The Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things (IoT) is taking the internet into everything that impacts our lives – from engineering to health, infrastructure, agriculture and more. It is the future of digital connectivity, data accumulation and system efficiencies, but implementation requires sound strategy with a balance between innovation, opportunity and risk.

 IoT is an opportunity for technology companies, industries and entrepreneurs to be leaders in the development and execution of innovative IoT applications. The potential economic, social and environmental benefits from effective IoT solutions are vast. However IoT developments must focus on security, privacy and trust to ensure the safety of the IoT ecosystem and its users.

There is a technology revolution going on around us. It is silent and invisible yet groundbreaking; it has the power to transform lives all around the world. This technology is called the Internet of Things (IoT) and it’s very likely that you’re already a user without knowing or realising it.

The term, Internet of Things, was originated by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

What exactly do I mean by the ‘Internet of Things’?

The Internet of Things is about allowing objects to be sensed and controlled remotely across existing infrastructure, creating opportunities for more direct integration between the physical world and computer-based systems – or simply put, making ‘dumb’ things ‘smart’ by connecting them to the Internet. This results in improved efficiency, accuracy and economic benefit.

It simply means technology that allows devices, systems and services to be able to communicate and connect with one another in an advanced manner.

The internet of things (or as it’s also known, IoT) is not new: Technology companies and pundits have been discussing the idea for decades, and the first internet-connected toaster was unveiled at a conference in 1989. 

"IoT" is simple: it’s about connecting devices over the internet, letting them talk to us, applications, and each other. An example is a Smart fridge: what if your fridge could tell you it was out of milk, texting you if its internal cameras saw there was none left, or that the carton was past its use-by date?

Another example is in Britain where IoT will be used in home heating and energy use – partially because the government is pushing energy companies to roll out smart meters. They have clever functions that let you turn on heating remotely, set it to turn down the temperature if it's a sunny day,or even turn off when there’s no-one home. Some can tell the latter with motion-sensing cameras, or simply by seeing that your smartphone (you) have left the premises.

The Internet of Things is all about connecting devices through the Internet. It allows objects and devices to communicate with one another, as well as with us. These physical objects are embedded with actuators, sensors and other devices that are built with the capability to collect and transmit data.

IoT is more than smart homes and connected appliances, however. It scales up to include Smart cities – think of connected traffic signals that monitor utility use, or smart bins that signal when they need to be emptied – and industry, with connected sensors for everything from tracking parts to monitoring crops.

Most of the current existing IoT communication comes from industrial machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, smart energy grids, home and building automation, and wearable computing devices. For example, the Fitbit you use to track your daily mileage and fitness or the Nest thermostat you control from your mobile device. These devices are slowly permeating our everyday lives in such a harmonious way that we are hardly aware of the invasion of our everyday lives.

There are many different components that make Internet of Things work:

1. Sensors: Devices used to transmit electronic data from a physical entity or event
2. Services: Systems that build things, process data, or run operations based on the data obtained by sensors
3. Actuators: Mechanisms that affect the physical environment
4. Networks: A combination of wireless or wired technologies, protocols and standards that provide connectivity and connect all components of the IoT
5. People: Individuals that control the environment through electronic or mobile applications
6. Virtual objects: Wallets, books, electronic tickets
7. Platforms: Middleware used to connect the various components of the IoT

The Internet of Things has transformed the physical world into an intertwined information system of its own. Sensors and actuators are implanted into various physical objects -- from humans, hardware to highways -- and connect through wireless and wired networks using the Internet. The networks then produce data that are transmitted into computers for the purpose of analysis followed by an action or service based on standards set during programming. Many IoT technologies today work without human intervention, allowing devices to communicate amongst each other and change processes that transform the way we live today.

Everyday Use of IoT

With the growing network of interconnectedness among electronic devices, consumers are experiencing connectivity in their lives like never before. Think about the ‘things’ in our kitchens that are using or will be using sensors, alerts and apps to communicate with each other. That’s IoT. Refrigerators that tie into your shopping app’s APIs to order groceries before you even know you’ve run low on something. Maybe you don’t have a refrigerator that knows when we need to buy milk or a washing machine that can tell Alexa to order more washing powder yet. But many of us are already using the Internet of Things everyday without fully realizing it. More is yet to come.

One example of IoT technology is the Nike FuelBand tracker and FitBit, both of which are worn on the human body and monitor physical activity, send information to the cloud, and provide users with feedback on their health. Another example of IoT that is found in many households is mobile app-controlled thermostats, HVAC units and water heaters. Homeowners can receive data on their energy consumption right to their mobile phones. Nest is another popular example. With a few taps in an app, homeowners can control their thermostat from afar, set an ‘away’ mode, and Nest even automatically alters the temperature based on your settings when it senses you’re away. Smart TVs, video game consoles and DVD players have used connectivity and video streaming apps to give consumers a seamless entertainment experience across multiple devices.

While these examples above are widely recognised and have a high adoption rate, the full potential of the Internet of Things has not yet been realised. It goes far beyond the consumer experience, and long term we are likely to see its application to communities, cities and even countries. Improvements in technologies, especially in wireless, are an increasingly inevitable aspect of the near future that will foster more widespread adoption of IoT.

Why does it matter? There’s a reason the British government for example is encouraging energy companies to hand you a smart meter: all that data and automated use is more efficient, meaning we use less energy. Many areas of IoT show such benefits, though some smart gadgets are more about wizz effects than efficiency, which may well be why we’re seeing more smart heating than smart fridges in the UK.

Is the Internet of Things safe? Can it be secured?

Everything new has its downsides, and privacy and security are the biggest challenges for IoT. All these devices and systems collect a lot of personal data about people – that smart meter knows when you’re home and what electronics you use when you’re there – and it’s shared with other devices and held in databases by companies.

The answer for now is yes, IoT is relatively safe: you’re not likely to face serious loss or damage because of your Smart Meter, any more than your home PC, at least. However, there’s no guarantee, and so far not enough is being done to ensure IoT isn’t the next big hacking target.

How will the Internet of Things affect work and business?

It all depends on the industry. Manufacturing is the furthest ahead in terms of IoT, as it’s useful for organising tools, machines and people, and tracking where they are. The Internet of Things gives businesses the opportunity to raise their levels of efficiency. Farmers have also been turning to connected sensors to monitor both cattle and crops with the hopes of boosting efficiency and production plus tracking the health of their herds of cattle.

The examples are endless, and all we can predict is that connected devices will likely creep into most businesses worldwide, just the way computers and the web have. When the efficiencies are with tools or plants, it’s easy to appreciate the potential benefit, but when it’s office workers who are being squeezed for more productivity, it could take on a bit of a dystopian shade; imagine your security access card as an employee being used to track where you are in the building, so your boss can total up how much time you’re spending in the kitchen making tea or having a cigarette outside.

What does the "internet of things" mean for healthcare?

Smart Pills and connected monitoring patches are already available, highlighting the life-saving potential of IoT, and many people are already strapping smartwatches or fitness bands to their wrists to track their steps or heartbeat while on a walk and run.

There are a host of clever connected health ideas: For example, Intel made a smart band that tracks how much patients with Parkinsons' shake, collecting more accurate data than with paper and pen; Sonamba monitors daily activities of senior or ill people, to watch for dangerous anomalies; and people who have heart disease can use AliveCore to detect abnormal heart rhythms.

Healthcare is one area where more data has the potential to save lives, by preventing diseases, monitoring and by analysing them to create new treatments. However, our health is also one of the most sensitive areas of our lives, so privacy and security will need a bit more preventative medicine first.

The Internet of Things is a big topic with Samsung pledging to connect everything it sells to the Internet within five years.

Currently, business and manufacturing account for 42% of the Internet of Things, with much of this being made up of real time analytics in supply chains as well as machinery that is robotic. Meanwhile healthcare currently comprises 30.3% of the Internet of Things and electronic record keeping, safeguards in pharmaceuticals and portable health monitoring playing an important role. In retail, 8.3% of the Internet of Things is found with smartphone purchases and inventory tracking playing a large role. Security accounts for 7.7% of the Internet of Things, and remote sensors as well as biometric and facial recognition locks make up a large part of this. Finally, 4.1% of the Internet of Things is in transportation with performance tracking, cars that park themselves and GPS locators playing an important role.

A decade from now, everything could be connected or perhaps only bits and pieces with specific benefits, such as smart meters; and we may call it IoT, smart devices or not call it anything at all, the way smartphones have simply become phones.

In fact, Intel reports that by 2025, it is possible that the worldwide value of the technology of the Internet of Things will be roughly $6.2 trillion, with $2.5 trillion of this accounted for by health care and a further $2.3 trillion in manufacturing industries.

The Internet of Things is already allowing the development of very interesting technology. For example, smartphones can be used for the unlocking or locking of doors. Also, the Internet of Things has led to some exciting developments in buildings which make them “smart buildings”. Smart buildings have already been created in Saudi Arabia and San Salvador and they are able to monitor the environment to make sure that aspects such as energy and comfort are well managed for the building’s users.

If you remember the days when we were debating the definition of "Cloud"? That was as recent as 2009. Fast forward to now, we are facing the same ambiguities with the Internet of Things (IoT). Cloud computing is beginning to look like the breakthrough in "internet of things".

Barriers to Consumer Adoption of IoT

• Lack of awareness: Those of us in technology find it hard to fathom that modern consumers have not heard of the Internet of Things, but it is a reality. As IoT’s value to the individual becomes more apparent, the lack of awareness will be a thing of the past.
• Cost: eMarketer reports “nearly two-thirds of Internet users worldwide said that one of the barriers to purchasing IoT devices and services was the fact that they are too expensive.” As it becomes less costly to provide connectivity to physical objects, we will see more application and adoption of IoT technology.
• Privacy: According to the Altimeter Group, 78% of consumers are most concerned with companies selling their data. While many consumers aren’t satisfied with a generic terms of service and privacy agreement, they don’t want to be informed each time their data is used. Companies who find a middle ground will likely gain more customer opt-in for IoT services.
• Security: Due to an increasing number of consumers that have experienced some form of identity theft, security has become more important to the individual consumer. Not surprisingly, the more devices an individual owns, the more vulnerable they feel. However, as the increased number of connected devices sales indicates, security concerns are not stopping people from buying connected devices. Devices that offer a high level of security will gain the advantage of addressing consumer concerns.

Therefore, the Internet of Things (IoT) is the future with more and more devices being connected to the Internet. Implementing will be very challenging. All in all, it needs to be safe to avoid misuse and cloud computing will take a long leap in ensuring safety and security.

This level of connectivity will have profound social, political and economic consequences, and increasingly form part of our everyday lives, from the cars we drive and medicines we take, to the jobs we do and the governance systems we live in, to even the business technology systems we use. This growing movement of such hyperconnectivity is known as the Hyperconnected Era or often referred to now as "The Internet of Things."

The Internet of Things is already here – and it’s only going to get bigger. In an era when card readers, scales, thermostats, door sensors, smoke detectors, switches, cars, and even lightbulbs are connected to the web, ensuring that these devices can reliably connect to a network is becoming more important every passing day. Imagine what kind of data plan you’re going to need to connect your thermostat, your cars or door sensors to your Telecom network mobile accounts.