Top IoT Trends 2025

Written by Tom Worley, Head of IoT, North

The Internet of Things (IoT) has long promised to fundamentally transform the world we live in. After years of hype, the business models and industry structures necessary for widespread adoption are starting to take shape. The IoT ecosystem is entering a phase of maturation, where advances in technical, commercial and regulatory aspects of IoT will deliver more practical approaches that prioritise intelligent integration, service delivery and true value.

Key Trends Shaping IoT in 2025

Service Maturity & Delivery Consistency

The true challenge of IoT adoption is not the connectivity, after all, we’ve been connecting devices for decades. Instead, the key blockers are service delivery, use-case consistency, and the effective integration of solutions into existing organisational structures.

Evidencing the direct cost-to-benefit ratio of individual use cases both in smart city and enterprise environments can be challenging to justify when siloed solutions create duplication and don’t leverage economies of scale. Equally, effective tracking of devices across multiple management platforms and ensuring these remain secure and compliant quickly become unwieldy.

In 2025, we expect to see increased demand for consistent service delivery across multiple vertically targeted operational solutions. This relies on universal connectivity and unified device management that seamlessly aggregates data and supports robust BI systems. This approach also supports the consistent enforcement of security management and policy application across all enterprise IoT devices. For more on our cyber security predictions for 2025 https://north.tech/news-insights/top-cyber-security-trends-2025/

Network Consolidation & Hybrid Connectivity

Organisations looking to adopt Smart Solutions face a confusing array of network technologies and devices. It feels like new technology hits the market every week, promising to improve the connectivity landscape. This fragmentation can be an overwhelming inhibitor to growth, especially at the low-complexity, data-efficient end of the scale. Recent announcements have come from the likes of AT&T who are decommissioning cellular-based Narrow Band IoT (NB-IoT) networks in favour of competing cellular technologies. And in the same year, other global carriers reaffirmed their commitment to NB-IoT, demonstrating the varied regional dynamics. Here in the UK, NB-IoT will continue to play an important role alongside established LPWAN technologies.

LoRaWAN remains flexible and cost-effective, particularly for Smart Cities where it allows local authorities more control and assurance over the delivery of services, as well as being ideal for smart buildings.

2025 will be the year when Managed LoRaWAN service providers will accelerate collaboration for the greater good of the market with network integration and peering arrangements surfacing. It will also see hybrid connectivity models reduce technical risks and encourage broader service adoption. We’ve seen numerous use cases where high-density LoRaWAN sensors are complemented by cellular equivalents to extend reach and a requirement for these outputs to be delivered consistently to the upper levels of the IoT stack.

AI Meets IoT: A Symbiotic Relationship

You’ll be hard pushed to find a 2025 IoT prediction that doesn’t mention AI. Over the coming years, AI will transform IoT from embedding intelligence directly into IoT devices through AI edge processing and anomaly detection to improve security. However, in 2025, its biggest impact will be unlocking the value of unused data into actionable insights.

Today, an overwhelming majority of IoT data is unused. AI offers the ability to integrate multiple systems and interpret untapped data like never before. In turn, this will drive demand for devices to improve predictive models, automate decisions and drive unprecedented efficiencies.

Convergence of IoT Sensing & CCTV Technologies

Smart Cities and security technologies will continue to become tightly integrated, prioritising safety, driving efficiencies and improving situational awareness.

Increasing levels of AI are being introduced. AI-powered cameras are replacing multiple IoT sensors to generate intelligent events that offer real-time situational awareness and automate incident responses. Equally, native IoT sensors can use onboard image analytics to create efficient data payloads that can then be forwarded over low-power networks.

The continued convergence of IoT and CCTV will reshape surveillance from being largely reactive to proactive and predictive, significantly contributing to making places smarter and more secure. 

Summary

As we look to 2025, IoT is no longer about simply connecting devices – it’s about creating intelligent approaches and integrations that solve real-world challenges. From smarter cities to intelligent buildings and sustainable energy solutions, IoT is becoming more outcome-focused.

IoT in 2025, will be about more than technology – it will unlock unprecedented opportunities and empower organisations to make smarter, data-driven decisions that transform the way people, organisations and places work.