The Internet of Things: 5 prescriptions for Exploiting Wearable Tech

The wearables industry is in its infancy and it’s too early to tell which devices will flourish and which will be consigned to history’s dustbin.

What is clear is that security, licensing and business models need to evolve quickly to protect users and their businesses from malign forces in this virgin territory.

Here are my five prescriptions for exploiting the new generation of digital technology and protecting those that use it.

1. Encrypted connectivity

Although there are many conversations about building security into wearable devices, these devices all remain essentially vulnerable and you can expect to see more discussions about how to build secure, authenticated, encrypted connectivity into all wearable technology.

Photo: Tedeytan under CC2.0

2. Software licensing

If software sits at the heart of realising the promise of wearables then a new set of rules for licensing and entitlement will be essential. The Internet of Things (IoT) exponentially increases the number of endpoints for software distribution.

It also dramatically accelerates the rate of deployment. Managing these software licensing challenges will be the biggest test for organisations in the IoT and cloud environments – especially, with the multiple devices, objects and apps joining the supply chain.

But it will also represent the biggest opportunity and this is where software vendors have a real chance to further monetise their offering.

By truly understanding how customers are using the software in these connected devices, vendors can effectively build and adapt their software to ensure they’re offering the ideal customer experience and maximising the bottom line.

3. Interpretation hub

Addressing security issues should start with a new set of rules for software licensing, entitlement management and IP protection. As a starting point, the IoT environment will need an ‘interpretation HUB’ (server-type) that can function as a knowledge base for connecting all diverse options.

The ‘HUB’ would then require various levels of security, starting with the infrastructure and continuing to the software embedded within each end point device – preventing hacking and tampering on the one end, and collecting usage data and performance metrics on the other.

4. Reverse engineering

Organisations will need to put structures in place to prevent reverse engineering – by encrypting everything. To ensure maximum security, data encryption should extend to all links between devices, with authentication codes solely linked to corresponding hardware, securing the logins of people and systems.

Though there are different levels and ways to protect IP, a single weak point could open a company’s door to a potential hack. The system is only as strong as the weakest point in the completed network – ultimately, this could be the human or the technology.

Controlling access will therefore be the top priority.

5. Business models

Beyond security, the Internet of Things will force business models to evolve. As devices become increasingly ‘intelligent’, many manufacturers will find themselves more focused on developing embedded software within devices than on the hardware itself.

As a result, they will find themselves challenged with the same problems that face traditional software vendors.

Some will recognise the transition and adapt their offerings to meet customer demand – especially for online, self-serve experiences and usage-based fees – and differentiate themselves.

We’ll see savvy manufacturers create rich interactive experiences for their device end-users that enable them to create new revenue models and make the most of their intellectual property.

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