Internet of Things (IoT): A basic 101 Overview

We are living in a truly digital age from our personal lives across to the workplace technology is the engine of how we get most activities done.

The Internet of Things, or IoT, refers to the billions of physical devices around the world that are now connected to the internet, all collecting and sharing data.

An IoT device is typically made up of a circuit board with sensors attached that use WiFi to connect to the internet. For example:

• A pressure sensor on a remote oil pump.

• Temperature and humidity sensors in an air-conditioning unit.

• An accelerometer in an elevator.

• Presence sensors in a room.

Communication

Typically, IoT devices send telemetry from the sensors to back-end services in the cloud. However, other types of communication are possible such as a back-end service sending commands to your devices. The following are some examples of device-to-cloud and cloud-to-device communication:

A mobile refrigeration truck sends temperature every 5 minutes to an IoT Hub.

The back-end service sends a command to a device to change the frequency at which it sends telemetry to help diagnose a problem.

A device sends alerts based on the values read from its sensors. For example, a device monitoring a batch reactor in a chemical plant, sends an alert when the temperature exceeds a certain value.

Your devices send information to display on a dashboard for viewing by human operators. For example, a control room in a refinery may show the temperature, pressure, and flow volumes in each pipe, enabling operators to monitor the facility.

What are the benefits of the Internet of Things for business?

The benefits of the IoT for business depend on the particular implementation; agility and efficiency are usually top considerations. The idea is that enterprises should have access to more data about their own products and their own internal systems, and a greater ability to make changes as a result. Manufacturers are adding sensors to the components of their products so that they can transmit data back about how they are performing. This can help companies spot when a component is likely to fail and to swap it out before it causes damage. Companies can also use the data generated by these sensors to make their systems and their supply chains more efficient, because they will have much more accurate data about what's really going on.

What are the benefits of the Internet of Things for consumers?

The IoT promises to make our environment -- our homes and offices and vehicles -- smarter, more measurable, and... chattier. Smart speakers like Amazon's Echo and Google Home make it easier to play music, set timers, or get information. Home security systems make it easier to monitor what's going on inside and outside, or to see and talk to visitors. Meanwhile, smart thermostats can help us heat our homes before we arrive back, and smart lightbulbs can make it look like we're home even when we're out.