The Internet of Things (IOT), often referred to as the Industrial Internet, is one of the most significant technological innovations of our time. It represents an extraordinary convergence of ubiquitous computing, networking, and storage that can be applied across a multitude of industries ranging from manufacturing, healthcare, education and smart cities. The key attraction is that IOT blurs the lines between human, machine and environment by enabling real-time communication and control by integrating computational power into everyday objects, thereby transforming them into intelligent entities with networked sensors. This means that physical objects or processes can be sensed and controlled remotely across existing network infrastructure such as the Internet or a company’s internal private network.
The Internet of Things.
The Internet of Things. It sounds like a far off concept, but the Internet of Things is already old news. Although the term Internet of Things was coined in 1999, it has been around for much longer. And its uses are going to be more and more apparent as we continue to move forward with this new technology.
The basic idea behind the Internet of Things is that everyday objects can be connected to the internet and to other devices. This allows them to send and receive information from different sources, including humans. The ability for these devices to connect with each other is called machine-to-machine technology, or M2M for short.
This allows devices that were once considered “dumb” — such as your house thermostat — to become “smart.” Now your thermostat can automatically change temperatures based on the weather outside and on your heating and cooling needs inside. Or it might even allow you to control it remotely, adjusting your home’s temperature while you’re away or still at work.
What is IOT used for?
With billions of devices connecting to the internet every day, securing your digital life is more important than ever. But how does the Internet of Things (IoT) work? And what is IoT used for?
The Internet of Things (or IoT) refers to the billions of physical devices around the world that are now connected to the internet, collecting and sharing data. In other words, IoT describes a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines that have unique identifiers (UIDs), and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.
How does the Internet of Things work?
Let’s look at an example. Imagine you purchased a connected “smart” thermostat and installed it in your home. This device is a good example of what falls under the IoT umbrella — it’s a physical object that connects to wifi and can be controlled remotely using a smartphone app. It also has several sensors that collect data about its environment — for example, whether windows are open or closed, how much energy is being used, etc.
That information can also be sent to other devices that use IoT technology — like your smart speaker. Or a smart lightbulb that turns
The Evolution of the Internet of Things
At the simplest level, the Internet of Things refers to the ever-growing network of physical objects that feature an IP address for internet connectivity, and the communication that occurs between these objects and other Internet-enabled devices and systems. The Internet of Things is changing how we interact with everyday objects in our homes, offices, cars, and cities.
On a more technical level, the definition of IoT is based on the convergence of wireless technologies, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and the Internet. Through this convergence, connected devices can communicate with internal or cloud-based servers to relay information about power usage, movement or environmental changes. This data can then be analyzed and used to optimize functionality or modify future behavior.
In order for a device to be considered part of the Internet of Things, it must have three main characteristics:
The ability to sense its environment and use data from this interaction to trigger a specific action or event.
A unique identifier (UID), which allows it to communicate over a network without human interaction.
The ability to transfer data over a network.
5G and IOT: A Significant Impact on Society
5G technology is expected to have a significant impact on society, probably even more so than previous cellular technologies.
4G was first introduced around 2010. Today, approximately 75% of the world’s population has access to 4G connectivity. Most people in North America and Europe have 4G coverage. But there are still a lot of countries where less than 50% of the population has access to 4G networks.
5G is still rolling out worldwide, with most users in the United States having access to it as of 2020. This technology is also starting to show up in other countries like China and Japan as well as some European markets. The goal is to get 5G coverage to 75% of the world’s population by 2025, with the majority of these users being found in developed parts of the world such as North America and Europe.
IOT and Edge Computing The Future of IOT
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of devices, vehicles, and home appliances that contain electronics, software, actuators, and connectivity which allows these things to connect, interact and exchange data.
This data is collected through various technologies such as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), GPS (Global Positioning System), sensors or QR codes. The data generated by connected devices is then processed using a variety of computing techniques. These include Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analytics or Edge Computing.
The IoT has enabled “smart environments” in which smart objects can identify themselves to other devices in the network. Yet, some worry that the rise in popularity of IoT devices will give hackers easier access to sensitive information about individuals.
The internet of things will continue to become integrated into more devices, services and industries.
