What is IoT and how it impacts our lives?
What is IOT and how it impacts our lives
Definition:
Internet of things (or IoT) refers to a
group of devices with sensors, processing ability, software and other
technologies that are connected over the Internet or a similar network and
share data and information over the network. These devices range from ordinary
household objects to sophisticated industrial tools. The idea of IoT has been
in existence for a very long time, however a collection of recent advances in a
number of different technologies has increased its practicality. Affordable and
reliable sensors are making IoT technology possible for more manufacturers. The
increase in the availability of cloud platforms has enabled both the businesses
and the consumers to access the infrastructure they need to scale up without
actually having to manage it all. In a broader sense, the term IoT encompasses
everything connected to the internet, but it is increasingly being used to
define objects that communicate with each other.
The truth is, IoT is growing in
importance, both for industrial use and everyday use. It is making our lives better
in so many ways, and it will likely continue to do so. Along with the problems
we know we have, it is solving problems we didn’t even realize were a problem –
that is until the solution magically appeared. IoT penetration in our daily
lives is on the increase, too. The global market for IoT is on track to reach
$520 billion by 2024, representing a growth of about 50 percent in each
successive year since 2017.
IoT helps us work smarter, live smarter, and gain complete control over our lives, but it’s also supporting our wellbeing behind the scenes. In addition to our smart home devices, IoT is an essential technology in business and industry, as it gives businesses a real-time glimpse into the inner workings of their company’s systems. From the factory floor to the customer’s door, IoT delivers insights into everything from machine performance to supply chain and logistics operations. IoT allows companies to automate processes and save money on labor. It also reduces waste and improves service delivery, making it less expensive to manufacture and deliver goods and providing transparency into customer transactions. It allows companies to reduce costs, increase safety, and improve quality from end-to-end, which translates to a win-win for everybody. As a result, consumer goods are less expensive to produce, shipping is more predictable, and companies can grow, stimulating our economy while delivering a sense of satisfaction we can take to the bank.
Uses
IoT can find its uses in a variety of
sectors. Let’s have a look at a few of them.
1.
IoT
can be very useful in the healthcare sector. Medical practitioners often need
to know the exact location of patient-assistance assets such as wheelchairs.
When a hospital’s wheelchairs are equipped with IoT sensors, they can be
tracked from the IoT asset-monitoring application so that anyone looking for
one can quickly find the nearest available wheelchair. Apart from that, wearable
tech, namely smartwatches and wristbands, have entered the market in droves,
offering users all sorts of personalized data about their health and fitness
activities. Several steps above a pedometer — smart watches can track your
calories burned heart rate, and a ton of other health data. And it’s not all
about staying in shape — IOT devices can help monitor overall wellness. There
are already many smartphone apps that can monitor glucose levels for diabetics
and other health data. Meanwhile the 2nd generation iWatch and Simband are
rumored to include heart rate monitors and wellness trackers that doctors may
be able to use to optimize care for their patients.
2.
It
can be used for traffic monitoring purposes as well. When we use our cell
phones as sensors that collect and share data from our vehicles through
applications such as Google Maps, we are using the IoT to inform us and at the
same time we contribute to traffic monitoring.
3.
IoT
also finds its use in the rural sector of the society as well. Through the
implementation of IoT sensors, information can be obtained on the state of soil.
Information such as soil moisture, level of acidity, presence of nutrients,
temperature and other attributes, help the farmers control irrigation, make
water use more efficient, specify the best times to start sowing, and even
discover the presence of diseases in plants and soil.
4.
By
establishing a bidirectional communication between the service provider company
and the end user, information of great value can be obtained for the detection
of faults, decision making and repair.
5.
The
government administrated utilities can use IoT based apps to notify the users
of mass outages and interruptions of water, power, or sewer services. IoT
applications can collect data concerning the scope of an outage and deploy
resources to help utilities recover from outages at a faster rate.
6.
IOT
technologies are another great way to monitor pollution and find new ways to
reduce waste. Just consider AirQualityEgg.com, a device that monitors the air
quality outside of your home or office, then aggregates the data online to
offer metropolitan and regional data. This analysis is then used to measure how
urban pollution policies are affecting specific areas. WaterBee.eu is a
smart irrigation system that helps farmers, golf courses and other enterprises
conserve water by monitoring soil from different plots of land and adjusting
water usage accordingly. “The Internet of Things” was a term first coined by
Kevin Ashton back in 1999. At the time, he was thinking about the future, and
many still do. But one thing is for sure – the IOT is here today, and is
affecting our lives more and more. These are just a few examples of the many
ways IOT is already penetrating the modern world.
7.
IOT
is also helping businesses optimize in a number of ways. Some stores are
already using signals from shoppers’ smartphones to track their behavior
in-store, pairing it up with their online data to get the most in-depth
customer profile possible. Retailers with apps can then use the data to deliver
coupons and special promotional material to the customer’s phone at the perfect
time and place. And it’s not just about optimizing marketing tactics. IOT
equipment sensors are already being used to monitor machines and notify
businesses of malfunctions or parts that need repair. A series of sensors,
cameras, and lasers can also be used to monitor the manufacturing process of
materials to ensure quality.
8.
AT&T
just added 2.1 million new wireless lines last quarter, but only about half of
them were for people. The other half were built into automobiles. GM, BMW, and
others have teamed up with AT&T to enable LTE in their vehicles, which is
changing the way people travel. Now is just the beginning of what LTE-enabled
cars can offer drivers: real-time traffic information, real-time vehicle
diagnostics, and more. Soon drivers will be able to tap into every element of
the streets they drive on to analyze traffic patterns and make choices that
reduce traffic jams. Sure, the number of LTE enabled cars on the streets are
small at the moment, but that’s not the only way IOT is affecting
transportation. Consider the Oyster Card, used as a key to London’s tube system
since 2003. The cards have been collecting usage data — where people travel,
when, and how often, which is then analyzed and used to optimize the underground
based on users’ specific needs.
Advantages
of IoT
1. IoT improves the
productivity of the staff and reduces the human involvement. Because of IoT, mundane
tasks can be done automatically, so human resources may be transferred to more
complex tasks that require personal skills,
2. Another crucial
benefit offered by IoT is automated control over multiple operation areas,
including, among others, inventory management, shipping tracking, fuel and
spare parts management.
3.
The
automated scheduling and monitoring implemented using the interconnected
sensors enable higher efficiency of resource use, such as improved power
management and water consumption.
4.
Smart
devices like voice assistants and other appliances that can directly
communicate with end-users on a regular basis, provide invaluable source
information for business analysis.
5.
IoT
helps organizations by gathering large volumes of data employed for developing
business strategies, targeted advertising, fine-tuning price policy, and other
marketing and management activities.
6. Due to the increased effectiveness, the organization that uses IoT is able to offer a wider range of services or products or increase their quality in comparison with its competitors.
Disadvantages of IoT
1. Security
concerns are one of the major drawbacks of the IoT. Insufficient security is
the major disadvantage that hinders the development of IoT as a whole. The fear
of data leaks is always present because smart devices collect and transmit
confidential information that can lead to drastic consequences if revealed.
2. It has high cost
of implementation and maintenance in a business. In addition to that, enhancing
it would add more associate cost to the budget. Implementation of IoT in an
organization implies building an extensive network comprising multiple smart
devices and the associated technical infrastructure, including the power supply
grid and the communication network. Such devices and their maintenance would
add associate cost to the organization’s budget.
3. IoT architecture
is dependent upon power supply. While IoT implies the autonomous operation of
multiple devices, such a network remains highly dependent on external factors that
must function properly in order to facilitate the devices’ communication over
the network. Power supply is one such factor. Power failure directly or
indirectly impact performance of the devices connected on IoT.
4. IoT, as the name
suggests, is a network dependent
architecture. The core feature of the Internet of Things is the immense amount
of interconnections between various devices and access to the global network.
5.
IoT
implementation requires skilled and experienced professionals who understand
the scope and possible consequences of their work. Deploying, setting up,
maintaining, and managing the scale of IoT infrastructure in an organization
demands highly skilled administrators who may be hard to find and recruit.
Career
in IoT
There is a sound and bright career in
the IoT sector. In this era, most businesses and organizations are operating
online and are dependent on the data collected by IoT devices. Data collected
by the IoT is analyzed to serve the clients properly. That is why the demand
for IoT professionals and experts is on the rise.
IoT sector encompasses several
employment opportunities. There are different types of jobs it can offer to
skilled personnel. Let’s have a look at those.
Cloud
Engineer:
It is one of the job roles where a
person needs to establish and deploy the middleware and database to collect the
data from the IoT devices.
Network Engineer: These are the
people who help in establishing a computing network or choosing a suitable
gateway and more.
Data Architect: These are the people
who design the data model.
Test Engineers: A test engineer tests
the functional aspects of IoT devices.
Programmer: A programmer is the person who programs the
backend and integrates it with middleware and cloud databases.
User Interface Engineer: These are
the people who design easy and interactive user interface of the IoT devices.
These are just a few of many roles that
IoT sector can offer when it comes to employment. With the growth in the IT
industry, the IoT sector has also grown. Thus, increasing the employment
opportunities in both the fields.
Future
of IoT
The future of IoT is sound and bright,
with advancements in new technologies and access to information that we may not
previously have thought possible. We will soon see massive shifts in how the
data is regulated and can expect better security legislation. Advances to the
industrial internet will be accelerated through increased network agility,
integrated artificial intelligence (AI) and the capacity to deploy, automate,
orchestrate and secure diverse use cases at a larger scale. Many experts have
predicted that consumers won’t be the only ones using IoT devices. Cities and
companies will increasingly adopt smart technologies to save time and money. That
means cities will be able to automate, remotely manage, and collect data
through things like visitor kiosks, video camera surveillance systems, bike
rental stations, and taxis. Faster networks will come in to existence. The data
accumulated by the smart devices will be gathered, analyzed and managed to a
higher degree. That will fuel innovation at companies that make IoT devices and
boost consumer demand for new products. IoT will continue to form the backbone
of many technologies that will change the way we all live.
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