Drones are with us - already changing the way news photographers work - and only a Luddite would think they could turn back the clock.

That's the message from two sources this week.

In the USA, the Newspaper Association of America is trying to get the FAA to see that allowing small VJ drones near public activity can play a role in bettering society.

And technology futurist Shara Evans sees applications for them in a whole raft of areas. "Businesses need to start thinking differently about drones if they want to succeed," she says.

Evans is a speaker at the CeBIT Australia event in Sydney from May 5-7.

With 3D printing and augmented reality, she sees these and other robotics as the most significant technologies that will shape the way businesses operate. "The most successful companies will be trialling these technologies now to gain the greatest outcomes," says Evans who is chief executive of award-winning telecommunications analysts Market Clarity.

"UAVs, or drones, will challenge businesses to think outside the box. How can I solve a real-world problem in a different way; how can I use smart technology to drive efficiencies in my business or supply chain?"

Emergency services, disaster relief, mining, utilities, agricultural, environmental science, surveying, news reporting, videography, surveillance, national security and defence are already experiencing the profound positive impacts of utilising this form of technology. Evans says other industries need to carve out UAV-driven solutions enabling them to jump on board.

But growth of drone-led solutions in the logistics industry will questions such as the establishment of drone 'delivery highways" in the sky, and whether they will need black boxes in case something goes wrong.

With UAV sales and imports effectively unregulated, only estimates of the number currently being used in Australia are available, but consumer vendor Parrot says had sold 500,000 UAVs globally, with Australia a 'strong' UAV market.

Evans' research is part of the Internet of Things Conference at CeBIT Australia at Sydney Olympic Park.

In the US, the NAA has supported the idea of a 'micro UAV' classification for drones weighing less than two kilogrammes, which would be big enough for news applications. Some rules - including 'out of sight' use and the issue of overflying members of the public - are still being discussed.