Forecasting the "Net": Jack Uldrich to Speak on the Future of Water and the Internet of Things

Orlando, FL, November 29, 2016 (Newswire.com) - ​Orlando, FL, November 28, 2016 (Newswire) - In 2015 Dave Evans, founder of Stringify wrote: "We are on the planet at an incredible period in human history. Never before have our challenges been so great. Never before has technology been so powerful. With IoT, we can literally connect anything to anything. This connectedness will require us to think in new ways if we want to use IoT to solve the challenges we face today and tomorrow."

Global futurist Jack Uldrich couldn't agree more. His latest keynote to be delivered tomorrow in Orlando, to a leading water technology firm, will focus on how the IoT (the Internet of Things) will affect the future of the water industry.

A great many of us were taught to swim as children. But as we grow, we discover that what we learned at the age of five isn't enough to propel us to the new shores we desire. Not only do we have to remain open to learning new skills--such as boating or surfing or jet skiing, but we also have to revisit the strokes we were initially taught. We have to ensure the foundation is strong enough to keep us treading water when the tsunami of technology descends upon us.

Jack Uldrich, Futurist and Best-Selling Author

"By 2020," says Uldrich, "the estimate is that 50 billion physical objects will be connected to the Internet. What does this mean for business? In a word, everything. The “Internet of Things” is poised to radically transform customer behavior, business models and the nature of business itself."

In his latest article Uldrich continues, "This past March, the city of Cincinnati announced it was connecting all of its trash cans to the Internet. Other cities are doing the same with their water pipes, streetlights, and buildings. The actions might appear small, but they are part of the Internet of Thing's “Smart Cities” initiative, and the trend holds the potential to save cities hundreds of thousands, if not millions or potentially even billions, of dollars on an annual basis. For instance, just imagine if the town of Flint, Michigan would have had sensors capable of detecting lead in its water pipes?"

Uldrich divides his time between public speaking, writing and researching future trends. He then blends his thought-provoking findings with his concept of unlearning. An apt metaphor for his work he says is swimming. 

"A great many of us were taught to swim as children. But as we grow, we often discover that what we learned at the age of five isn't enough to propel us to the new shores we desire. Not only do we have to remain open to learning new skills--such as boating or surfing or jet skiing, but we also have to revisit the strokes we were initially taught. We have to ensure the foundation is strong enough to keep us treading water when the tsunami of technology descends upon us."

Jack Uldrich is a best-selling author and a leading urban futurist. He speaks over 100 times a year to a wide variety of businesses and organizations, in particular on the transformation of healthcare, agriculture, education, energy, finance, retail, and manufacturing. Recent clients include the Urban Land Institute, Verizon Wireless, the Food Marketing Institute, Tech Mahindra, Power South, 2016 Soul Fuel Conference, and the Humphrey Leadership Symposium. His forthcoming book is Business as Unusual: The Big AHA! 

Parties interested in learning more about Jack Uldrich may contact him here.

Source: Jack Uldrich & The School of Unlearning