What is Smart Everything?

Smart Everything is implemented with a combination of software and hardware. The software delivers innovative new capabilities and an enhanced user experience. Software has become the primary driver for new innovation across almost all products and industries. This process is referred to as digital transformation.

While the implications of this digital transformation are highly impactful, there is another critical element required to realize its world-changing impact – hardware.

There are many aspects of hardware technology advances required to bring software innovation to life. At the core are semiconductor chips. These devices deliver the tremendous processing power required to implement new software innovations with the speed and latency required. The vision systems used in self-driving cars is an example. The core algorithms for these systems date back to the 1930s. The massive processing power delivered by advanced chips now allows these algorithms to be used in real-world applications.

Another contributor is advances in sensing and measurement technology. These miniaturized devices facilitate a path for advanced chips and software to sense and interact with the environment.

High-speed data communications are another technology that enables Smart Everything. Examples here include 5G networks which allow high-speed communication between devices. These networks also provide a path to edge and cloud computing, where advanced data analytics can be applied to the data that is collected, creating new insights and new capabilities.

The products that deliver Smart Everything have a widespread impact on industries, ecosystems, and individual lives. Here are three examples of the impact Smart Everything is having on the world around us:

Smart Wearable Devices. A wristwatch can now monitor the wearer’s health and communicate this information to the cloud where it can be analyzed for trends by advanced software or medical staff. For example, the device can sense significant events such as falls, automobile crashes, or cardiac events and summon help autonomously.

Self-Driving Cars. There is a growing application of massive sensor arrays and super-computer level performance in new automobiles. The goal is to achieve Level 5 autonomy.

From the chip to the cloud, Synopsys technology is at the heart of innovations that are changing the way people work and play. We help our ecosystem partners meet new requirements for power, reliability, mobility, and security that are the foundation for Smart Everything.