The market for devices such as smartwatches, fitness bands and smart home techno logy is growing, but in a more disjointed fashion, with a number of competing op erating systems that can often confuse consumers. In all of those environments, you will need some level of computing or connectiv ity, so the companies that can deliver those kinds of things will be better posi tioned," O'Donnell said. With no single important device dominating, O'Donnell said the future tech lands cape will see players emerge that can combine hardware, software, virtual realit y and artificial intelligence. That could open the door to important roles for F acebook, Amazon, Intel and other players Devices 'fade away' Some look to a landscape where technology and artificial intelligence permeate a ll aspects of life, where the "device" may become almost irrelevant. "Looking to the future, the next big step will be for the very concept of the 'd evice' to fade away," says Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Alphabet unit Googl e, in a recent blog post. Over time, the computer itself - whatever its form factor - will be an intellige nt assistant helping you through your day. We will move from mobile first to an AI (artificial intelligence) first world Samsung, the world's biggest smartphone maker, said it too is looking at a diffe rent future of connected things. "We are already imagining the next step beyond the smartphone," Samsung Electron ics mobile communications business president Dongjin Koh told the company's deve loper conference in California. Samsung wants to integrate software and services using its Tizen platform in the belief that "everywhere you go, there will be opportunities to bring devices an d people together," Koh said. Intel, the company known for PC chips and failing to recognize the shift to mobi le devices, last month unveiled a major restructuring, with a view to the "Inter net of Things." Some reports said Intel's new structure abandons the smartphone in favor of emerging devices and services. "The biggest opportunity in the Internet of Things is that it encompasses just a bout everything in our lives today," said Intel CEO Brian Krzanich in a blog pos t. "From our shoes and clothes to our homes and cars - the Internet of Things is tr ansforming everything and every experience." the biggest challenge is the availability of data. India s healthcare ecosystem is largely fragmented and disconnected. In order to take care of our health, one n eeds to go to doctors, labs, hospitals and medical stores. The second biggest challenge is adoption by the medical fraternity to create med ical records that patients can access anytime and the exchange of information on line. We are taking an educative approach towards adoption and a value-based appr oach to exchange information within the eco system We also want people to be able to manage their health profiles, medical records and risk assessments in one place, and be able to get everything electronically without additional effort - no matter whether they go for an initial consultatio n, diagnosis, purchase prescription, hospitalisation or post-operative care.
The space, however, is far from empty. Practo has
ument management, and they also acquired a health In October this year, Healthians, the Delhi-based hcare marketplace, had raised Series A funding in with Digital Garage, Japan, BEENOS and others.
a B2B wing that focuses on doc
management company last year. diagnostics and wellness healt a round led by BEENEXT, along
everyone in the digital health ecosystem is trying to acquire as many users or c
onsumers as possible on their app so that valuations can be inflated. And everyo ne is trying to solve one small piece of the puzzle. No one is really looking at it holistically and solving the foundational problem.