The Importance of the Internet of Things

​Over the past year, the technology world has been a buzz about the Internet of Things (IoT). Everywhere you look, technology experts are writing about it and business leaders are trying to figure out how to incorporate into their operations.

 

 

Gartner defines IoT as “the network of physical objects that contain embedded technology to communicate and sense or interact with their internal states or the external environment.” For the non-tech crowd, IoT refers to when one device connects itself with another device via the Internet.

 

In fact, the majority of the population uses IoT daily. Every time you use an app or connect to the Internet via your smartphone or tablet, you’re taking part in the phenomena of IoT. Other examples of IoT technologies include fitness trackers, wireless routers and smart TVs.

 

The examples above just scratch the surface of IoT technologies. The automotive industry has taken advantage of connected technologies, enabling a driver to utilize Bluetooth capabilities for a hands-free driving experience. More recently, you’ve most likely seen the commercials for a current model automobile that touts Wi-Fi connectivity within your vehicle. This shows how IoT technologies have advanced within the last few years.

 

Homes are also becoming interconnected with the advent of smart refrigerators, thermostats and lighting systems. From your smartphone or tablet, you are able to control on and off functions and temperature controls from anywhere in the world.

 

Another industry taking advantage of IoT technologies is the healthcare realm. Many doctors are encouraging their patients to track and monitor their conditions – whether it is diabetes or cholesterol – via apps, which then transmits the data back to the doctor for real-time monitoring.

 

 

While the Internet of Things is still considered in its infancy, it has already made an impact on the consumer market. Consumer confidence is continuing to grow, which is creating more demand for connected technologies. This has resulted in economic growth and new competition within the market place.

 

Consumer demand has resulted in the growth of technology startups – many outside of Silicon Valley – which have created new jobs and have driven more money into their local economies. These startups see the potential of the many sects of IoT and are looking to get in on the ground floor.

 

However, these startups are seeing competition from larger established companies. These growth-stage companies are looking to develop new products to meet the demands of their customers and to remain competitive against their existing adversaries and those startups that are looking for a piece of the customer segment.

 

Ultimately, IoT is providing competition within multiple industries. This competition brings consumers options, which forces rapidly innovation to keep consumers loyal to a brand, resulting in higher quality technologies. In turn, consumers will have the best available technology to live the interconnected life.

 

 

Whether we realize it or not, IoT technologies have impacted our daily lives and the way we interact with it.

 

In the workplace, IoT technologies have changed the way that we connect with our colleagues and customers around the world. We’re able to video chat to increase face-to-face interactions. We’re able to work to share and collaboratively work on documents concurrently. IoT technologies also help organizations collect and organize data more efficiently, resulting in the provision of better products and services to meet customer needs.

 

IoT technologies have also improved how we get places. They provide public transit commuters with the opportunity to work from their smartphones or tablets if they are delayed due to weather conditions or mechanical problems. IoT technologies push weather delay notifications for commuters and travelers immediately to enable route changes to be made in real time. Information pushed to a car’s or smartphone’s GPS system enables drivers to take the quickest reroute, avoiding extra time spend in traffic.

 

From our smartphones and tablets, we can pre-heat our ovens for dinner, turn on the lights and increase or lower the temperature to make sure things are ready when we arrive home from work. They allow us check the status of our lights, just in case we forgot to turn them off.

 

Advances to IoT technologies have brought additional convenience into our lives and are leading us to live more efficiently. As this technology continues to grow, the convenience of living a connected live will to.

 

Has IoT piqued your interest? Are you interested in learning more about this everyday technology? Discover more and be a part of the discussion by attending ITA’s second annual Exploring the Internet of Things Summit on November 20.

 

 

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Questions about this year’s Internet of Things Summit? Give us a call at 312-435-2805 or email Alexa Cwynar at [email protected].