As the benefits and capabilities of the Internet of Things (IoT) accrue, so does the amount of data that must be collected, managed, and integrated with connected devices—and by enterprises everywhere. It’s a challenge that demands a new kind of digital trust and data sharing tradeoffs. For more insights from this IoT series, see:
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The Internet of Things (IoT) has inspired unprecedented cooperation and coordination for the businesses and industries interested in ensuring a sustainable future for themselves. From the lens of eleven case studies, see how the IoT revolution is transforming the world in which we live in. For more insights from this IoT series, see:
The rise of the connected objects known as the Internet of Things (IoT) will rival past technological marvels, such as the printing press, the steam engine, and electricity. As IoT solves problems that have plagued businesses for decades, it will also create entirely new dilemmas across all sectors and for all industries. Concerns over privacy, cybersecurity, and property and products liability will quickly become just as robust as the opportunities IoT presents.
The social and political volatility witnessed last year is rooted in trends and phenomena that have been building up for more than a decade. It has altered the political agenda in advanced economies and emerging markets alike. Companies need to think hard about the structural shifts that may confront them in five specific areas: security of company property, ease of doing business, viability of strategic investments, strength of corporate reputation, and cohesiveness of their workforce.
Political events in 2016 gave rise to increasing nationalism and populism globally. Combined with a global slowdown in economic and trade growth, international integration may already have plateaued and could begin to reverse over the coming decade. Multinational organizations should prepare for potentially significant implications by carefully considering the political threats in the countries in which they operate.
The Brexit vote and Donald Trump’s unexpected 2016 election victory have kicked off a wave of pro-nationalist sentiment across the globe. With several key Eurozone countries facing elections in 2017, leading economists and investors envision a possible reshuffling (and even a potential demise) of the European Union. Volatility typically accompanies political transitions, and investors should review their objectives and adjust accordingly. Remember that what goes down often comes back up—eventually.
Fund groups face disruptive developments, as advances in financial technology, often called fintech, continue at an ever more rapid pace. Even as new efficiencies and opportunities blossom, regulators have pushed financial firms to recognize the dangers of technological failures. To prepare for the changes ushered in by fintech, it is important for fund boards, investment managers and separate account advisers to have a deep understanding of the issues and risks surrounding Fintech developments.
In an illustrative, legal analysis on the ownership treatment of bitcoin under the U.S. State property law, the focus turns to California law for guidance on whether bitcoin ownership should be recognized as a property right. Although there are possible challenges to treating bitcoin as property, they do not undercut the legitimacy of such rights or create unmanageable enforcement issues.
In the healthcare industry, a multitude of factors have driven a transition from a fee-for-service model toward a fee-for-value approach, which emphasizes the quality and outcome of care delivered. This emerging trend could present interesting investment opportunities that is also in alignment with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal of good health and well-being. Beyond the steady rise in healthcare costs and increasing burden placed on consumers, three factors are believed to have advanced the adoption of a fee-for-value model.
We are living through a fundamental transformation in the way we work. Automation and 'thinking machines' are changing the skills workers need, while demographic changes promise a talent shortage, longer lifespans, and other significant shifts that will affect the workplace. These changes raise huge organizational and human resource challenges at a time when business leaders are already wrestling with unprecedented risks, disruption and political and societal upheaval.