Internet of Things

As now everything is being online. Everything is related to the internet and connected to everyone. And related to this is one of the latest hot topics of discussion - INTERNET OF THINGS, this topic is becoming of interest to people. Things are the devices that are used to connect to the internet, and “ internet of things” is the no of devices that are connected all around. As the number of devices that are connected to the internet is increasing, the load on the servers is also increasing. And to manage this load on the servers of the increasing number of devices is we study the internet of things. This topic is of very importance in the IT field. 

The invention of cheaper and easily available computers and devices and ubiquity of wireless networks have made it easy for the common people to access the internet and thus increasing the interest in the” internet of things”. IoT has made the world smarter and people can connect from anywhere and anytime. 

Pretty easily any device can be converted to IoT device if it is made to connect with the internet to be controlled and communicate information. Some of the examples of the IoT devices are:

The light bulb now - a - days come with the apps and internet access where we can switch on and off the light bulb with that app and even change the colors of the bulb.

The smart thermostat can also be used as an IoT device in the offices or can be connected to streetlights.

The toys of children can also be made IoT device and it could be a driverless truck, car also.

Some larger may themselves be consisting of other IoT devices like the engine may have a number of sensors and many other small devices making it internet-connected.

IoT can be used in transportation field as well, the IoT devices are used to navigate the paths and to reach the destination, the vehicles are installed with GPS systems and trackers which help to locate the vehicles, IOT can also be used to fill online toll fees and thus saving a lot of time in queues. 

We have IoT applications in farming also like the IoT devices are used in farming tools and to keep track of temperature, rainfall, humidity, pest information, soil quality check, etc. these all information can be used to automate farming technologies and make informed decisions on the quality and quantity of the crops.

One of the applications of IoT is the Metropolitan Scale Deployment, which is a large scale ongoing plan to enable better management of the cities. One of the examples of the Metropolitan Scale Deployment in Songdo, South Korea is one of its kind well equipped smart cities, with 70 % of its business completed.

The emergence of IoT devices started when people started adding sensors and intelligence to basic components from the 1980s and 1990s, but this all progress was slow and gradual as the technology was developing slowly. Chips size was bigger back then and there was no easy way to communicate between devices. The processors used were cheap and powerful but disposable once were needed before they could become cost-effective to connect up millions and billions of devices. The adoption of lower power chips and wireless networking solved some of the issues, along with increased availability of broadband, cellular and wireless networks. With the increased capability and range of IP addresses, through IPv6 adoption, there were enough IP addresses for all the devices. The term “INTERNET OF THINGS” was coined by ‘Kevin Ashton’. This technology integrates human culture with things and their interconnectedness. This topic was initially the topic of interest in manufacturing and business.

IDC tech analysis company has predicted that by 2025 there will be 41.6 billion interconnected IoT devices. It suggests that industrial and automotive types of equipment will have the maximum opportunity of connected devices. 

Now let's take look at how big this INTERNET OF THINGS is? A tech analyst company Gartner predicts that there will be 5.8 billion devices be connected may it be enterprises or automotive sectors, up to 2019. Utilities have the highest usage in IoT, and the security intruders and web cameras are having the second-highest use in the IoT field. Building and construction, automation such as connecting lights, etc are growing fastest with the healthcare sector. 

The benefits of IoT in the business line depend upon the proper implementations, capability, and efficiency of the machine as well for the performance of the industry. Manufacturers are adding chips and sensors in even small machines so that they can get and transmit data and track how the devices are performing. Companies use this data generated by the sensors of the system to make the devices more efficient. This can even help the police and investigation track the illegal and wrong activities and save us.   

The Addressability of the IoT devices is also very important as the more addressable the device is more approachable it is. The government takes control over the data that is transmitted and shared to any malpractices and any cyber crimes, it limits the access over the content and dependence on data processing. Related to the privacy of the individuals and ownership of data governance has made three Regulations in concern for the IoT devices manufacturing companies. These regulations are:

DATA SECURITY: At the time of designing the company should the data collection, storage and processing should be secure.

DATA CONSENT: It should be the choice of the customer as what data they want to share and what not to share with the company. 

DATA MINIMIZATION: IoT companies should collect only the data that is relevant and needed and should retain the data only for a limited time.

In all the IoT sector is one of the fastest-growing and emerging sectors which is also giving employment to many people thus helping many families and providing services.