Anything from houses to washing machines, planes to toilets, vehicles to employee badges can be connected to the Internet-of-Things. According to IDC, there will be a total of 41.6 billion connected IoT devices by 2025.
As the world around us keeps getting “smarter,” the Internet of Things impacts more and more aspects of our daily lives. But what exactly do we mean when we talk about the Internet-of-Things or IoT? Simply put, the Internet-of-Things can be defined as:
The network of physical internet-connected devices that communicate with each other independent from human operators.
Therefore for something to be an IoT device, it must be a physical object with a unique identifier that transmits data for collection and analysis without any human help.
IoT devices can be described as “talking” to each other through sensors attached to objects with IoT capabilities. This wireless connection by sensors makes the devices into branches of the ever-expanding IoT network, making the world with which we interact more responsive every day.
Note: While almost any object can be connected to the Internet of Things, not everything connected to the internet is IoT. For instance, computers and smartphones don’t qualify as IoT devices.
With all that in mind, let’s dive into some of the specific ways IoT affects business practices across countless industries.
The IoT network can be a reliable system that requires little manual interaction to keep you connected to all the moving pieces of a company’s processes.
IoT allows the ability to automate procedural steps on all levels. Supply chains are just one but there are countless other processes that a connection to the Internet of Things can automate.
IoT sensor technology can communicate information without a wired connection, allowing for real-time reporting of location, custody, status, and other data from anywhere in the world.
We will be taking an in-depth look into IoT technology and how it is changing businesses, so pull up a chair and join the virtual conversation!