Peggy Smedley

About Peggy Smedley

Peggy Smedley is an internationally known speaker and highly respected personality in the media world educating businesses and consumers on the latest technological advances shaping everyday lives. An outspoken advocate and supporter of connected devices and M2M technology, Peggy is the quick-witted host of The Peggy Smedley Show, the editorial director of Connected World magazine and its sister publication Constructech, as well as the president of Specialty Publishing Co.

Automation and the Jobs of Tomorrow

It’s almost 2019, and the world isn’t the same as it used to be. Vehicles contribute to the driving experience, devices monitor patients’ health and send data to their caretakers and physicians in realtime, machines operate autonomously and warn owners when they’re on the fritz, and robots play a big role in helping retailers get holiday packages to their customers on time. It’s easy to see the benefits connected devices and IoT (Internet of Things) technologies offer society, but it’s hard not to wonder what the technology takeover will mean for the job market in certain industries. Will the IoT create more jobs for human workers than automation takes away?

By Peggy Smedley|2018-12-12T14:49:34+00:0012/12/2018|

The IoT Gives Support to Mental Health

The IoT (Internet of Things) is really growing. It is contributing the greater good. As one example, think about how the IoT is helping to create smarter cities. Smart cities contribute to a cleaner environment. They make it easier for people to get to work or school. And smart cities can support job creation and a healthy economy. IoT technology is also improving how we all get from point A to point B.

By Peggy Smedley|2018-12-11T17:04:36+00:0012/12/2018|

Gen Z Shapes IoT and AI

My concerns about the skilled workforce are pragmatic as well as principled. And here’s why. As an industry, we have an incredible obligation to build a road from the classroom to the workplace so the necessary skillfulness is taught to the next generation.

By Peggy Smedley|2018-12-03T15:53:25+00:0012/3/2018|

Robots Add Key Efficiencies to Distribution Centers and Factories

How will you shop this holiday season? Chances are your answer includes taking advantage of ecommerce solutions. Online and mobile shopping offers the ability to shop whenever, wherever. Ecommerce retailers offer large, varied inventory, competitive prices, and fast delivery to consumers’ doorsteps. How can traditional brick-and-mortar retailers keep up with that? And as customers require more personalization in manufacturing, how can factories rethink their business strategies—and their factories themselves—to provide this customization?

By Peggy Smedley|2018-11-30T20:15:34+00:0011/30/2018|

Retail and the Automation Revolution

As the 2018 holiday shopping season approaches, the retail sector will once again take center stage. Brick-and-mortar retailers haven’t had it easy in the past decade, as more and more consumers shift their shopping habits as a result of ecommerce. However, despite some predictions that brick and mortars are doomed to become mere memories of the days of old, many retailers continue to turn a profit in an ecommerce-dominated market. What’s the secret to their success? Many successful brick-and-mortar retailers aren’t just brick and mortars; they aggressively pursue omnichannel strategies that blend ecommerce with traditional commerce in a way that puts customers’ needs first.

By Peggy Smedley|2018-11-27T21:10:07+00:0011/28/2018|

Applying IoT to BI

BI, or business intelligence, is changing, as a result of the IoT (Internet of Things). Data is a new kind of currency in today’s connected world, and it seems like just about everything we do in life and business generates data and it’s not just humans that are generating data. We are seeing all kinds of connected machines and smart devices generate unfathomable amounts of information every minute of every day.

By Peggy Smedley|2018-11-29T19:56:28+00:0011/28/2018|

AI Data Predicts for the IoT

Advances in AI (artificial intelligence) is having a profound impact on the IoT (Internet of Things) and it’s one of the most exciting ways our world is changing today. It’s frequently listed as one of the top areas of growth and innovation. We are all witnessing a historical shift in how we view machines, how we rely on them to complete tasks, and how we derive value from AI-enabled insights.

By Peggy Smedley|2018-11-20T14:21:39+00:0011/21/2018|

Advanced Analytics in the Supply Chain

In today’s connected world, companies are looking for ways to do less with more. They’re looking to slash operating costs, enhance service, boost flexibility in the supply chain, improve forecast accuracy, reduce supply-chain disruptions, increase visibility, and reduce inventory, among other goals. The IoT (Internet of Things) is helping businesses acquire actionable information that can lead to a more customer-centric supply chain based on a more proactive business model.

By Peggy Smedley|2018-11-20T22:38:20+00:0011/21/2018|

IoT and the Supply Chain

The challenges and opportunities for digital supply chains are vast and that is why the IoT (Internet of Things) and AI (artificial intelligence) is stepping up to play an even greater role than ever before. It wasn’t that long ago when the supply chain wasn’t a priority when it came to capital investments. And, supply-chain executives themselves were considered as nothing more as a support function.

By Peggy Smedley|2018-11-13T16:58:40+00:0011/14/2018|

Technology Boosts Infrastructure Project Management

The 2018 midterm elections are over, and the split U.S. Congress will need to find ways to work together to accomplish goals that benefit the American people. Historically, infrastructure is one of those issues that can get buy-in from both sides of the political aisle—Democrats and Republicans—because an investment in the nation’s infrastructure often equates to an investment in its future economic success. President Trump has made some big promises, but the Federal Government’s next move in infrastructure investment remains to be seen.

By Peggy Smedley|2018-11-13T21:30:59+00:0011/14/2018|

California Helps Set the Bar for Security and Privacy

With the increasing pervasiveness of smartphones across the globe, it’s becoming more common for companies to want to connect their products and devices to the Internet, since connectivity typically adds value to consumers’ experiences with these products and devices. Connectivity also helps companies compete in a highly connected world. However, connectivity can also be a bit of a double-edge sword, creating security vulnerabilities and privacy concerns where there were none before. This is especially the case when the most basic of cybersecurity hygiene is ignored by manufacturers and/or consumers or when cybersecurity best practices are simply unknown to end users.

By Peggy Smedley|2018-11-07T14:15:13+00:0011/7/2018|

Retail Takes on AR, VR, and the IoT

There is a lot of discussion about how AI (artificial intelligence) is impacting supply chains and with good reason. So for this column, I thought I would focus specifically on the retail sector, and take a deeper dive into how emerging technologies like AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) are playing a key role at both frontend and backend processes.

By Peggy Smedley|2018-11-05T19:24:02+00:0011/7/2018|

AT&T and 5G: Speed, Latency, and Adoption of the IoT

Mobeen Khan, AVP product marketing management Internet of Things Solutions, AT&T Business, http://business.att.com, joins Peggy Smedley to delve into where the IoT and 5G (fifth generation) networks are headed and how businesses can take advantage of these emerging technologies. Khan shares how AT&T is focused on key industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, public sector, finance, and retail. He says the challenges faced by each vertical industry is different in nature. Each has a different pace at which they want to make investments. He explains that just like any other technology, network technology goes through an evolution. What’s foremost to AT&T is addressing the customer’s needs with the technology that best fits their use case. When it comes to 5G, customers can benefit from speed, low latency, and the pervasiveness of massive IoT.

By Peggy Smedley|2018-11-01T14:23:24+00:0011/1/2018|

Blockchain-in-Energy Growth

Security: I just can’t say enough and there’s even more to say when we talk about it coupled with blockchain technology. For this column, let’s delve in to how blockchain is being used globally to increase security in all kinds of situations—from peer-to-peer energy transactions to national elections and everything in between.

By Peggy Smedley|2018-10-30T13:07:15+00:0011/1/2018|

Dip in Traffic Fatalities Reflects Progress with a Grain of Salt

Every day, traffic accidents cost individuals and their families time, money, and sometimes, sadly, much more. Technology in modern vehicles can help prevent crashes or protect passengers in the event of a crash by alerting drivers of impending collisions, alerting emergency services after a collision has occurred, applying brakes or other corrective measures before the driver even has time to react herself, and/or preparing vehicle systems for impact when a collision seems imminent. Technology may also be the cause of some incidents because it demands a driver’s attention, taking at least some of his attention away from the primary task at hand.

By Peggy Smedley|2018-10-30T16:40:44+00:0011/1/2018|