Patrick Schwerdtfeger is a leading authority on global business trends including predictive analytics, “Big Data” and the “Internet of Things.” He is the author of the award-winning book “Marketing Shortcuts for the Self-Employed” (2011, Wiley) and a regular speaker for Bloomberg TV. Patrick has covered “Big Data” and the future of Information Technology (IT) at conferences in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Technology is following an exponential curve and more and more devices are harvesting data and collecting it over the Internet. Patrick speaks extensively about technology and the future implications of established trends (including job displacement at the hand of robotics and automation. He builds his programs on case histories and success stories, allowing attendees to see what people are doing and who is achieving success in the field. With the Internet of Things, Patrick initiates his keynotes with an explanation of the concepts and examples of machine-to-machine communication and then delves into the applications businesses have found for the emerging technologies.
Past speaking clients include:
Recent speaking destinations include:
Expert on Big Data, Predictive Analytics and the Internet of Things
The Internet of Things refers to the connectivity of devices to central servers and each other via the Internet. At the most basic level, we see this already through our smartphones. Our apps on our mobile devices communicate with central servers and transmit data back and forth in order to provide the services they promise. But the trajectory points to a much more connected future where countless other devices (including appliances in our homes, sensors in our cars and machines in our businesses) are collecting and transmitting data over the Internet; data which will subsequently be analyzed and modeled to facilitate increased efficiency, fewer operational errors and/or more intuitive marketing.
The true opportunity with Big Data and the Internet of Things is optimization. There are sensors in many of the buildings we visit. There are RFID tags on many of the products we purchase. There are satellites circling the Earth 24/7 taking measurements along the way and there are sensors in every machine (including cars, planes and industrial machinery) being developed. All of this data will inevitably reveal problems and opportunities that have been largely invisible up until this point. Decisions have historically been made based on hunches or intuitions. That is now changing. An increasing percentage of decisions are now data-driven and the process of optimization promises to increase every aspect of life on this planet. The Internet of Things is simply the vehicle to accumulate the raw data.
The Internet of Things: Keynote Speech
The “Internet of Things” is a hot buzz phrase today, much like “Social Media” was a buzz phrase back in 2007. Everybody is talking about it but few people understand what it really refers to or what the implications are for themselves or their businesses. Patrick begins his keynote by addressing this intellectual deficit. The Internet of Things already exists. We all have examples of it in our pockets. Meanwhile, hot new products like the Nest Learning Thermostat, Smart Electricity Meters, Smart TVs and the Fitbit Flex Cordless Activity & Sleep Tracker are well-known examples as well. In fact, most people have no idea how many of their devices are already harvesting data. Most new cars are accumulating data and so are many of the appliances we use.
Once your attendees understand the ubiquity of the technology, Patrick’s focus shifts to the opportunities generated by this level of visibility. Inevitably, our use of scarce resources like energy and water will all be optimized by the data being harvested by devices in our lives, resulting in a higher “human carrying capacity” of the planet. With birthrates falling around the world, it is this Big Data technology which might just allow the human race to survive without destroying the environment first. This implications may seem grandiose but it is precisely these lofty outcomes which motivate businesses to disrupt their industries with new innovations. The Internet of Things provides the seed of technological progress. It’s up to your attendees to decide who will lead the way forward.
Thinking Bigger About the Internet of Things
Patrick’s signature message as a speaker is to “think bigger about your business” and he concludes his “Internet of Things” keynote with that message. These technologies are not about increasing revenues or decreasing costs. They are about transforming industries. Tomorrow’s leaders will reinvent their industries with increased visibility and efficiency. Let Patrick be the catalyst for disruptive thinking among your attendees!
