We’re reaching the point where IoT devices are widely available, but still command a premium (connected Bosch appliances cost $300 more than unconnected, for example). Pretty soon dishwashers will be instrumented by default. Developer kits are available now.
A parallel can be drawn between IoT and the early day of the computer. As the microprocessor became widely available, so did boxes to put them in, and people started writing operating systems. Standards began to emerge.
The IT industry is nothing if not predictable: In other words, the silly show starts right about now. Vendors will try to corner the market by creating their own proprietary systems—total solutions from the hardware to the operating system. Some of these systems will serve a single purpose: security, audiovisual/home theater control, and so on.
In the end, however, the proprietary and specialty operating systems will give way to more general systems that incorporate additional devices and offer open access. Vendors who don’t support this strategy will follow the path of Sun, DEC, and the TRS-80. As the devices and technology become widespread, they’ll start charging less of a premium and eventually roll out low-end models. In fact, some of this price reduction and market saturation has already happened in Europe, where there’s wider support for IoT devices as a means of energy conservation.