Gartner, Inc. estimates that 1.6 billion connected things will be used by smart cities in 2016, an increase of 39 percent from 2015.

"Smart commercial buildings will be the highest user of Internet of Things (IoT) until 2017, after which smart homes will take the lead with just over one billion connected things in 2018," said Bettina Tratz-Ryan, research vice president at the research group.
Commercial real estate benefits greatly from IoT implementation, according to Gartner. IoT creates a unified view of facilities management as well as advanced service operations through the collection of data and insights from a multitude of sensors. Especially in large sites, such as industrial zones, office parks, shopping malls, airports or seaports, IoT can help reduce the cost of energy, spatial management and building maintenance by up to 30 percent said Tratz-Ryan. 

The business applications that are fueling the growth of IoT in commercial buildings are handled through building information management systems that drive operations management, especially around energy efficiency and user-centric service environments. In 2016, commercial security cameras and webcams as well as indoor LEDs will drive total growth, representing 24 percent of the IoT market for smart cities. 

IoT deployment in commercial buildings will continue to grow at a rapid pace over the next few years, and is on pace to reach just over one billion in 2018. Incentives into the deployment of IoT in commercial real estate will fuel its development. Smart homes will represent 21 percent of total IoT use in smart cities in 2016, and will record the highest increase over the next five years.

"Device and wireless standards will be embedded in more devices. Homes will move from being interconnected to information- and smart-enabled — an integrated services environment that will provide value to the home and the individual ambience," said Tratz-Ryan. 

At the United Nations' climate change and sustainability conference, COP21 in Paris, many cities are pledging on environmental goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve environmental standards.

"Thanks to data collected from sensors, smart cities can interact and engage with residents and businesses, creating a collaborative environment," said Tratz-Ryan. In Singapore, for example, sensors in bus stops can identify people with different needs — buses are announced early to allow enough time for elderly people to be ready to board. In Malaga or Madrid, environmental sensor-mounted bikes or mail carts register air pollution, with the data uploaded onto a Web portal accessible by the public.

"Citizens can actively contribute to the development and strategic direction of their city," said Tratz-Ryan. "At the same time, businesses become more empowered to utilize the sensor data to create their value proposition."