The manufacturing CIO has long been associated with managing new technology implementation, strategic IT planning and keeping tabs on the latest solutions that could boost productivity. The job entails much more than that today.

Global revenues from smart home automation systems will grow at a 21-percent CAGR between 2015 and 2020, according to ABI Research. North America will account for the lion's share of the smart home automation system revenues in 2020, contributing close to 46 percent globally, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Ikea's recently announced wireless charging line of furniture is expected to jump-start a trend that will amount to 10 million sticks of high-tech furniture sold in just two years.

The worldwide consumer Wi-Fi equipment market increased 5 percent in 2014, surpassing 166 million unit shipments. "Shipments of devices which support the 802.11ac standard grew significantly last ear, representing more than 11 percent of total access point shipments," says Jake Saunders, vice president and practice director, ABI Research.

If the past 12 months saw a dramatic increase in data breach activity, then the year ahead promises to bring an entirely new set of concerns - and a shift in how companies are responding to the cyber threat.

Worldwide oil production is outpacing demand, and oil prices have fallen by more than 50 percent since June 2014. Many factors - including soft demand, increasing U.S. production and diminishing storage for crude oil - suggest that the days of $100-a-barrel oil may not return. This scenario presents potentially disastrous consequences for oil and gas (O&G) firms that are not prepared to accelerate their digital transformation. Innovative oil and gas firms, however, believe today's turbulent market landscape provides an opportunity to grab competitive advantage by harnessing new technologies, such as the Internet of Everything.