Internet of Things (IoT)

Introduction

With the recent development in information and communication technology (ICT), small and smart devices (smart phones, smart watch, tablets, laptop, GPS, various sensors etc) penetrate into people’s daily life to enhance the quality of life by reducing hard work. One can handle multiple tasks at a time from remote places such as- controlling house security, performing house chores etc except reaching there with the help of information technology (IT). Now we will know about such world agitating technology – Internet of Things (IoT). 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 sky-rocketing. All of these things are creating a perfect storm for the IoT. The internet of things (IoT) is the most wanted technology in this era. Worldwide spending on the Internet of Things (IoT) is forecast to reach $772.5 billion in 2019, an increase of 14.6% over the $674 billion that will be spent in 2019.  A new update to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Semi-annual Internet of Things Spending Guide forecasts worldwide IoT spending to sustain a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.4% through the 2017-2021 forecast period surpassing the $1 trillion mark in 2020 and reaching $1.1 trillion in 2021.

Definition

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.  Embedded with electronics, Internet connectivity, and other forms of hardware (such as sensors), these devices can communicate and interact with others over the Internet, and they can be remotely monitored and controlled.

History

The term "Internet of things" was likely coined by Kevin Ashton of Procter & Gamble, later MIT's Auto-ID Center, in 1999. A research article mentioning the Internet of Things was submitted to the conference for Nordic Researchers in Norway, in June 2002. Defining the Internet of things as "simply the point in time when more 'things or objects' were connected to the Internet than people", Cisco Systems estimated that the IoT was "born" between 2008 and 2009.

Brief Description

IoT is an intelligent technology which includes identification, sensing and intelligence. Life and even intelligence of life itself can also be regarded as part of IoT technology. It is used in pattern identification fields like measurement and computing as well as computer and communication fields like sensing, communication, information collection and processing. It involves management of accession of cloud computing customization application by users of IoT, computing, and processing what is involved in customization service; organizing and coordinating service nodes in the data center (Data centers are simply centralized locations where computing and networking equipment is concentrated to collect, store, processing, distributing or allowing access to large amounts of data). The ubiquitous network includes 3G, LTE, GSM, WLAN, WPAN, WiMax, RFID, Zigbee, NFC, Bluetooth, and other wireless communication protocol technology. It also includes optical cable and other wire communication protocol and technology.

Applications

§  Smart Home has become the revolutionary ladder of success in the residential spaces and it is predicted Smart homes will become as common as  smartphones with IoT.

§  Wearables have experienced an explosive demand in markets all over the world. Companies like Google, Samsung have invested heavily in building such devices. Wearable devices are installed with sensors and software which collect data and information about the users. This data is later pre-processed to extract essential insights about users. These devices broadly cover fitness, health and entertainment requirements. The pre-requisite from internet of things technology for wearable applications is to be highly energy efficient or ultra-low power and small sized.

§  A connected car is a vehicle which is able to optimize it’s own operation, maintenance as well as comfort of passengers using onboard sensors and internet connectivity. Most large auto makers as well as some brave startups are working on connected car solutions. Major brands like Tesla, BMW, Apple, Google are working on bringing the next revolution in automobiles.

§  Smart city is another powerful application of IoT generating curiosity among world’s population. Smart surveillance, automated transportation, smarter energy management systems, water distribution, urban security and environmental monitoring all are examples of internet of things applications for smart cities.

§  Connected healthcare yet remains the sleeping giant of the Internet of Things applications. The concept of connected healthcare system and smart medical devices bears enormous potential not just for companies, but also for the well-being of people in general.

Conclusion

The future of IoT is more fascinating than this where billions of things will be talking to each other and human intervention will become least. IoT will bring macro shift in the way we live and work. I hope you had fun reading about all these powerful and promising applications of Internet of things. There are many more areas where IoT is making an impact. Networked Toys is one application of IoT which will change the playing experience of your kids. IoT can also be used in the detection of environmental issues. I hope that it will make you more interested!