications into six broad categories – Personal, Home, Enterprise, Retail, Transportation and Government. We also describe how technology comes together to support these use cases – from data through devices. Each entry in our Provider Directory includes updates to new products, upcoming developments and concise histories for startups new to the field.

We will add new players each month, complete with features highlighting pioneers at the forefront of the IoT revolution, such as this month’s sit-down interview with Kevin Ashton, the man who coined “The Internet of Things.”

With 31 companies, developments and insights profiled in its first edition, the IoT Tracker digs deep into a field that many expect to hold great sway over consumer and retailer habits alike in the coming months and years. While the Vantiv Developer Tracker follows the innovators pushing tech like BLE and NFC forward, the IoT Tracker takes a broader look at the evolving nature of a connected landscape of device as a whole. If any news breaks that could change the face of IoT, expect to find it in the IoT Tracker.

Amazon Connecting The IoT Dots

While no one retailer has managed to crack the code, keeping IoT from achieving its true potential, Amazon ended 2015 on as high a note as they could. Not only did the retail giant roll out its innovative voice-operated Echo device to more than 3,000 brick-and-mortar stores throughout the holiday season, but it also signed on several new partners to its Dash Replenishment Program. In the coming months, Amazon and new cohorts like General Electric, Samsung and Oster could be releasing a whole slate of in-home IoT-enabled devices – complete with full Amazon integration.

IoT For The Greater Good

If it seems ironic that a platform which seeks to connect each and every device is primarily being used by developers on a proprietary, exclusionary basis, there are several developments in the IoT Tracker that might persuade even the most ardent skeptic that IoT can be a force for social good. Italy’s Ministry of Education is moving forward with plans to outfit the country’s aging bridges and highways with IoT-enabled weight, tension and vibration sensors, while AT&T is continuing to explore possibilities in smart cities – connecting street lights, irrigation and plumbing systems and utility meters all on the same network.

To download the January IoT Tracker, click here.

For more updates from Intel, click here.