Gartner predicts Internet of Things explosion

By 2020, 26 billion units will be connected to the internet, not including PCs, tablets and smartphones, says analyst

The Internet of Things (IoT) trend will explode so much in the future that by 2020, some 26 billion units will be connected to the internet – not including PCs, tablets and smartphones, according to Gartner.

The IoT trend refers to the hardware, software and services relating to a range of devices – or ‘things' – which will be connected to the internet in the future. Internet-enabled washing machines and television boxes are already on the market today, but analysts predict even things such as livestock and fruit and vegetables could be connected in the coming years.

Just four years ago, only 0.9 billion devices were internet enabled, according to Gartner, meaning its 2020 prediction will see a 30-fold increase in the number of units connected to the internet.

Companies supplying products and services around the IoT will generate revenue of $300m (£183m) by 2020, according to the analyst, which said that reduced costs will drive a sales boom.

"By 2020, component costs will have come down to the point that connectivity will become a standard feature, even for processors costing less than $1," said Peter Middleton, research director at Gartner.

"This opens up the possibility of connecting just about anything, from the very simple to the very complex, to offer remote control, monitoring and sensing. The fact is that today, many categories of connected things in 2020 don't yet exist. As product designers dream up ways to exploit the inherent connectivity that will be offered in intelligent products, we expect the variety of devices offered to explode."

Gartner added that the IoT will facilitate new business models based on real-time data and could be particularly popular in the health and fitness industry as well as the medical and banking sector.