Why the Internet May Fade: The Rise of the Internet of Things

Introduction: The rapid development of the Internet has disrupted traditional business models, and while many entrepreneurs seek "Internet+" transformation, a new trend— the Internet of Things (IoT)— is quietly emerging, suggesting that missing the Internet could mean missing the IoT.

When the Internet concept was booming in China's capital market, the Davos Economic Forum in Switzerland delivered a death sentence for the Internet. Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt boldly predicted that the Internet will soon disappear, giving way to a highly personalized, interactive, and fascinating world— the Internet of Things.

1. The Internet Will Disappear, IoT Will Be Omnipotent

Schmidt envisions a future filled with massive numbers of IP addresses, sensors, wearables, and invisible interactive objects that surround us. He describes walking into a room that changes with your permission, interacting with everything inside.

He sees this as an unprecedented opportunity for tech companies, creating a highly personalized, interactive, and fun world. Schmidt believes the current bets are on smartphone application infrastructure, and new competitors will emerge to provide apps for smartphones, which have become supercomputers, opening an entirely open market.

Gartner predicts that by 2020, IoT will generate $30 billion in annual market profit, with 2.5 billion devices connected, driving rapid growth. Companies such as Cisco, AT&T, Axeda, Amazon, Apple, GE, Google, and IBM are racing to dominate the IoT industry.

2. Tech Giants Compete in the IoT Arena

At the 2015 CES, IoT became a major highlight. Smart home, digital health, and vehicle networking products showcased how IoT serves intelligent living.

Samsung CEO Yoon Boo-keun declared IoT not a trend but reality, announcing that by 2017 all Samsung TVs will be IoT devices, and within five years all Samsung hardware will support IoT.

Qualcomm President Derek Aberle revealed that Qualcomm has launched 15 IoT devices in over 30 countries, covering digital glasses, child trackers, smartwatches, and plans to expand into automotive, medical, and wearables using smartphones as a pivot.

Industrial giant GE formed an IoT alliance to promote its Predix platform, aiming to make various IoT endpoints intelligent.

Intel partnered with San Jose to advance the "Green Vision" smart city initiative and is collaborating with dozens of global partners to apply IoT technology to intelligent cities worldwide.

3. How IoT Differs from the Traditional Internet

As an extension of the Internet, IoT connects sensors, controllers, machines, people, and objects via communication technologies, creating a network of human‑to‑thing and thing‑to‑thing interactions. It relies heavily on cloud computing and sensor devices, making joint industry development inevitable and opening limitless application possibilities.

While the Internet connects people and information, IoT (Internet of Things) connects objects, using RFID, infrared sensors, GPS, laser scanners, and other devices to exchange data, enabling intelligent identification, positioning, tracking, monitoring, and management.

4. IoT: A Vast New Landscape Beyond the Internet

For over two decades, the Internet has revolutionized information sharing and commerce. As Lei Jun once said, "In the future, every company will become an IoT company." IoT expands the Internet’s scope, requiring deeper content, differentiated services, and more human‑centric applications.

From a functional perspective, the Internet is only a part of IoT, mainly providing IT services. IoT must handle diverse hardware integration, varied scenarios, and differing user habits, demanding richer content and services.

Consequently, it can be asserted that all future companies will become IoT enterprises, leveraging IoT tools and technologies to produce IoT products and services.

5. Key Technologies Powering IoT

Experts identify three core technologies for IoT applications:

Sensor Technology : Converts analog signals to digital for computer processing, a fundamental component of modern computing.

RFID Tags : Combines wireless radio frequency and embedded technology, offering broad applications in automatic identification and logistics.

Embedded Systems : Integrates hardware, software, sensors, ICs, and electronics; embedded devices range from MP3 players to satellites, acting as the "brain" of IoT.

In summary, IoT builds upon the Internet, extending connectivity to all objects and enabling real‑time information exchange, establishing a mutually dependent relationship between the two networks.

PS: Whether the Internet will truly disappear remains unknown; Schmidt’s remarks are thought‑provoking, and diverse viewpoints are welcome.