What is IoT?
The Internet of Things, or IoT, is an ecosystem of interconnected computing devices, mechanical and digital machines, objects, animals or people that have the ability to transfer data over a network. The Internet is one of mankind’s greatest inventions if not the greatest up to date.
The Internet of Things is so sought after because it combines hardware, software, firmware and interconnects all these platforms by bringing them onto the digital realm. Thus a direct connection is established between the analog and the digital platform.
So is Youtube an example of IoT?
A question that many people ask is “Why is a website or a mobile app which runs on the internet, not a part of the Internet of Things ecosystem”?
Well, the “T” in IoT refers to physical objects, hardware, automobiles, and appliances in general which are filled with electronic components, embedded systems, sensors and software mechanisms that allow them to interconnect with each other and subsequently exchange and act on data.
These devices are often referred to as “Smart Devices” or “Connected Devices”. Just imagine, all air conditioners, TV’s, washing machines, heating equipment as well as lights and fans in your home can be remotely controlled from your computer or your mobile phone through the internet.
This type of an IoT ecosystem is called a Smart Home. With IoT, data driven analytics is also on the rise. Data collected from billions of sensors that are planted on the field in order to study customer behaviour has already started revolutionising marketing strategies to reach new potential customers and also to retain regular customers.
There are numerous real-world applications of the internet of things, ranging from consumer IoT and enterprise IoT to more importantly and manufacturing and industrial IoT (IIoT).
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) or Industry(4.0) is a platform with the philosophy that smart machines in factories are safer, more productive and have better quality that Human work.
With IoT in manufacturing, industrialists can mark their assets making them digitally identifiable and thus tracking their condition status, location as well as machine usage in Real Time.
It also enables manufacturers to remotely monitor and manage factory units along with optimizing process automation. Some additional features of IoT at enterprise level are:
- Better control of quality and deeper insight in Supply Chain Management systems.
- Ability to remotely update devices planted on the field.
- Conserve energy, reduce costs and reduce machine downtime.
- Attain consumer as well as machine insights.
- Ability of products to manage themselves.
From Fleet Management to Supply Chain Management,Safety, Security and Production Flow Monitoring to the Medical Industry, such applications only skim the surface of an ocean of countless possibilities with IoT.
In the End,
Mankind loves convenience. With connected devices all around, IoT will prove to be time saving and hence an efficient proposition. But at the same time, it could make us lazy and complacent.
We should be able to use the time saved by IoT to be more innovative. IoT will change the way we function on a daily basis. It is high time that the society realises how important this revolution is going to be.
Along with Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things is going to be a disruptive technology which will slowly but definitely change the way we live. To know more about IoT & how it can be leveraged, you can always write to Embedos. We’d be glad to help you leverage the power of IoT.
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