IoT (Internet of things)

The "Internet of things" (IoT) is becoming a more and more rising topic of discussion both in the workplace and outside of it. It's a concept that not only has the potential to impact how we live but also how we work. But what accurately is the "Internet of things" and what effect is it going to have on you, if any? Let us understand the basics. Lots of technical and policy-related conversations are being had but many people are still just trying to grasp the foundation of what the heck these conversations are about.

Start with understanding a few things.

Broadband Internet is become more widely available, the cost of connecting is decreasing, more devices are being created with Wi-Fi capabilities and sensors built into them, technology costs are going down, and smartphone penetration is increasing day by day These things are creating a "picture-perfect" for the IoT.

What Is IoT?

Fundamentally put, this is the concept of essentially connecting any device with an on and off switch to the Internet. This includes everything from mobile phones, Tea/Coffee makers, washing machines, AC, headphones, lamps, auto devices and almost anything else you can think of. This also applies to components of machines, for example a car engine of passenger vehicle, jet engine of an airplane or the press machine at factory. As stated, if it has an on and off switch then chances are it can be a part of the IoT. The analyst firm says that by 2020 there will be greater than 26 billion connected devices... That's a so many connections  The IoT is a giant network of connected "things" The relationship will be between Things – Things, People – Things, People – People.

How Does This Impact us?

The new rule for the future is going to be, "Anything that can be connected, will be connected." But why on earth would you want so many connected devices talking to each other? There are many illustrations for what this might look like or what the potential value might be. For example, you are on your way to a meeting; your car could have access to your calendar and already know the best route to take. If the traffic is heavy your car might send a text to the other party notifying them that you will be late or can send a notification to friend in that area that you are in this area for next 4 hours and anyone available to catch up. What if your alarm clock wakes up you at 6 a.m. and then notifies your Tea maker to start brewing tea for you? What if your office equipment knew when it was running low on supplies and automatically re-ordered more? What if the device you used in the workplace could tell you when and where you were most active and productive and shared that information with other devices that you used while working?

On a larger scale, the IoT can be functional to things like "smart cities" ,Electronic devices, Automotive devices, Smart Cities, OT side at factory ,which can help us to improve efficiency for things such as energy use; improving on customer connect, improving on customer experience, collecting real time data and build analytics based on data for better productivity and so on. This helping us understand and improve how we work and live.

What now?

Dialogs about the IoT taking place all over the world as we try to find how this will affect our lives. We are also trying to understand what the many opportunities & challenges are going to be as more & more devices start to join the IoT. For now, the best thing that we can do is educate ourselves about what the IoT is and the potential impacts that can be seen on how we work and live.