THREE key technologies – cloud computing, Big Data and Internet of Things – are the drivers in transforming the world, according to Global Science and Technology Forum (GSTF) president Dr Anton Ravindran.

“The world is now entering an era of unprecedented transformation from ‘Internet of People’ to ‘Internet of Things’ where things have become as smart as people,” he said after launching the IoT training and certification programme known as Certified Internet of Things (IOT) Specialist and Certified IOT professionals at the Penang Skills Development Centre in Bayan Lepas on Friday.

Citing an example, he said IBM’s super computer Watson beat human players on the game show ‘Jeopardy’ several years ago.

“My smart watch knows where I am, how well I sleep, the distance I walk and the calories I burn. It also knows my food intake, my blood pressure and my heartbeat.

“In case I have a cardiac arrest, my watch can send my health report straight to the healthcare provider. The ambulance and medicine are well on the way even before my wife knows about my condition.

“Smart healthcare services have already become a reality in some countries,” he said.

Dr Ravindran said there would be nearly 50 billion smart things in five years’ time.

“Smart homes, smart cities and smart nations will leverage from this information to better manage transport systems, manufacturing, telemedicine and many others where people’s needs are addressed without human intervention.

“The Internet of Things is transforming cities like Chicago, Amsterdam and Singapore into some of the best cities in terms of healthcare, transport, infrastructure and housing,” he said.

The launch was held in conjunction with a seminar titled ‘Convergence of the Real and Digital World in IoT Era’ in which he delivered the keynote address. It was attended by ICT professionals and the academic community from the northern region.

At the event, GSTF also announced the appointment of Mynosys Sdn Bhd as its authorised training partner for Penang and Northern Corridor Economic Region.

The partnership is expected to launch some programmes on IoT. They are also working on integrating next generation of IoT platforms and applications.

Dr Ravindran said their programmes were endorsed by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore and Malaysia Digital Economy Corpora

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