DigitalGov Summit Recap: The Need for Change Agents, plus the Internet of Everything, from A to Z

The Internet of Things is already here. How will we prepare for the Internet of Everything? David Bray, Chief Information Officer at the Federal Communications Commission, and Eisenhower Fellow, spoke about the IoT, IoE, and the need for change agents during the 2015 DigitalGov Citizen Services Summit.

Bray argued that the IoT is already here, with devices like smartphones and FitBits widely used. As we move towards the IoE, when everything is connected, Bray asked attendees to consider the implications of IoE on what we do in public service. When we have always-on connectivity, any loss in connectivity results in disruptions to our services, Bray noted. He also pointed to questions of security: Who will protect your grandmother’s car and home when they are Internet-enabled and get hacked?

These questions were at the forefront of discussions Bray had with leaders in Taiwan and Australia while working as an Eisenhower Fellow. We, the public servants, will be the ones to address these hard, long-term questions, Bray said. What is the world we want to live in, in 2025, and how do we start preparing for it now?

“Your role as change agents is needed now more than ever,” Bray said. “By change agents, I mean individuals willing to brave and change the status quo.”

Bray ended his presentation with an A to Z list of predictions about an IoE world: from “always-on access, accessibility, and affordability—we must address the digital divide,” to “zeroes and ones—it’s much more than that; zooming toward the future, while remaining true to ‘We, the People.’” The full presentation can be viewed below.