- What is Internet of Things (IoT)?
- Brief history of IoT
- How IoT works
- The importance of IoT
- Advantages and disadvantages of IoT
- Standards and platforms in IoT
- Examples of IoT platforms
- Consumer- and business-oriented IoT applications
- IoT security challenges
- See IoT in action with the world's leading IoT development company
What is Internet of Things (IoT)?
IoT is a term referring to the Internet of Things – a system of interlinked digital devices and mechanical machines, embedded in objects, animals or people. IoT-enabled devices transfer data over a network without the need for person-to-person or person-to-computer contact. Data transfer is facilitated by unique identifiers (UIDs). The “thing” component of the internet of things include a cow with a biochip transponder, a vehicle with in-built sensors to notify the driver of low tire pressure, or an athlete with a heart monitor implant. So long as that entity that can be designated an internet protocol (IP), and can transmit data over a network, it qualifies as an IoT entity.
Organizations of all sizes are harnessing the power of Internet of Things (IoT) to function more efficiently. Making profit is the bottom-line for most companies today. IoT can ensure that they understand their customer’s characteristics to enhance customer service and overall decision making to improve revenue and their valuation.
Brief history of IoT
The term IoT (Internet of Things) was first mentioned by Auto-ID co-founder Kevin Ashton in a presentation he made to Procter & Gamble in 1999. He wanted a swanky way to refer to the internet. By the time, MIT professor Neil Gershenfeld published his book “When Things Start to Think,” in the same year, the revolutionary nature of the internet became obvious.
How IoT works
An IoT device, embedded with sensors, shares the data it is programmed to obtain from its environment. This data is then sent to the cloud through an IoT gateway for analysis. In certain situations, the devices share information with other associated devices in the area to get things done. The overarching benefit of Internet of Things is that crucial tasks are performed without human input.
The importance of IoT
The internet of things (IoT) takes the burden of repetitious work away from people as they work smarter and improve their lives. In business, it allows managers to view systems or processes in real-time on dashboards linked to IoT devices on the worksite. In addition to helping automate and monitor process performance, IoT enables companies to avoid labor expenses. In supply chain and logistics, it makes the manufacturing and transporting of goods to the consumer more efficient as wastage to raw materials such as fuel, or overstocking – in the case of retail stores, is being reduced. Hence, more money is saved as less background mistakes are being made, increasing the company’s competitive position.
Advantages and disadvantages of IoT
Here are some of the pros of Internet of Things (IoT):
- Information accessible on any device, anywhere.
- Enhanced communication between interconnected devices
- Saves time and money as information sharing takes milliseconds
- Enhances business services and enhances competitiveness
The cons of Internet of Things (IoT) include:
- Information shared over a network is susceptible to hacking, leading to ransomware, malware, and other cybersecurity issues.
- Datapoints are voluminous and complicated, making them difficult to manage.
- Corruption of the smart devices may occur when there is a bug in the system
- The lack of general standardization in IoT means that it is difficult for devices from various manufacturers to communicate with one another.
Standards and platforms in IoT
Emerging standards of Internet of Things include:
IPv6
This is a low-power WPAN (6LoWPAN) is an open standard described by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). The 6LoWPAN standard allows low-power radio to interface with the internet, Z-Wave and Bluetooth low energy (BLE).
ZigBee
This is another low-power and data rate wireless network based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.4 convention. ZigBee is useful for industrial applications, and enables smart devices to understand each other over a secure network.
LiteOS
LiteOS is an operating system similar to Unix, supporting smartphones, wearables and smart manufacturing and lifestyle applications including smart home and smart driving.
OneM2M: designed as a machine-to-machine service protocol that can be embedded to software and hardware to link IoT devices.
Examples of IoT platforms
Amazon web services (AWS)
This is a cloud-computing platform created by Amzaon to allow smart devices to connect to AWS cloud with every connected device a company provides.
Microsoft’s Azure IoT suite
This is another high-ranking Internet of Things protocol that enables subscribers to interact and obtain data from IoT devices to perform such operations as transformation and aggregation, multidimensional analysis, and visualization to support business operations.
Google’s Brillo/weave
A platform for the expeditious implementation of IoT systems. The protocol comprises Brillo – the android-based OS for developing low-powered embedded devices, and Weave – an IoT-focused communication platform that bridges the links between the device and the cloud.
Calvin
This is an open-source IoT framework developed by Ericsson for building and controlling distributed software, allowing smart devices to engage with one another.
Consumer- and business-oriented IoT applications
IoT has many real-life applications; from consumer, enterprise, and manufacturing to industrial circles. The internet of things has a huge presence in a wide array of verticals including telecoms, power and automotive.
Consumer applications
Smart homes: In the consumer world, we now have smart homes equipped with smart thermostats connected to heating and lighting equipment to regulate the temperature of homes using remote-controlled computers.
Wearables: our lives are now easier thanks to connected wristwear that informs us of heartbeat rate and ambient temperature.
Business applications
Smart farming systems: these are of great benefit for the optimization of agricultural processes. Indoor vegetable farms are able to increase output tremendously thanks to the built-in sensors which automatically control light, temperature, soil moisture, humidity. Automated water gates open and close at certain moisture levels to control irrigation.
Inventory management: the supply chain gets a boost as retailers can control their inventory and equipment with sensors embedded in storehouses and other industrial assets.
Wearables for construction and healthcare: again wearables can enhance occupational safety and responsiveness at industrial level. During emergencies, first-responders can receive alerts or guidance on their smart wristbands for the best routes to take during an emergency. In construction sites, it allows the construction manager to track on-site personnel conditions anytime, anywhere.
IoT security challenges
Internet of Things privacy concerns are an inherent worry emanating from the nature of IoT devices. These devices are linked to billions of datasets that can be easily exploited. Whenever a user submits their personal information such as names, age, email addresses, phone numbers, and social handles to gain access into the platform, they are vulnerable to cybercriminals lurking around, who wish to steal this data, sell them to third-parties, or take control of their accounts. IoT cyberattacks have led to a number of trust issues in the past not to mention loss of funds. One of the most headlined IoT attacks ever recorded involved the malware Mirai in 2016. Attackers targeted the DNS provider DYN with this botnet and removed several websites for an extended period of time, taking advantage of poorly secured IoT devices.
See IoT in action with the world’s leading IoT development company
Softeq is a trusted IoT company to assist you in optimizing your business to be IoT ready. We boast an ably technical team with extensive experience in developing top-notch embedded software solutions for various industries, including automotive, logistics, and healthcare. If you are considering developing or integrating embedded software, a visit to Softeq can positively alter the course of your business.
