Four Connected Devices per Person Worldwide by 2020

connected devices chartBy 2020, there will be four connected devices for every person in the world, according to new research by Strategy Analytics.

The figures show that by the end of 2014, there will be 12bn devices globally that rely on internet connectivity, with PCs constituting only 10 per cent of this figure. While smartphones have long eclipsed PCs, it is Internet of Things (IoT) devices, including M2M connections, smart objects and connected cities, that will make up the single biggest segment, accounting for 40 per cent of connections.

By 2020, the research suggests that the global installed base of connected devices will have reached more than 33bn, which equates to 4.3 devices for every person on the planet, compared to 1.7 today.

The mix will continue to move away from PCs and smartphones, with smart homes, wearables and IoT devices representing the core areas of growth. Beyond that, developers for every industry should expect internet connectivity to become ubiquitous in most objects and across large parts of the world.