Years ago, I took a week-long road trip through California’s wine country. Years later, I started a tradition of disconnection trips during Holy Week through wonderful places in Spain where the wine tasting, the food and the local people forced me to disengage from the IoT, LinkedIn, mail and almost the smartphone. This year it has not been possible. In 2021 I have had to disconnect in Madrid. And obviously it has not been the same.
In fact, staying at home this vacation has prompted me to write a new tribute article to talk about what I have called the Internet of Things (IoT) among friends.
The Last of the Philippines
The title of this paragraph is based on the analogy of IoT of friends with the Spaniards who resisted during the Siege of Baler .
While the pandemic has covered most of the headlines, the news around IoT has not stopped appearing. Although in this dark period no many new voices have emerged in the IoT world. I am left with the classics, with the pioneers, with what I have called the friends from all over the world who have accompanied me in this evangelization adventure of this wonderful concept that is the Internet of Things.
The friends of the IoT have continued to spread through social networks, webinars, articles and podcasts our knowledge, enthusiasm and I would even say devotion to the IoT.
This article aims to recognize the achievements of these loyal friends. All of them continue sharing with all our followers’ content, ideas and visions that help understand the impact of the IoT in the digital transformation we are immersed in.
I understand some desertions during last couple of years, but I want to think that all of them continue to look at with interest at what those of us who remain are doing.
A bit of history from the recent past
When I finished at Microsoft and relaunched my company OIES Consulting with a focus on IoT, I knew that it would be difficult to achieve the media impact that you can get of working in relevant positions in large companies or in political positions. On the other hand, I understood that if I achieved this recognition of the IoT industry my satisfaction would be much greater.
My strategy was based to achieve influence by sharing valuable content (Paco Maroto´s IoT blog), LinkedIn and many other popular IoT webs), attending events sometimes as a speaker (Dubai 2019 “How we want IoT and AI transform sports?”, other times attending as a moderator and other times only to increase my network (“MWC18- Trapped in the Groundhog Loop”. But equally important was carry out all kinds of projects with startup companies that were beginning their exploration of the IoT world (“Demystifying IoT Startups”) and with large companies that yearned to be market leaders.
And that’s how I met other bloggers (Bloggers of the Internet of Things), other Speakers of the Internet of Things.
Thanks to my projects I was able to meet some of the Kings and Servants of the IoT.
Now you know how I started creating my network of friends of the IoT.
The Fellowship of the Ring
At this point I should write down who are my friends of the IoT. But when you write names on a list you always forget to someone or do you put the one on the list in trouble. It is not a question here of selecting among my IoT prefered influencers. And on second thought, each one should have their own Fellowship of the IoT.
Sorry readers, I will not post my IoT friends list. They already know. Surely all of you have your own idols of the IoT. I´d love to think that I am in your list. You do not need to tell me.
Key takeaways
It bothers me to read articles stating that the IoT is in its infancy. The friends of the IoT know that this is not true. As we also know that the quality and quantity of articles on IoT has dropped considerably in the last three years. It is increasingly difficult to find and publish new and quality content if there is no progress in real life.
Nobody is interested in the smart refrigerator, the connected car, the Smart city, the Smart agriculture, or the connected factories. It’s like the story of Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf.
I have taken refuge in a group of friends of the IoT who share a vision similar to mine. It’s not about technology, it’s about new business models, it’s about creating a clean and sustainable planet, it’s about having a better quality of life, it’s about saving lives, it’s about air quality, it’s about many more things. That is the IoT. And that’s what the friends of the Internet of Things are for.
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