Here I am, lounging in my office chair, a cup of my favorite tea in hand, staring out into the vastness of my thoughts.
It’s one of those moments where the world seems to slow down, and you’re left with nothing but your reflections.
Today, my mind wanders to a question that’s been bugging me for years: Why is the adoption of technology, specifically the Internet of Things (IoT), taking so much longer than expected?
I remember when Kevin Ashton coined the term IoT back in 1999.
It was a concept that promised to revolutionize the way we interact with the world around us.
Fast forward to 2014, Malaysia launched its National IoT Strategic Framework, and the buzz was electric. Yet, the excitement quickly fizzled out, and I couldn’t wrap my head around why.
Then came 2017, the year we launched our IoT platform at Favoriot.
We were pumped, ready to change the game, only to be met with a lukewarm response.
It was disheartening.
I spent countless nights looking at the stats, trying to figure out where we went wrong. It wasn’t until I hit the streets, talking to people, that it clicked.
The issue wasn’t with the technology itself but with the understanding of it.
Most people didn’t even grasp what IoT was, let alone why it was necessary. And if they were clueless about the ‘what’ and ‘why,’ the ‘how’ was even more of a mystery.
That’s when it hit me — the lukewarm response to our platform wasn’t about its functionality but about the lack of knowledge and understanding.
Fast forward a few more years, and the landscape started to change.
We realized that if we wanted to jumpstart IoT adoption, we needed to go back to the basics.
We needed to build awareness and nurture talent through IoT training.
It was a slow process, but with the push towards Industry 4.0 and AI, IoT began to gain prominence.
The need to collect data was undeniable, and how could you do that without IoT?
Now, as I sit here in 2024, sipping my tea and looking over the latest stats, I can’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment.
The journey hasn’t been easy, but the growing IoT awareness and adoption is a testament to our efforts.
It’s a reminder that sometimes, to move forward, you have to take a step back and educate.
As I muse over this thought, I realize that the key to technology adoption isn’t just about creating cutting-edge solutions but also about bridging the gap in understanding.
And as the world slowly but surely embraces IoT, I can’t help but think, “We’re finally getting there.”
This article, “Why Malaysia Takes Almost 10 Years To Gain Traction in IoT,” was originally published on Medium.