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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 cloud is one of the largest drivers of emerging technology solutions, and for many organizations, it has become one of their most valuable information technology (IT) tools. It enhances data storage capabilities, security and agility to both scale up as well as scale down, while also reducing costs, in part due to its inherent flexibility and the number of potential options. Forward-thinking organizations should be analyzing and making decisions about using the cloud by prioritizing capability, performance, total cost and availability against other solutions.

Last year, the Western world experienced the twin surprises of the UK’s vote to leave the European Union and Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election. Elsewhere, geopolitics will play out in 2017 through numerous elections, the possibility of succession in several countries, continued economic polarization, and more. Multinational organizations must be aware of, and prepare for, such political and economic risks in both developed and developing markets.

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.

Runaway data growth is probably one of the greatest risk factors facing organizations today. With many organizations struggling to deal with the rapid explosion of data, coupled with increasingly aggressive regulatory enforcement, how should they drive change in information governance to achieve operational efficiencies and guard against data breaches? The key is to address the source of the problem and focus on three important areas to stem or flatten the information growth curve and proactively mitigate risk.

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.

While not every breach involves a type of personal information that requires notification or disclosure, every breach requires attention and an individualized response tailored to the facts and nature of the breach, and an evaluation of how processes can be improved to minimize the risk of future breaches. The most recent Security Breach Notification Law Chart offers business owners and compliance professionals a comprehensive view of state laws and understanding of each state’s sometimes unique security breach notification requirements.

The dynamic of having an exciting company with immediate needs juxtaposed against the uncertainty of the company’s growth or other changes in the coming years requires a thoughtful and practical approach when it comes to negotiating lease terms. The issues to consider for these types of leases are not just an “us versus them” or a “millennials versus older generation” polarization. For these types of leases, both the landlord and tenant must communicate expectations and deal-breakers early in the process.