It is hardly news that the Internet of Things (IoT) is growing, but a perhaps underrated consequence of that growth is its effect on software companies, which are in many cases finding custom web application development easier than ever before. This is largely due to two trends: as mobile devices are becoming more powerful, technology that was only recently far outside the reach of most small developers is increasingly affordable.
In New York City, a number of small companies are getting on the map with popular apps or gadgets for health and fitness, home security and other areas. Many of these startups are hardware developers taking advantage of two of the most talked-about emerging technologies — 3D printing and the IoT — to design gadgets that are both relatively cheap to manufacture and easily made available to consumers through their mobile devices.
"Companies are benefiting from local initiatives both public and private."
These companies are benefiting from local initiatives both public and private. Among the major companies that are funding accelerators and entrepreneurial networks is marketing agency R/GA, which launched an accelerator a year ago specifically for IoT startups. This accelerator has already attracted the interest of major investors such as crowdfunding site Indiegogo.
As this blog reported, the city itself opened an online resource earlier this month for aspiring businesspeople to find venture capital funding and exchange ideas, which mayor Bill de Blasio called "the first of its kind anywhere in the world." Arguably the financial capital of the world, New York City is nevertheless not considered a powerhouse in the tech industry, but the democratization of IT development is rapidly changing that situation.