Emerging tech jargon decoded: IoT, 5G, blockchain, edge and quantum without the hype

Every few years, a technology word fills conference stages and proposals: blockchain, IoT, 5G, edge computing, quantum. Some of these ideas are powerful. All of them come wrapped in hype, which makes it hard to tell what is useful for your organisation and what is a fashionable label stuck on an ordinary project.

This article explains each technology in plain terms, says what it is genuinely good at and offers a way to judge a claim.

The Internet of Things (IoT)

IoT means everyday objects and machines that have sensors and a network connection, so that they can report what is happening and sometimes be controlled remotely. Think of soil-moisture probes in a field, water-level gauges in a river, smart meters, vehicle trackers or temperature sensors in a cold store.

• Sensor. A device that measures something, such as temperature, movement or light.
• Actuator. A device that does something, such as opening a valve.
• Gateway. A small device that collects data from many sensors and passes it on.
• LoRaWAN, NB-IoT and Zigbee. Low-power radio technologies built for small devices that send little data over long distances or in tight spaces.
• Telemetry. Data sent automatically from remote devices.
• Firmware. The built-in software of a device, which needs updating like any other.

What it is good for: continuous, remote measurement of the physical world. What goes wrong: batteries die, sensors drift, devices are insecure and nobody owns the maintenance. A sensor network is a long-term commitment, not a one-off purchase.

Connectivity: 4G, 5G and what they change

• 5G. The fifth generation of mobile networks. It offers faster speeds, lower delays and the ability to connect very many devices.
• Latency. The delay in a connection. 5G aims at very low latency, which matters for control systems and for streaming immersive content.
• Network slicing. Reserving a part of the network with guaranteed qualities for a particular use.
• Wi-Fi 6 and 7. Newer wireless standards for local networks.
• Satellite internet. Connectivity from satellites, valuable in remote places.

What it is good for: better coverage and speed for mobile and field work, and for dense sensor deployments. What to remember: coverage varies enormously by place. A feature that depends on 5G is of little help where there is only a weak signal.

Edge computing

Edge computing means processing data close to where it is produced, rather than sending everything to a distant data centre. A camera that detects a fault itself, a drone that processes images in flight and a phone that runs a language model on the device all use the edge.

• Why it helps: lower delay, lower data costs, work that continues without a connection and better privacy because raw data stays local.
• What it costs: managing and updating many small devices is harder than one central system, and local devices have less power.
• Related terms: on-device AI, TinyML (very small models on tiny chips) and fog computing (a layer between the edge and the cloud).

Blockchain and distributed ledgers

A blockchain is a shared record book that many parties keep copies of, in which new entries are added in linked blocks and are very hard to alter afterwards. Because no single party controls the book, participants who do not fully trust each other can still rely on the record.

• Block and chain. A block is a batch of records. Each block includes a fingerprint of the previous one, forming a chain.
• Hash. The fingerprint that makes tampering detectable.
• Consensus. The way participants agree on what to add.
• Smart contract. A program stored on a blockchain that runs automatically when conditions are met.
• Cryptocurrency. Digital money based on a blockchain. Bitcoin is the first. It is one application, not the whole technology.
• Token and NFT. A digital item recorded on a blockchain. An NFT is a unique one.
• Public and private (permissioned) blockchains. Open to anyone, or limited to approved participants.
• Wallet and keys. Tools that hold the secret keys that prove ownership.

What it is good for: a shared, tamper-evident record among parties who do not want to rely on a single trusted operator. What to ask: if one organisation could run a normal database that everyone trusts, a blockchain is usually slower, costlier and more complex than needed. Many projects that began with the word blockchain ended up better served by an ordinary database.

Quantum computing

Ordinary computers use bits, which are either 0 or 1. Quantum computers use qubits, which can be in a blend of both states until measured, and can be linked together in ways that have no everyday equivalent. For certain narrow classes of problem, such as simulating molecules or breaking some kinds of encryption, they promise large speed-ups.

• Qubit. The quantum version of a bit.
• Superposition and entanglement. The two properties that give quantum machines their special power.
• Quantum advantage. The point at which a quantum computer beats the best ordinary one on a useful task.
• Noisy quantum computers. Today’s machines are small and error-prone, and mostly experimental.
• Post-quantum cryptography. New encryption methods designed to resist future quantum attacks. Standards bodies are already publishing them.

What to remember: quantum computers will not speed up everyday software, run your website or replace the cloud. For most organisations the practical action today is to follow developments, and plan to update encryption over time, not to buy quantum computing.

Other terms you will meet

• Digital twin. A virtual model of a real object or place, kept in step with it through data.
• Robotic process automation (RPA). Software robots that mimic clicks and keystrokes to automate routine computer tasks.
• Low-code and no-code. Tools for building applications with little or no programming, using visual blocks.
• Generative AI. AI that creates text, images, code and more.
• Autonomous vehicles and drones. Machines that navigate without a human driving.
• Wearables. Devices worn on the body, such as watches and smart glasses.
• Web3. A label for internet services built on blockchains. Its meaning varies with who is speaking.

How to judge an emerging technology

1. 01Name the problem. What exactly is wrong today, and for whom?
2. 02Ask what a simpler tool would do. Would a spreadsheet, a database or an ordinary website solve it?
3. 03Check maturity. Is it widely used in production, or still experimental? Who else has done it?
4. 04Count the full cost: building, running, updating and training, over several years.
5. 05Plan the exit. What if the technology fades, or the supplier disappears?
6. 06Start small. Test on one site, one process or one question before committing.

Where to put your attention

• Use what you already own better, before adding something new.
• Learn the concepts underneath, such as data, sensors, networks and security, because they outlast any label.
• Follow one or two reliable sources, and test a trend a quarter at most.
• Keep your data in open formats, so that you can move when something better arrives.

Frequently asked questions

Do we need blockchain?

Only if several parties who do not fully trust each other need a shared, tamper-evident record, and no single party can reasonably run it. Otherwise a standard database is simpler.

Will 5G change our work?

It can help where coverage exists and where you need speed or many connected devices. Check coverage in the places you actually work.

Is IoT hard to maintain?

It can be. Plan for battery changes, calibration, device security and who looks after the data for years, not months.

Should we worry about quantum computers breaking our encryption?

It is a long-term concern. Keep an eye on standards for quantum-resistant encryption, and update systems on a sensible timetable, especially for data that must stay secret for decades.

Emerging technologies deserve curiosity, not worship and not scorn. Look for the specific problem each can solve, compare it with simpler options, and adopt what earns its place. The best technology strategy is often the least fashionable one.