• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, November 1, 2016

The Internet of Things is complicated and the increasing complexity can overwhelm those who don’t stay ahead in it.

That’s the word in a new set of 2017 predictions.

Along with the last quarter of every year come predictions and forecasts for the next year and one of the first out of the gate is Forrester’s 2017 Predictions: Dynamics That Will Shape the Future in the Age of the Customer.

Rather than a pile of numbers and graphs, Forrester provides some interesting insights into what they see is likely for next year.

The Internet of Things has hit fever pitch and holds the promise to enhance customer relationships and drive business growth, according to the report.

For next year, we can expect more complexity and IoT solutions to be built on modern microservices and be distributed across devices, gateways and cloud services.

IoT data will be coupled with increasingly powerful artificial intelligence capabilities as teams will search through more than 19 new wireless connectivity choices and protocols to support a diverse set of IoT devices.

Forrester also sees the potential for more security breaches next year.

Other predictions for next year include:

• The big data floodgates open, driven by the appetite for deeper contextual insights that drive customer engagement via mobile and wearables
• Investment in artificial intelligence will triple as firms look to tap complex systems, advanced analytics and machine learning technology
• CEOs will ‘exit’ at least 30% of chief marketing officers for not mustering the blended skill set needed to drive digital business transformation, design exceptional personalize experiences and propel growth
• There will be a doubling of business-head turnover as CEOs come to terms with what’s needed to propel their company forward in a customer-led, digital-centric business

There also are some downsides predicted for next year.

For example, a Fortune 1000 company will fail because of a cyberbreach, more than 500,000 Iot devices will be compromised and national security risks will drive agencies to expand surveillance technologies, creating legal and ethical conflicts between governments and people.

And we haven’t even finished dealing with this year’s IoT issues.