Internet of Things Explained

By Sam Ancer

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a new category of tech birthed from the interconnections of our devices.

Not only is it an exciting field in tech, but it is rapidly growing. By 2021 the number of IoT devices outnumbered conventional devices by about 11.7 billion to 10 billion devices.

Experts predict that by 2025 the industry will be worth around $5 billion and there will be around 27 billion IoT devices.

Because this tech is going to be so important in the near future, we thought it’d be best if we broke it down for you.

What is the Internet of Things?

The Internet of Things is a catchall term for devices that are connected through the internet.

This excludes devices that are normally associated with internet connections like your smartphone, tablet or computer.

These connections are designed to make life easier in some way, usually by automating a process or giving you remote access to something.

Basically, making things quicker or giving you more reach. Either way the main goal is to give consumers greater ease of use and access in their day to day lives.

What are examples of the Internet of Things?

Some common examples of the Internet of Things includes smart watches, not only are some smartwatches able to communicate with your phone, but some can be connected to your remote locking system on your car or your coffee machine, so that it starts brewing you a cup of coffee as soon as your watch recognises that you’re awake.

Something you might be more familiar with are doorbell cameras that allow you to access your front door from your mobile phone, allowing you to answer your door even when you aren’t home.

Future examples are quite exciting, with the possibility of a single device being able to interact with an entire smart city.

Basically you’d be able to board a train, get your morning coffee, and know the best route for your morning jog all through a single device, that could even be an implanted chip or augmented reality device.

How does the Internet of Things work?

Much like the regular internet, IoT works by connecting devices through a network, usually an internet connection.

By allowing devices to communicate in this way, it means processes can be remotely accessed or automated, depending on what’s needed and personal preference.

The goal is to simplify and optimise people’s daily lives.

Usually the interface or user experience of an IoT device is an app for your smartphone. For example the ability to control your lights through your smart device usually needs an app for it to work.

There is also a real world element to these devices, like in the case of your smart watch it has sensors that monitors your heart rate and keeps track of your steps.

But the central idea is that they are connected to a network, much like the actual internet.

Why should I care about the Internet of Things?

Well apart from wanting to live in a sci-fi movie, IoT could not only make our lives easier, but also safer and healthier.

This can come from security features both in your home and on your person, to things that monitor your health and motivate you to exercise.

You could theoretically have your diet monitored, with a smart device that tells you how many calories you’ve consumed and burned in a day, while keeping track of the nutritional content of your daily diet.

This could also communicate with your doctor or dietician who could then recommend foods, activities or medication, all without you having to change anything in your daily schedule.

Beyond that IoT looks to change the way we do business, both in white collar settings and in manufacturing.

Will the Internet of Things matter in business?

Well the real question is streamlined communication and automated services good for business? To answer our own rhetorical questions: yes.

Beyond that the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a massive force in the manufacturing sector.

It’s mainly used to keep track of systems and to flag machinery for maintenance, saving costs and preventing major collapse of supply lines.

Not only that, but it also can help customer experience by monitoring products and flagging any issues that the product may be experiencing.

It can also be used to make sure that clients aren’t misusing a product in any way and that they are obeying terms of service. Plus updates on recalls can be implemented immediately, potentially saving lives.