Machine learning

THE best manufacturers used to be the firms that made the best widgets. As the "internet of things" spreads to the factory floor, products are being packed with ever more sensors and connected to the internet. That is transforming manufacturing--and the mindset that firms need to succeed. The first shift is from products to services. By one estimate the number of wirelessly connected products in existence (excluding smartphones or computers) will rise from 5 billion today to 21 billion by 2020.