M2IOT: Part 2

IoT is almost a useless term. It is the equivalent of saying phones are all the same, from rotary to smartphones. Break down the words “Internet of Things” and we are saying Connectivity of Inanimate Objects (Ciao). Connectivity to inanimate objects is rather useless. These “things” are complex and different. As is the internet that connects them. 

What is connected on the internet is not inanimate like a rock. These “things” are a lot of integrated machinery that require watch-like precision to operate. I remember working with Victor Chu of SmartRx. He was building a connected pill bottle to increase adherence rates for patients prescribed powerful and expensive drugs. He designed a scale that would fit into the bottom of standard pill bottle, would weigh the drugs when the accelerometer sensed movement and utilized a wireless connection to send the data to his platform. What I just described only scratches the surface of the total solution. But it is safe to say this “thing” was certainly not on the same plane as a rock.

The complexity of the “connected devices” are not contained in the physical creations but also in the data that they create. From smart gas metering in homes that can detect leaks, to smart garbage cans that report the level of compacted garbage to municipal authorities these devices create tons of data. This data has assisted in creating the term “Big Data” as it continues to add to the information mountain. From all this data has arisen the prominence of AI. Both Big Data and AI have become industries unto themselves, but they are continually fed new information from these smart things. The result of machines talking to machines.

And why is IoT a worthless term? In the world of connecting machines incredibly powerful solutions like wireless routers or usb modems are not creating data or spawning new industries. They are important bridges and switches for the train tracks of connectivity, but they are nowhere near the smart pill bottle or smart garbage can. Just because they are connected does not mean they create new data. I suggest we move back to machine to machine and classify the other connectivity as mobile broadband. I vividly recall the conversation and hype that created the term IoT. It is time to walk it back.

Finally, connectivity is becoming more and more a commodity. But that does not mean all oil is the same. We at Helix Wireless in partnership with Pareteum understand that. We will not take for granted your solutions, we will not overlook the importance of your routers or devices. We will bring you the correct commodity for your connection. More on that to come.