Marc Andreessen Believes in the Internet of Things Revolution

Bitcoin enthusiast and blockchain investor Marc Andreessen believes that in 20 years we may not be using cell phones and the Internet of Things (IoT) economy will be upon us. Andreessen recently told the TelegraphUK that within that time frame most physical items will have a chip and be able to communicate.

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IoT investment is flourishing, and Andreessen has quite a bit of investment in this demographic with startups like 21inc to Samsara showing he has a lot of positivity in this tech sector. On December 23, 2015, he told the Telegraph:

“Hypothetically you walk up to a wall, sit at a table and [talk to] an earpiece or eyeglasses to make a call. The term is ambient or ubiquitous computing.” — Marc Andreessen

Andreessen believes that computer chips will be incorporated into our lives, and he’s not the only believer in this theory. Mixing real-world items that integrate with the current digital landscape fascinates quite a few people on this planet and investment into the sector is continuously on the rise. A report from McKinsey Global Institute says that IoT’s global economic impact will be roughly 11 trillion dollars by the year 2025. “Companies that use IoT technology will play a critical role in developing the right systems and processes to maximize its value,” the report explains. Andreessen believes this will be incorporated by everyone and understands that mobile phones are just the first step in the process. In 10 years, he believes, they may not even be needed the way they are today telling the Telegraph. “The idea that we have a single piece of glowing display is too limiting,” Andreessen says. “By then, every table, every wall, every surface will have a screen or can project.”

This is why he is heavily invested in companies like 21inc that can offer an assortment of microtransaction concepts and ideas like smart contracts, a tamper-proof voting protocol, and better online content monetization. The company Samsara is a plug & play device as well offering internet connected sensors for experimentation and building IoT concepts. Samsara says its has “flexible architecture for many applications,” and gives an array of ideas throughout its website; systems like fleet telematics, energy monitoring, cold chain monitoring, asset monitoring and much more. These IoT startups are showing signs of active development and are focusing in on both the home and business. One example is an oil rig can house up to 30,000 sensors used to monitor its activity from the day and in the home people envision self-sufficient washing machines to refrigerators that make its own ice. Andreessen tells the Telegraph there will be multitudes of use cases saying:

“The end state is fairly obvious – every light, every doorknob will be connected to the internet. Just like with the web itself, there will be thousands of of use cases – energy efficiency, food safety, major problems that aren’t as obvious as smartwatches and wearables.”

In the Bitcoin world, developers have realized almost from day one that the blockchain can be used for more than monetary transactions. In fact, it is the Bitcoin blockchain and side chains that can track and identify all forms of digital exchange and integrated APIs. This means devices like the 21inc Computer, the Ethereum Computer, the Samsara Computer and other gadgets like it including modified homemade versions could literally power our everyday lives. The Ethereum Computer unveiled at this past year’s DevCon Event featured its computer locking and unlocking a door knob. Micropayments and open source APIs should rocket the IoT economy even further than it is today and the concepts look promising.

Google’s Project Soli is an exciting project in the works that may make Andreessen’s IoT predictions come to life. The platform will allow the use of a radar-protocol to enable touchless interactions with a multitude of devices using its chip technology. Project Soli utilizes gesture-tracking technology that uses the radar to detect objects like your hand when in motion. Motion-tracking in the past has strongly relied on camera technology but with this concept the ideas are less cumbersome, and IoT devices could be operated with ease. The project’s lead designer Carste Schwesig tells Mashable the technology is far more accurate than video.

“You can do things you would never be able to do with a camera,” Schwesig explains. “The speed doesn’t mean you have to move extremely fast; it just means you can detect very high accuracy.”

Bitcoin and its blockchain may have quite a bit to do with all these technologies and play its part. The digital revolution is showing that many of these sci-fi concepts are starting to become a reality as Andreessen and other IoT visionaries are helping pave the way to a world where all “things” will become interconnected.

What do you think about chip technology in our everyday lives? Let us know in the comments below.

Images courtesy of Pixbay, Shutterstock, 21inc, and the Project Soli