IoT – the global phenomenon which has taken the world by storm in 2023 was first coined in 1999 by Kevin Ashton.
But since management consulting company Gartner listed IoT, more and more people, businesses, and IoT development companies are embracing the era of interconnected devices.
As of 2021, more than 31 billion active smart devices were operational across the globe. Out of this figure over 11.7 billion – or 54% -are internet of things devices. This implies that there are more IoT devices than there are non-IoT devices in the world today.
Defining IoT
IoT or Internet of Things is a broad term describing the vast amounts of physical devices linked cybernetically.
Through internet connectivity, these devices now become a part of a data exchange highway.
Although IoT has been around since the 90s, contemporary technological influences have enhanced its practicability due to:
- Increased access to cheap and dependable sensors
- The ubiquity of cloud computing facilities.
- The advent and evolution of machine learning, natural language processing and artificial intelligence technologies.
With these powerful, disruptive technologies we are enmeshed in a world of smart cooking devices, future-now industrial tools, and new public governance infrastructure under the IoT family. Every IoT component comes with a UID to enable the transmission of data without the aid of people.
Types Of IoT
IoT devices come in different forms based on the specificity of their use. The applications of IoT use informs the type of networking communication and connectivity protocols used. The most common ones include:
Consumer IoT: we can recognise this by everyday applications such as home gadgets, voice assistance, and lighting fittings.
Commercial IoT: this type of this type is common in transportation and healthcare Industries. For example, we have smart pacemakers and process-tracking systems.
Industrial internet of things (IIoT): this is mainly deployed in industrial applications, such as oil exploration, manufacturing and energy segments. They include control systems, smart agriculture (irrigation and drainage).
Industrial internet of military things (IoMT): this can be found in modern warfare technologies and include surveillance robots and variable combat gear.
Infrastructural IoT: This is used in public administration for the connection of smart cities e.g. waste management systems, infrastructural sensors that inform personnel of the wellness of strategic public infrastructure.
The Importance Of IoT
The layering of the physical world on the internet means that people and organizations can now streamline their routine tasks through automation.
Companies around the world are searching ceaselessly for investment opportunities in this space to unlock the tremendous economic value propositions it can offer. All in all, IoT helps:
- Create new revenue streams for businesses
- Enhance business decision-making via data-driven insights through IoT-generated data
- Improve business-process efficiency and productivity
- Elevate the consumer’s experience
While global spending on IoT has drastically truncated in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, a recent study is confident that the sub-segment will attain a CAGR of 11.2% over the 2020-2024 projection period.
Inside IoT Devices
IoT devices comprise hardware components such as sensors and other precision machines that capture and transmit data over an internet network.
They are programmed for specific applications and can be incorporated into other IoT devices.
For instance, an IoT gadget in a vehicle that can signal imminent traffic a few meters away and inform the person you intend to meet that your arrival would be delayed.
How IoT Devices Work
Various IoT-enabled smart devices developed by an internet of things software development perform different functions, but are similiar in the way they operate.
First of all, IoT devices are cyber-physical objects in that they can “feel” natural phenomena like sound, wind, temperature, touch pressure, and color occuring in the physical world.
Typically, an internet of things device comprises an integrated CPU, network adapter and firmware, connected to Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server.
As expected, it has an IP address enabling it to exchange data over a network.
Most IoT gizmos are programmed and operated via a software interface such as a mobile phone app to open the sprinklers when there is a fire outbreak in a section of a vessel.
Some IoT devices even have web servers, effectively eliminating the need for some added applications.
Examples Of Internet Of Things Devices
Home Security
IoT is the major enabler of smart and secure homes. A mix of sensors, beams, cameras, and alarms can be routed to the smartphone in an IoT network to deliver 24-hour home security
Activity Monitors
Activity trackers create added utility to the smart homes by surveiling and transmitting data on key wellness indicators in real-time. Activity monitors enbale you to control blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels and even appetite!
Industrial Safety And Security
In factories or plants where there is high handling of dangerous chemicals, IoT components detect pressure accumulation and gas leaks and fix them or inform the site manager before they degenerate into serious issues.
The Four Most Popular IoT Devices Of 2023
Google Home Voice Controller
This is one of the most popular on the market. It features voice-assisted capabilities such as lights, alarms, thermostats, volume control, among others.
Amazon Echo Plus Voice Controller
This device from the stable of Amazon has voice-enabled functionalities to allow usesrs answer phone calls, set timers, and check the weather.
August Doorbell Cam
This IoT device enables the user to answer the door remotely. It is sensitive to motion changes and suspicious occurences in your front porch.
Foobot
This IoT gadget measures the degree of indoor pollution in a variety of places such as cafes, workplaces, and homes.
Tap Into Unlimited Options With IoT Development Services
When you consider the recency of this burgeoning technology, it’s not hard to see that we are still in early days. Future developments in IoT development services are what we are going to be unraveling from here on in.
The next few years will be marked by connectivity advancements that we never had imagined today.
And as more and more companies are developing enterprise-specific IoT innovations, businesses that don’t catch on with the trend will be rendered obsolete.
Usher your business into the new data-driven work by leveraging Softeq’s software engineering genius to create IoT upgrades for your company.