Forrester：为物联网网络混乱做好准备

根据 Forrester Research 最新发布的一组预测，物联网网络可用的连接选项数量之多将在来年造成混乱。

由于没有单一的连接选项可以满足物联网的所有用例，因此企业应该期望在一个包括专有低功耗选项（如 Zigbee）、未经许可的标准（如蓝牙）、公共和私有5G、Wi-Fi甚至卫星以使部署工作。

由于物联网连接市场脱节，到 2021 年，5G 和 Wi-Fi 的使用率实际上将大幅放缓，其中一些支出将用于卫星和其他低功耗选项，明年它们的兴趣应该会增加 20%， Forrester 在“预测 2021：物联网 (IoT)”中说。

分析师们表示，随着 COVID-19 的普及促使对数字和远程医疗技术的大量投资增加，这种兴趣的大部分——可能会转化为使用和销售——可能会出现在医疗保健市场。由于大流行，用于在家中评估患者健康状况的可穿戴设备和远程传感器突然变得比以往任何时候都更加重要。据 Forrester 称，由于便利因素，消费者的兴趣正在上升，而保险公司希望能够获得有关患者及其可能结果的更多数据。物联网网关

在其他地方，虽然办公空间的整体使用率似乎将保持历史低位——大流行的影响更大——但那些因预期 COVID-19 水平最终下降而计划返回办公室的公司可能会实施大量物联网应用保障员工安全，提高效率。Forrester 将智能照明、环境监测、基于传感器的活动监测和空间利用系统列为物联网的潜在智能办公用例。

最后，2021 年是联网机器成为工业用途主流的一年。虽然联网机器已经存在了很长时间，但 Forrester 表示，直到最近，许多用户还不愿意充分利用这些联网设备。COVID-19 再次引发了变革。

报告称：“要求 OEM 工程师定期上门拜访的客户现在可以享受到机器打电话回家寻求帮助的便利，让远程专家参与维修，而无需长时间停机和昂贵的旅行。”

Forrester 说，随着基本连接变得越来越普遍，工业物联网使用的更深入模型，如预测性维护和业务即服务，将被广泛采用。

Forrester 对 2021 年的其他预测可在此处免费获取。

英文部分：

The sheer number of connectivity options available for IoT networks will create chaos in the coming year, according to a newly released set of predictions from Forrester Research.

As there’s no single connectivity option that meets every use case for IoT, businesses should expect to navigate a landscape that includes proprietary low-power options like Zigbee, unlicensed standards like Bluetooth, both public and private varieties of 5G, Wi-Fi, and even satellite in order to make deployments work.

2021 will actually see uptake rates for 5G and Wi-Fi slow substantially as a result of the disjointed IoT connectivity market, and some of that spending will go to satellite and other low-power options, which should see 20% more interest next year, Forrester says in “Predictions 2021: Internet Of Things (IoT)”.

Much of that interest--which, presumably, translates into usage and sales--could be in the healthcare market, as the spread of COVID-19 prompted substantial investment increases in digital and remote health technology, according to the analysts. Wearables and remote sensors to assess patients’ health at home are suddenly more relevant than ever thanks to the pandemic. Consumer interest is on the rise thanks to the convenience factor, and insurers like the ability to have additional data about their patients and their possible outcomes, according to Forrester.

Elsewhere, while the overall use of office space seems set to remain historically low--more fallout from the pandemic--companies that do plan to return to their offices in the anticipation of COVID-19 levels eventually dropping could implement a lot of IoT applications to keep employees safe and improve efficiency. Forrester cites smart lighting, environmental monitoring, sensor-based activity monitoring, and space-utilization systems as potential smart office use cases for IoT.

Finally, 2021 is the year when connected machines cross into the mainstream of industrial use. While connected machinery has been around for a long time, Forrester said that, until recently, many users have been reluctant to use those connected devices to their fullest capability. Once again, COVID-19 has prompted change.

“Customers who demanded regular visits from their OEM’s engineers now enjoy the convenience of machines that call home for help, engaging remote experts to walk through repairs without protracted downtime and expensive travel,” the report said.

The more in-depth models of industrial IoT use, like predictive maintenance and business-as-a-service, will follow in widespread uptake as the basic connectivity becomes more and more common, Forrester said.