Table of Contents
What is IoT?
Types of IoT?
What is IoT Important?
The term "Internet of Things" or IoT was first coined by Kevin Ashton in 1999. But it was only when Gartner added IoT to its list of new emerging technologies in 2011, that it started to gain global momentum. As of 2021, there were 21.7 billion active connected devices in the world today, out of which more than 11.7 billion (54 percent) are IoT devices. this means that there are more IoT devices in the world than there are non-IoT devices.
What is IoT?
IoT is an umbrella term that refers to the billions of physical objects or "things" connected to the internet, all collecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the internet. While IoT has been in existence since the 90s recent advances in a number of different technologies have made it more practical, such as:
- Access to affordable and reliable sensors
- Increase in the availability of cloud computing platforms.
- Advances in machine learning and AI technologies. IoT devices can range from small ordinary household cooking appliances to sophisticated industrial tools. Each IoT components has a Unique Identifier (UID) and they can also transmit data without the assistance of humans.
- Consumer IoT- Primarily for everyday use. Ex: home appliances, voice assistance, and light fixtures.
- Commercial IoT- primarily used in the healthcare and transport industries. Ex: smart pacemakers and monitoring systems.
- Military Things (IoMT)- Primarily used for the application of IoT technologies in the military field. Ex: surveillance robots and human- wearable biometrics for combat.
- Industrial Internet of things (IIOT) - Primarily used with industrial applications, such as in the manufacturing and energy sector. Ex: Digital control systems, smart agriculture and industrial big data.
- Infrastructure IoT - Primarily used for connectivity in smart cities. Ex: infrastructure sensors and management systems.
- To generate new business models and revenue streams
- To improve business decisions through data-driven insight from IoT data
- To increase productivity and efficiency of business operations
- To enhance customer experience