Smart machines to rule as Gartner predicts 25 billion connected "things" by 2020 Man versus machine ... forecast shows dramatic rise of smart "things." SMART machines are set to dominate the online world, with Gartner research group predicting 25 billion "things," from consumer electronics to cars, will be connected by 2020. That will mean that for every human on the planet, there will be about three machines wired to the web. The automotive sector is set for the fastest growth in the era of the "Internet of Things," with the forecast predicting 3.5 billion connected vechiles by the end of the decade. The Gartner forecast released today shows an expected growth of the IT support industry from $69.5 billion next year to $263 billion in 2020, as everything from bed knobs to broomsticks is expected to be connected to online services. While the Internet of Things will be big business, Gartner says it is consumer demand driving the growth. The past few years has seen a rapid growth in app-controlled devices, with consumers already able to buy off-the-shelf products such as home lighting, bathroom scales and smart cooking pots from company such as Philips, Belkin and Withings. The Gartner figures show that there were 3 billion connected "things" last year. That figure is tipped to grow to 3.75 billion by the end of this year and 4.8 billion next year before dramatically rising. Possibly the most surprising prediction about the Gartner forecast is its conservative nature. Last year Cisco predicted there will be 50 billion connected devices by 2020 while Morgan Stanley predictions put it closer to 75 billion. Originally published as Smart machines will rule the world