What is the Internet of Things and Why It Is So Important.

What is Internet of Things and Why It Is So Important.

Internet of Things (IoT) is a network that connects physical objects and devices with online services. It has been around for almost a decade now and have gained popularity not only in day-to-day life but it has also helped us change our perspective towards the world. This technology will help people to get properly organized, access information and communication facilities through simple methods. Although there are many uses of this technology, the major thing that we all should know is how it helps in increasing efficiency and productivity. In today’s era when everyone around us is busy with their smartphone, tablet or laptops, time can be saved by using these smart technologies.

Internet of Things (IoT) is a network that connects physical objects and devices with online services. It has been around for almost a decade now and have gained popularity not only in day-to-day life but it has also helped us change our perspective towards the world. This technology will help people to get properly organized, access information and communication facilities through simple methods. Although there are many uses of this technology, the major thing that we all should know is how it helps in increasing efficiency and productivity. In today’s era when everyone around us is busy with their smartphone, tablet or laptops, time can be saved by using these smart technologies.

The Internet of Things allows people to conduct communication between two things without any prior communication. It connects the physical objects with internet and helps them to communicate with one another without any human intervention. IoT technology is already used in various fields but still, it has not achieved its peak level yet. This technology has helped people in changing their perspective towards the world as well as how they do business and live life.

A major use of the Internet of Things in Transportation industry is:

• Remote monitoring and management of freight vehicles, balance trucks etc. for reducing fuel consumption, maintenance costs, improving safety etc.
• Connected vehicle systems for driver and passenger safety.
• Advanced traffic management system, road congestion warning etc. to enhance mobility of vehicles and passengers.

 

A major use of the Internet of Things in Manufacturing industry is:

• Remote monitoring and control devices & machines in warehousing & manufacturing facilities.
• Remote control of machines and automated systems for process optimization.
• Real-time monitoring in machine production plants, quality assurance etc. to improve operations efficiency and reduce costs.

Some Major Uses of the Internet of Things in Government Industry are:

• Connected Government Systems for efficient use of resources and enhancing operational effectiveness

 

The benefits in the use of IoT in government can be summarized as follows:

• Better and more reliable delivery of services to citizens.
• Enhanced performance, reduced costs.
• Improved collaboration between departments / agencies.
• Field elimination of existing problems like red tape or corruption.

 

A Major Use of the Internet of Things in Retail Industry is:

• Connecting of retail outlets with customers, partners and suppliers to support operations
• Real time tracking and monitoring to improve traceability of products and reduce theft cases
• Remote maintenance activities using smart gadgets such as sensors, cameras and infotainment
• IoT based energy management systems to improve conservation and reduce utility costs.

 

Another Major Use of the Internet of Things in Retail Industry is:

• Important tool for e-commerce firms to manage logistics, transport and supply chain.

Some Major Uses of the Internet of Things in Automotive Industry is as follows:

• Connected vehicles to enable collision prevention systems, vehicle tracking etc. for enhanced safety.

A major use of the Internet of Things in Energy Industry is:

• Connected energy meters to optimise consumption, detect leakages.
• Monitoring and management systems for smart grid, efficiency applications etc.

 

The use of IoT in telecom industry:

• Remote control of devices through SIM card or other means such as by sending a text message
• Home automation using mobile devices such as sending a text message to unlock front door.
• Smart home solutions for consumer electronics, security and entertainment etc.
• Smart city solutions to manage the delivery of vital services in urban areas such as transport, energy management, air quality monitoring and waste management.

 

A major use of the Internet of Things in Healthcare Industry is:

• Monitoring and management systems for healthcare facilities, from general wards to hospital departments such as ICU, MRI control system etc.
• Remote monitoring and access to patients’ records through mobile devices
• GSM alarm / patient tracker devices to alert caretakers / doctors in case of emergency.
• IoT Systems for improving patient care.
• IoT Security Systems for protecting patient data.
• IoT Business Solutions for improving operational efficiency.
• IoT Home Healthcare solutions for elderly and dependents
• IoT Medical devices for remote monitoring of health conditions
• IOT Personal healthcare applications for managing medication etc.
• Enhancing health care provision by enhancing monitoring and management systems in hospitals reducing unnecessary over spending, hospital visits etc.
• Enabling remote telemedicine services.
• Real time access to patient records, health reports through mobile devices.

 

A major use of the Internet of Things in Logistics Industry is:

• Connecting transportation devices such as trucks, ships, planes etc. with each other and with suppliers and customers to improve efficiency
• Tracking & monitoring products through the supply chain for reducing theft cases and increasing traceability of products
• Remote control to optimise transport operations and reduce collisions.

 

A major use of the Internet of Things in Research Industry is:

• Data analytics, data processing for scientific purposes such as monitoring ocean wave patterns, climate change etc.
• Real time access to remote facilities and research machinery in laboratories.
• Remote access of employees to real time operational data to enhance business decision making capabilities.

 

A Major Use of the Internet of Things in Agile Industry is:

• Connecting devices such as sensor boards, cameras etc. with each other and with cloud based applications for gathering and processing data
• Real time operation through mobile devices.
• Operational efficiency and collaboration through cloud based applications for generating reports, analytics etc.

 

A Major Use of the Internet of Things in Education Industry is:

• Connecting students and teachers to online educational resources such as library, video streaming etc.
• Real time access to student records, test data on mobile devices.
• Remote monitoring and management of virtual classrooms to reduce space consumption, enhance performance and resilience.

 

A Major Use of the Internet of Things in Governance Industry is:

• Connecting devices such as sensors on transport networks, traffic signals etc. to monitor traffic flow, detect accidents for enhanced safety and crisis management
• Real time access to public service information through mobile devices.
• Collaboration among government agencies for managing major events and services such as elections, electricity etc.

A Major Use of the Internet of Things in Agriculture Industry is:

• Remote monitoring and control systems for farms, agricultural machinery etc. with cloud based applications for data processing / analytics / decision making purposes.
• Remote access to farm machinery for real time operation, monitoring etc.
• Real time gathering of data for improved decision making and optimisation of business processes.
• ICT4Ag for ensuring food security and sustainability.
• IoT Applications, M2M & Telematics for monitoring of production lines.
• IoT Water Management Systems (Weather predictions) for maintaining soil moisture level.
• IoT Farm Automation systems to ensure quality harvesting. • IoT Intelligent irrigation systems for saving water and energy.

 

A Major Use of the Internet of Things in Defence Industry is:

• Connecting devices such as drones, sensors, alarm systems etc. to monitor and manage activities of defence services
• Remote access to defence resources for decision making and optimisation purposes.

 

A Major Use of the Internet of Things in Retail Industry is:

• Connecting devices such as cameras, POS tags, shelves etc. with cloud based applications for managing sales & inventories across retail outlets
• Real time access to data and management of retail outlets through mobile devices.
• Remote monitoring & control systems for controlling security, store operations etc. with cloud based applications for data processing / analytics / decision making purposes.

 

A Major Use of the Internet of Things in Tourism Industry is:

• Connecting devices such as event sensors, cameras, weather stations etc. with cloud based applications for the purpose of tourism
• Real time access to data for decision making and optimisation purposes.

 

The Ethical Aspects of the Interoperability of IOT Intelligence

The intended uses and application of devices on an IoT that are interconnected to form a network. These applications are designed to collect, store, manipulate, analyze and/or transfer data through this device, with the intent to capture information in the physical environment or provide some kind of assistance. An example is a wireless camera that can capture images and send it to a server which enables access through the internet. The process is transparent, as only data will be transferred after authentication of each device.

Once each device is connected, a number of privacy concerns arise. The first major concern arises from the ability to capture data from anywhere without permission. Because this data can be captured through a variety of devices (such as cameras, microphones,) it has been referred to as an ‘invisible web’, making it difficult for the individual to know if they are being recorded and where the information will be stored. Another concern is the potential of these devices to capture private data, such as a conversation or a picture of an individual without them knowing about it.

The level of security for each device in order to communicate with other devices must also be considered. A 2015 study has shown that most IOT devices do not have strong security systems, making it easier for malicious users to capture data from within a network. As these networks grow larger and more interconnected, the level of vulnerability will increase as well.

The Internet of Things is one step closer than ever before at becoming reality with the second Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) release candidate. The Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is the latest protocol designed to connect computer networks in order to facilitate network traffic and communications for devices on these networks, such as smart phones, laptops, computers or cameras. IPv6 will replace the current protocol IP version 4 (IPv4), which has been in use since the inception of the internet.

IPv6 was developed in order to expand the number of available addresses and ports for network traffic. It will do this by allowing up to 340 trillion, trillion, trillion addresses on the internet.

The current protocol IPv4 is limited to about 4 billion unique IP addresses. The global population has already exceeded 7 billion people so it’s clear that IPv6 expansion is necessary. Dividing the 4 billion addresses by the 7 billion people gives each person an average of 0.5 IP addresses per individual. With IPv6, this would never be a problem as there are 340 trillion, trillion, trillion unique IP addresses available.

The future of Internet of Things is getting closer and closer to make it happen. We are already starting to see the expansion of IPv6 and how the technology is developing.

The Internet of Things has a lot potential in fields such as business, healthcare, social, entertainment and security. These all have different impacts on a person’s life but we need to evaluate what will help us or not. For example, it is estimated that the average person in the US spends over 4 hours a day on social media. If these devices are interconnected to work well with each other, then we will spend less time doing routine tasks (i.e. laundry, cleaning, etc.) and more time spending quality time with others or being productive by finishing homework earlier.