cool collaboration
We’re entering the world of Her, you guys, and it isn’t even poignant and bittersweet. Instead of letting ScarJo talk us into a melancholy sleep, we’ll be listening to our smart beds tell us exactly how much shuteye we need tonight, and then our headboards will ask our cupboards to order us some chamomile tea to fight that futuristic insomnia.
Yes, this scenario is actually a near-future possibility, and yes, it’s a little off-putting at first, but darn useful too. Last week IBM and Visa announced a major collaboration that could change the way you buy basically everything by turning any connected device into a point of sale.
[clickToTweet tweet=”This is a major leap forward for the Internet of Things and it’s come just in time. ” quote=”This is a major leap forward for the Internet of Things (IoT for you cool guys out there), and it’s come just in time. “]
Visa’s Global Head of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships Jim McCarthy advises that “depending on whose numbers you look at, [there will be] 20 billion to 50 billion connected devices in the next five to ten years.” That’s a lot of things.
Navigating new IoT waters
The partnership unites IBM’s Watson IoT Platform with Visa’s vast global payments systems and network. The Watson IoT Platform connects businesses with billions of connected devices, sensors, and full systems, and now “companies can infuse secure payments across their entire product lines using the Visa Token Service, a new security technology that replaces sensitive payment account information found on payment cards with a unique digital identifier.”
That means you can make a payment without directly using any credit card info, and you can do it from any connected device. Phone, watch, ring, washing machine, refrigerator, car…anything that you can stick a sensor in could be absorbed into the IoT.
If your car is connected to the Internet of Things, you can basically clear your brain of all maintenance schedules. Now your mode of transportation could keep track of warranties, part replacements, and more–and you could order parts, or schedule service appointments, from the driver’s seat.
What’s up Watson
IBM and Visa offer another telling example of the future of their collaboration: a runner with a wireless running chip could be notified when it’s time to replace their running shoes. They could even be given suggestions on the model, price, and retailer. “Additional relevant and tailored recommendations could be offered, including nutrition and equipment recommendations, based on individual performance, local climates and shopping preferences,” according to IBM.
One great feature of this collaboration is the ability of the Watson IoT Platform customers to access Visa’s payment services through the IBM Cloud. So, instead of going door to door, so to speak, all businesses that accept Visa will be automatically compatible, and all businesses that work with the Watson IoT Platform will be able to “[personalize] commerce experiences and proactively make recommendations based on consumers’ unique needs.”
The possibilities opened up by this partnership are literally endless, but the efficiency and ease of use would come at the cost of certain aspects of privacy.
It’s hard to say how consumers will balance a desire for connectedness with a desire for privacy, but those decisions are about to get a whole lot more complicated.
