Technology continues to evolve and marketing is in charge of putting in our conversations concepts and words that represent mega trends, but that we often find confusing, obscure or trivial.
For example, now everything is “smart”, we talk about smart phones, smart traffic lights, smart televisions, smart watches, etc. etc. etc.
Just as if it were a salad and the favorite dressing was the word “intelligence”. The cook in his artistic urge to delight his diners begins to mix the ingredients but is frustrated to have only one ingredient to dress his salads: “intelligence”.
After a while, what is often predicted with trends, boredom sets in. Customers start to get bored of the same taste, of more of the same, of salads that were once pleasant to salads without a joke that do not awaken another taste that makes us enjoy a good meal and above all that nourishes our body.
So, back to technology: Why are these devices now smart?
Does being able to surf the internet, listen to music or make a call on the same device make it a smart device?
Is the television now smart because it allows us to surf the internet to watch a series or movie?
Asking these questions in an inquisitive tone, it becomes obvious that the device or appliance itself is not intelligent. Of course, it can be argued that adding value through all the necessary electronics (WiFi, 3G/GSM, GPS, etc.) and connectivity software, operating system services and the wide range of navigation, gaming or location-based applications does require a higher level of technology, more advanced engineering and thus requires more intelligence.
And so the use of the word “smart” can be justified for all the devices and gadgets that we increasingly see on the market that connect to the Internet.
However, connectivity is just one more functionality added to the item. It is a feature of the device that makes possible a number of benefits for the user, who undoubtedly obtains a great added value. For example, a “smart” home security system can incorporate cameras that allow the user away from home, on vacation in a faraway place, to see inside the rooms all the time from his cell phone.
For this reason, devices or artifacts that can be connected to the Internet constitute a technological megatrend called the Internet of Things (IoT).