What is the IoT and everything you need to know about the Internet of Things
Every physical device connected to the Internet, capable of collecting and sharing data is called the Internet of Things, or IoT.
With a cheap processor and Wi-Fi, it is possible to make everything a part of the IoT. Add digital intelligence to the devices, allowing them to communicate without human involvement, unifying the physical and digital worlds.
Examples of IoT devices
Many physical objects can be transformed into IoT objects if it connects to the Internet and controlled that way.
The light bulb turned on by the smartphone app is an IoT device. Like motion sensors or smart thermostats in the office. An IoT device can be as simple as a baby toy or as serious as a driverless car.
The term IoT is mainly used for devices that typically do not expect an Internet connection and can communicate with networks independently and with human impact. For this reason, a PC is not considered an IoT device nor a smartphone – even though the device is crammed with sensors. However, a smartwatch or a fitness band can be counted as an IoT device.
History of the IoT
The idea of adding sensors and intelligence to basic objects was discussed throughout the 1980s and 1990s, however apart from some early projects – including vending machines. internet connection – the reason is simply that the technology is not ready yet.
A microprocessor that is cheap enough and energy-efficient is a prerequisite to connecting billions of devices. The use of RFID tags – low-energy chips that can communicate wirelessly – has solved some of these problems, along with the increasing availability of broadband internet and mobile and wireless networks. The adoption of IPv6 will provide enough IP addresses for every device in the world likely would need it – also a necessary step for the IoT to scale. Kevin Ashton coined the term ‘Internet of Things’ in 1999, although it would take at least another decade for technology to catch up.
Attaching RFID tags to expensive devices to help track their location was one of the first IoT applications. But since then, the costs of adding sensors and internet connectivity to objects have continued to decline, and experts predict that this basic function a day could cost as little as 10 cents, making it nearly as easy to connect as possible. everything with the internet.
The IoT was initially most interesting for business and manufacturing, where its application is sometimes referred to as machine-to-machine (M2M), but now the emphasis is on filling homes and offices. with smart devices, turning it into something suitable for almost everyone.
Benefits of the Internet of Things for businesses
Sometimes referred to as the IoT industry, the benefits of IoT for businesses depend on a specific implementation, but the business must have access to a lot of data. more data on their products and their internal systems and greater possibilities for change.
Manufacturers add sensors to their product components so they can pass on data about how they work. This can help companies detect when a component is potentially defective and exchange it before it does any damage. Companies can also use the data generated by these sensors to make their systems and supply chains more efficient because they’ll have much more accurate data about what’s going on. out.
“With the introduction of comprehensive, real-time data collection and analysis, production systems can become significantly more agile,” says consultant McKinsey.
Enterprise use of IoT can be divided into two segments: industry-specific services such as sensors in power plants or real-time location equipment for healthcare; and IoT devices can be used in all industries, like smart air conditioners or security systems.
Although industry-specific products will be coming soon, by 2020, Gartner predicts that cross-industrial devices will reach 4.4 billion units, while vertical devices will reach 3.2 billion units. Consumers buy more devices, businesses spend more: the analyst team says that while consumer spending on IoT devices was around $ 725 billion last year, businesses spent more. for IoT reached 964 billion dollars. By 2020, enterprise and consumer spending on IoT hardware will reach nearly $ 3 trillion.
What are the benefits of the Internet of Things for consumers?
The IoT promises to make our environments – our homes and offices and our vehicles – smarter, more measurable, and better. Smart speakers like Amazon’s Echo and Google Home make it easier to play music, set a timer, or get info. The home security system makes it easy to keep track of what’s going on inside and outside or to see and talk to visitors. Meanwhile, the smart air conditioner can help us heat the house before we get back, and the smart light bulb can make it look like we’re at home even when we’re out.
Looking further, sensors can help us understand how noisy or polluted our environments are. Self-driving cars and smart cities can change the way we build and manage public spaces.
IoT, privacy, and business
Consumers need to understand the exchange they’re making and whether they’re happy with it. Some of the same issues apply to business: would your executive team be willing to discuss mergers in meeting rooms equipped with smart speakers and cameras? A recent survey found that four out of five companies won’t be able to locate all of the IoT devices on their network.
Poorly configured IoT products can easily open corporate networks for hackers to attack or simply leak data. It may seem like a trivial threat but imagine if the smart key at your office is denied opening or the smart weather station in the CEO’s office will create a backdoor into your network.
IoT and network warfare
If things go wrong with IoT devices, there could be big real-world consequences – something countries planning their cyber warfare are now taking into account.
IoT and big data
The IoT generates huge amounts of data: either from sensors attached to parts of machines or environmental sensors or from words we shout into our smart speakers. That means the IoT is an important driver of big data analysis projects as it allows companies to create large data sets and analyze them. Giving manufacturers a large amount of data on how their components perform in real-world situations can help them improve much faster, while data is removed from the pulse sensors. Around the city can help planners make traffic flow more efficiently.
IoT and the cloud
The huge amount of data that IoT applications generate means that many companies will choose to process their data in the cloud instead of building massive amounts of internal capacity. The cloud giant has taken this into account: Microsoft has its Azure IoT Suite, while Amazon Web Services offers a wide range of IoT services, as well as Google Cloud.
