The Internet of Things is a concept that is becoming increasingly relevant, but it has not yet come to fruition in homes. Find out exactly what it is about.
It is a term that we constantly hear about. Internet of things, Internet of Things or IoT for its acronym in English, is a somewhat abstract concept but has been gaining quite a bit of popularity in recent months. The idea you are trying to represent is well illustrated by its name, everyday things that connect to the Internet, but in reality it is much more than that.
To understand what the Internet of Things is about, we must also understand that its foundations are not at all new. For about 30 years, we have been working with the idea of making all everyday objects a little more interactive. Ideas like the smart home, also known as the house of tomorrow, have evolved before we realize the connected home to enter the Internet of things.
The Internet of Things powers objects that were once connected via closed circuit, such as communicators, cameras, sensors, and so on, and enables them to communicate globally through the use of the network of networks.
If we had to give a definition of the Internet of things, it would probably be best to say that it is a network that interconnects physical objects using the Internet. The mentioned objects use embedded systems, or what is the same, specialized hardware that allows you not only connectivity to the Internet , but also schedules specific events depending on the tasks that are dictated remotely.
How IoT works
In a simple way, the Internet of Things deals with objects connected to each other through the network. These exchange information to facilitate or create various actions. For something like this to happen there are a set of three factors that need to be combined for an application to work within the Internet of Things concept. These are: devices, the network and a control system.
- The Devices: They are all those that we already know, such as: refrigerators, cars, lamps, clocks, coffee machines, television and others. In these devices it is important that they are equipped with the correct items to provide communication with the other elements. Those limits can be chips, internet connection, sensors, antennas, among others.
- The Network: It is the means of communication and we are already used to it. Well, they are technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and mobile data (3G and 4G).
- The control system: it is necessary for all the data captured from the devices over the network to be processed, so they are sent to a system that controls every aspect and makes new connections.
To simplify, imagine your house. Now think of all the things you have in your kitchen, like the refrigerator. In that scenario, the refrigerator could warn you when a food runs out, you can do research and find markets with the best prices to buy a certain product. I could also suggest different food recipes with the things that are available inside the refrigerator.
And now, thinking further, about connectivity; Imagine your alarm clock ringing in the morning, and send a message for the coffee maker to start brewing coffee and notifying the curtains to open slowly. Does it seem too futuristic?
Can you understand the concept we talked about earlier in action? Objects connected to each other (the alarm clock and the coffee maker), which exchange information (time to wake up and make coffee) to create an action (coffee ready without worries).
6 INTERNET OF THINGS TRENDS FOR THE COMING YEARS
1. Artificial Intelligence
According to Gartner, the first trend is Artificial Intelligence and it is estimated that in 2019, 14.2 billion connected things will be in use, producing an immense volume of data. Until 2021, that number should reach 25 billion. In order for companies to be able to deal with this enormous flow of information generated by IoT devices, it will be necessary to have intelligent solutions capable of exploring all content effectively. Therefore, AI and the Internet of Things will need to work together so that companies can perform smarter data analytics and thus make more strategic business decisions.
2. Regulated IoT
With the advancement of business use of the IoT and increasingly in-depth data analysis, a number of social, legal and ethical issues have become necessary to consider. When collecting, processing, and using user information, companies will need to address issues such as: Data ownership and deductions made from them Privacy Compliance with laws such as the RGPD and LGPD It is not enough that IoT solutions are effective, they need to be regulated. Therefore, another trend that will be strengthened is reflection on what is valid, from the moral point of view and respect for the privacy of users. To deal with this, companies will need to be in compliance with the laws and regulations that regulate the use of data, as well as having professionals specialized in the matter to always maintain the security of the information collected.
3. Buying and selling IoT data
As analyzes of large data streams become more efficient and capable of generating important insights for business, the information will gain more and more value. In this way, the tendency for data to be sold as a strategic asset will become increasingly common. According to Gartner research, in 2017, 35% of their interviewees were already selling or planning to sell data collected for their products and services.
4. Need for government
With the intensification of the use of IoT by companies, it is necessary to implement governance structures to guarantee the correct use of this technology. Through the government, companies will begin to use their collected and stored customer information in a more appropriate way, since it requires some care, such as: Performing device audits Firmware update Constant monitoring of devices
5. Improvement in customer experience
Another great trend for the coming years is the considerable improvement in the relationship with customers. This is possible through four factors provided by the IoT, these are: Smart sensors Use of new algorithms Context and socially conscious experiences
6. Wireless network
The long-awaited fifth-generation network, 5G is critical to the success of IoT initiatives. Therefore, it is a strong trend that will impact companies in the coming years. Through this, IoT projects will go further, since 5G is capable of satisfying several criteria, such as greater flexibility, more speed, reliability and lower latency. The fast connection offered will allow smart devices used in the work environment to connect to each other without bottlenecks.
