Cars and kitchens are the future of IoT - Gartner

Some 250 million connected cars predicted by 2020, when internet-enabled kitchens will transform the retail market, analyst claims

The Internet of Things (IoT) will be driven by a boom in internet-enabled cars over the next five years, according to Gartner, which pointed to the underdog "connected kitchen" market as another area for businesses watch.

In just five years' time, the analyst predicts there will be 250 million connected vehicles on the world's roads – accounting for a fifth of all vehicles – making the area a "major element" of IoT. It said high-end internet-enabled cars exist already today, but will make their way into the mainstream in the coming years.

"The connected car is already a reality, and in-vehicle wireless connectivity is rapidly expanding from luxury models and premium brands to high-volume mid-market models," said James Hines, research director at Gartner.

"The increased consumption and creation of digital content within the vehicle will drive the need for more sophisticated infotainment systems, creating opportunities for application processors, graphics accelerators, displays and human-machine interface technologies."

He added that new business models will have to emerge to reflect the booming connected-car market.

Almost five billion connected things will be in use across all markets this year, up from 30 per cent last year. By 2020, the figure will rocket past the 25 billion mark, Gartner said.

Connected and driverless cars have been a hot topic recently, Gartner said, but added that the less talked-about connected-kitchen market is also set for big things over the same timespan.

"The connected kitchen has received less attention and drawn less focus along the IoT value chain compared with other IoT use cases and digital business opportunities," Gartner said.

"However, the connected kitchen will deliver significant benefits across industries spanning retail, healthcare and insurance, in addition to significantly addressing sustainability issues."

Real-time data collected from sensors will enable the automated generation of shopping lists, the analyst added, claiming that this will make inventory management in certain sectors, such as retail, much more efficient.