Internet of Things

Def
the Internet of Things is the concept of connecting any device (so long as it has an
on/off switch) to the Internet and to other connected devices. The IoT is a giant
network of connected things and people – all of which collect and share data
about the way they are used and about the environment around them.
IoT makes once "dumb" devices "smarter" by giving them the ability to send data
over the internet, allowing the device to communicate with people and other IoT-
enabled things.
Example
That includes an extraordinary number of objects of all shapes and sizes –
from smart microwaves, which automatically cook your food for the right length
of time, to self-driving cars, whose complex sensors detect objects in their path,
to wearable fitness devices that measure your heart rate and the number of steps
you’ve taken that day, then use that information to suggest exercise plans
tailored to you. There are even connected footballs that can track how far and
fast they are thrown and record those statistics via an app for future training
purposes.
How does Iot work:
IoT works in the following way: 

 Devices have hardware like sensors, for example, that collect data. 
 The data collected by the sensors is then shared via the cloud and
integrated with software. 
 The software then analyzes and transmits the data to users via an app or
website. 
Devices and objects with built in sensors are connected to an Internet of Things
platform, which integrates data from the different devices and applies analytics to
share the most valuable information with applications built to address specific
needs.
For example, if I own a car manufacturing business, I might want to know which
optional components (leather seats or alloy wheels, for example) are the most
popular. Using Internet of Things technology, I can:
 Use sensors to detect which areas in a showroom are the most popular,
and where customers linger longest;
 Drill down into the available sales data to identify which components are
selling fastest;
 Automatically align sales data with supply, so that popular items don’t go
out of stock.
The information picked up by connected devices enables me to make smart
decisions about which components to stock up on, based on real-time
information, which helps me save time and money
Scenario #1: IoT in your home
Imagine you wake up at 7am every day to go to work. Your alarm clock does the
job of waking you just fine. That is, until something goes wrong. Your train’s
cancelled and you have to drive to work instead. The only problem is that it takes
longer to drive, and you would have needed to get up at 6.45am to avoid being
late. Oh, and it’s pouring with rain, so you’ll need to drive slower than usual. A
connected or IoT-enabled alarm clock would reset itself based on all these factors,
to ensure you got to work on time. It could recognize that your usual train is
cancelled, calculate the driving distance and travel time for your alternative route
to work, check the weather and factor in slower travelling speed because of heavy
rain, and calculate when it needs to wake you up so you’re not late. If it’s super-
smart, if might even sync with your IoT-enabled coffee maker, to ensure your
morning caffeine’s ready to go when you get up.

Scenario #2: IoT in transport

Having been woken by your smart alarm, you’re now driving to work. On comes
the engine light. You’d rather not head straight to the garage, but what if it’s
something urgent? In a connected car, the sensor that triggered the check engine
light would communicate with others in the car. A component called the
diagnostic bus collects data from these sensors and passes it to a gateway in the
car, which sends the most relevant information to the manufacturer’s platform.
The manufacturer can use data from the car to offer you an appointment to get
the part fixed, send you directions to the nearest dealer, and make sure the
correct replacement part is ordered so it’s ready for you when you show up.
History of iot
The idea of adding sensors and intelligence to basic objects was discussed
throughout the 1980s and 1990s (and there are arguably some much earlier
ancestors), but apart from some early projects -- including an internet-connected
vending machine -- progress was slow simply because the technology wasn't
ready. Chips were too big and bulky and there was no way for objects to
communicate effectively.
Kevin Ashton coined the phrase 'Internet of Things' in 1999, although it took at
least another decade for the technology to catch up with the vision
How big is the Internet of Things?
Big and getting bigger -- there are already more connected things than people in
the world.Tech analyst company IDC predicts that in total there will be 41.6 billion
connected IoT devices by 2025, or "things." 
What are the benefits of the Internet of Things for business?
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.
"With the introduction of comprehensive, real-time data collection and analysis,
production systems can become dramatically more responsive," say consultants
McKinsey.X
Enterprise use of the IoT can be divided into two segments: industry-specific
offerings like sensors in a generating plant or real-time location devices for
healthcare; and IoT devices that can be used in all industries, like smart air
conditioning or security systems.
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.X
Looking beyond the home, sensors can help us to understand how noisy or
polluted our environment might be. Self-driving cars and smart cities could
change how we build and manage our public spaces.
However, many of these innovations could have major implications for our
personal privacyX
applications of the Internet of Things (IoT)
Wearables.

Virtual glasses, fitness bands to monitor for example calorie expenditure and

heart beats, or GPS tracking belts, are just some examples
of wearable devices that we have been using for some time now.
Health.

The use of wearables or sensors connected to patients, allows doctors to monitor

a patient's condition outside the hospital and in real-time. Through continuously
monitoring certain metrics and automatic alerts on their vital signs
Traffic monitoring.

When we use our mobile phones as sensors, which collect and share data from
our vehicles through applications such as Waze or Google Maps, we are using the
Internet of Things to inform us and at the same time contribute to traffic
monitoring, showing the conditions of the different routes, and feeding and
improving the information on the different routes to the same destination,
distance, estimated time of arrival.
Agriculture.

Smart farms are a fact. The quality of soil is crucial to produce good crops,
Through the implementation of IoT sensors, a significant amount of data can be
obtained on the state and stages of the soil. Information such as soil moisture,
level of acidity, the presence of certain nutrients, temperature and many other
chemical characteristics, helps farmers control irrigation, make water use more
efficient, specify the best times to start sowing, and even discover the presence of
diseases in plants and soil.
Hospitality.

The application of the IoT to the hotel industry brings with it interesting
improvements in the quality of the service. With the implementation of electronic
keys, which are sent directly to the mobile devices of each guest, it is possible to
automate various interactions
Smart City
Not just internet access to people in a city but to the devices in it as well – that’s
what smart cities are supposed to be made of. And we can proudly say that we’re
going towards realizing this dream. Efforts are being made to incorporate
connected technology into infrastructural requirements and some vital concerns
like Traffic Management, Waste Management, Water Distribution, Electricity
Management, and more. All these work towards eliminating some day-to-day
challenges faced by people and bring in added convenience.
How do Internet of Things and 5G connect and share data?
One area of growth in the next few years will undoubtedly be the use of 5G
networks to support IoT projects. 5G offers the ability to fit as many as one million
5G devices in a square kilometre, which means that it will be possible to use a
vast number of sensors in a very small area, making large-scale industrial IoT
deployments more possible. The UK has just started a trial of 5G

IoT evolution: Where does the Internet of Things go next?

As the price of sensors and communications continue to drop, it becomes cost-
effective to add more devices to the IoT – even if in some cases there's little
obvious benefit to consumers. Deployments are at an early stage; most
companies that are engaging with the IoT are at the trial stage right now, largely
because the necessary technology – sensor technology, 5G and machine-learning
powered analytics – are still themselves at a reasonably early stage of
development. There are many competing platforms and standards and many
different vendors, from device makers to software companies to network
operators, want a slice of the pie. It's still not clear which of those will win out.
But without standards, and with security an ongoing issue, we are likely to see
some more big IoT security mishaps in the next few years.
As the number of connected devices continues to rise, our living and working
environments will become filled with smart products – assuming we are willing to
accept the security and privacy trade-offs. Some will welcome the new era of
smart things. Others will pine for the days when a chair was simply a chair.
Advantages
Here are some advantages of IoT:

1. Data: The more the information, the easier it is to make the right decision.
Knowing what to get from the grocery while you are out, without having to check
on your own, not only saves time but is convenient as well.
2. Tracking: The computers keep a track both on the quality and the viability of
things at home. Knowing the expiration date of products before one consumes
them improves safety and quality of life. Also, you will never run out of anything
when you need it at the last moment.
3. Time: The amount of time saved in monitoring and the number of trips done
otherwise would be tremendous.
4. Money: The financial aspect is the best advantage. This technology could
replace humans who are in charge of monitoring and maintaining supplies.

Communication
Better communication is possible over a network of interconnected devices,
making the communication of devices more transparent, which reduces
inefficiencies. Processes, where machine have to communicate with each other,
are made more efficient and produce better, faster results. The perfect example
for this is machinery at a manufacturing or production unit.

Cost-effective
As mentioned in the point above, communication between electronic devices is
made easier because of IoT. This helps people in daily tasks. Transferring data
packets over a connected network save time and money. The same data that
would take a long time to transfer can now be done much faster, thanks to IoT.
Here are some disadvantages of the internet of things:

Privacy & security

In today’s tech-driven world, each and every device that an individual uses is
connected via the internet. This increases the risk of any leakage of data that
might be important. This is a major drawback of sharing information, as
confidential information might not be safe & could be hacked by third parties
easily.

Complexity
A diverse network that connects various devices is what we call IoT. A single
loophole can affect the entire system. This is by far the most complicated aspect
of the internet of things that can have a tremendous effect.

Lesser jobs
With every task being automated, the need for human labour will reduce
drastically. This will have a direct impact on employability. As we head into the
future of IoT, there will be a visible decline in the hiring process of professionals.

Dependability
We may not notice it, but we are witnessing a major shift in technology and its
implementation in everyday lives. There is no doubt that technology is
dominating our lifestyle, reflecting a human’s dependability on technology. In
case of a bug in the system, there are high chances of every related device getting
corrupted.

Lack of standardization

There isn’t much standardization among different manufacturers. Each company

develops its own proprietary solutions. Hence, it makes things difficult for
consumers to choose between various options available. Also, there are no
common standards for data collection or transmission across different devices.
This makes it difficult to integrate multiple systems into one network.
This allows these devices like Bluetooth Low Energy, ZigBee, or Wi-Fi Direct to
share data without any human intervention. It means each product needs to have
unique hardware and software features. Thus, it increases development time and
costs.
High production and maintenance cost

Most of the current IoT implementations cost around USD 100 per unit.
Moreover, some of the components used in IoT aren’t cheap either. These high
prices discourage small businesses from adopting IoT technology.

To Sum Up
The IoT has brought us many amazing things and it continues to surprise us in lots
of sectors: business, healthcare, our private lives. As for the downsides, now that
you are more aware of them, try to keep those under control. Protect your data
and be aware of how automation and easy access can affect you or your business.