COMPUTERWORLD, 20 July, 2016 – A group that brings together Australian businesses, researchers and government agencies with the aim of helping the country realise the benefits of the Internet of Things has formally launched as an independent not-for-profit organisation.
The Internet of Things Alliance Australia brings together more than 100 organisations and will be hosted by the University of Technology Sydney.
The IoTAA grew out of Communications Alliance’s IoT Think Tank, which was launched last year.
A 2015 report released by the think tank — Enabling the Internet of Things for Australia — said that the IoT stood to have a potential economic impact in Australia of $116 billion by 2025, but that without a focus on IoT technology in industry and among government the country risked losing the opportunity for competitive advantage and market leadership.
The report said that there are already existing and emerging building blocks within Australia that can contribute to the IoT ecosystem, including the ongoing deployment of the National Broadband Network, high penetration of 2G, 3G and 4G mobile coverage, a highly skilled and productive research sector, and “pockets of excellence” within the country, such as in the robotics sector.
However, it also argued that “peer countries and customers are further advanced in articulating and encouraging IoT industry benefits”.
In a statement released today the IoTAA said it currently has six streams of work, including spectrum availability and management, network resilience, industry verticals, data sharing and privacy, and IoT startups.
Australian telcos have begun preparing their networks as part of the expected onslaught of connected devices.
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Pearce, R (2016), ACCC makes telcos open ‘superfast’ broadband networks to competitors, Computerworld, viewed 20 July 2016, <http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/604262/accc-opens-up-superfast-broadband-networks-competitors/>.