Articles – The IoT Academy

Internet of Things as Business Solutions

Internet of Things as Business Solutions The wide popularity of Internet of Things (IoT) and its typical presence nearby to any modern individual make it one of the major drivers creating attractive opportunities both for the individuals and economies that are derived from the information generated by it. Economic benefits of IoT consists but not limited to efficiencies in communication, control over nearly anything and cost savings which have direct influence on business processes, quality of our lives and even how the customers are retained (mostly by behavioural data).

IoT is expected to have an immediate impact on Human health, fitness and productivity; Home appliances; Retail businesses; Corporate offices, Production plants and Worksites; Vehicles; Cities and Localisation services.

If we walk through each of these with short examples: imagine a user with the fitness tracker. Active hours of the day are collected in a data sheet. Activity intensity is captured and through the built-in gyroscope and GPS; we might have some guess for the activity type the user was engaged in as well as the user’s whereabouts throughout the day. Probably this user has registered a dashboard for him/herself in the cloud where we can collate age, weight, occupation and other personal information together. Or you can expand this example to a heart patient whose heart beats are being monitored continuously by his physician and an alert prompt is available.

At home, usage of IoT is way beyond thermostats now. If your egg rack in the refrigerator is short of eggs, your refrigerator can send you messages around the off-work time to replenish eggs as a reminder. In retail, it is possible to gauge the crowds, have a clear understanding of walking traffic, in-store traffic, restroom usage, personalised promotions and so on. Similarly, corporate offices, production plants and worksites may have increased productivity as well as better employee health and safety protocols.

Your vehicle may prompt the tow service in the event of a breakdown; extract driving logs for traffic authorities’ review (similar to black boxes of aeroplanes) and even get firmware update over the air without a need for you to spend half days at the weekend at dealer’s workshop. Increased water quality, water collection processes, enhanced street lighting, better traffic flow management are only a few of large action sets that IoT has to offer for smarter cities. Especially while during our era where tracking of airplanes, ships and other vehicles are one of the utmost importance to us as well as authorities, IoT has a solution to it.

While all these examples excite us, one of the future aspects that academics predict is Web of Things where control of smart devices might be operated through the web. This is as exhilarating as it also seems a little far to present day. But never say never, right?

To wrap up; huge opportunities are expected to blossom both for economies and individuals. As IoT by nature does not have any boundaries like data; actionable, logical and marketable data size forming through systems, sensors, control mechanisms, communications will be enormous. This is where today’s lifestyles and business models are prone to change. IoT’s already amazing penetration to individuals is no longer negligible as it is becoming a permanent part of today’s modern technologies.

If safety, security and privacy concerns are addressed appropriately, IoT will offer seamless decision-making to businesses. And you know what? It’s already started happening now.

So, isn’t it better to get started learning about IoT now and discover more about IoT and its involvement into our present lives? The IoT Academy has plenty of good courses to choose from and caters a wide range of audience from all ages to meet the future. Hurry, contact us now to find out more!

The Internet of Things: Giant in Jack and the Beanstalk

Internet of Things (IoT) and the Giant Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome The Internet of Things (IoT) to our lives that have enormous potential increasing the quality of life, enhance the productivity and performance of systems and processes that in return will save valuable time for everyone and every corporate body.

So, what exactly is IoT? Is it a giant in Jack and the Beanstalk living above the clouds? Not really. It is simply the common term used for ordinary daily objects that are linked with Internet connectivity and have functions to collect, store and act on data. IoT enables objects to connect with humans. Think of your game console, mobile phones or fitness trackers. It uses some sensors to attribute data into meaningful insights. For example, IoT devices may use temperature, location, vibration, motion, date and time information. This is highly important to make the data meaningful and actionable by companies. IoT devices can communicate with other IoT devices too. For example, if your mobile phone’s location data informs your home water heater for your whereabouts, your bath water will be ready by the time you reach home. So, what is IoT device? Any device that has on/off button and has internet connectivity is an IoT device. There comes the importance of wireless technologies as it will not be practicable to physically wire everything around us. If you realised by now, IoT exists for three main purposes: help us save time, utilise resources more efficiently and open doors to new innovations. Recently, you might have heard “Smart Health”, “Smart Living”, “Smart Cities” phrases a bit often, right? This validates the purpose of IoT’s existence.

IoT systems typically depend on software, hardware and architecture. Hardware includes widely used technologies like RFIDs (i.e. the sticker on your car’s windscreen allowing you to enter in your carpark), NFCs (i.e. your public transportation card that you can also use to pay at your favourite fast food restaurant), sensors (i.e. dimming lift lobby lights when nobody is in the vicinity). Software steps in to form a logical, valuable, marketable data based on hardware’s input. Some researchers defend that IoT itself is not a technology but an aggregator partnering various technology and capabilities be it physical ones or virtual. To fulfil its functions, IoT will first need to communicate then identify, address, sense, actuate, tally or embed the information, localise and finally present this augment in a cosmetic way (user interface) to the end user.

So, isn’t it better to get started learning about IoT now instead of waiting for the Giant at Jack and the Beanstalk? The IoT Academy has plenty of good courses to choose from and caters a wide range of audience from all ages to meet the future. Hurry, contact us now to find out more!

Everything started with the Internet

Internet of Things (IoT) has evolved and it is the connectivity of the Internet to the physical world now. Self-empowerment. A single, simple statement that can summarise how the most important transformation brought about by the Internet. It is now possible to learn anything, anytime and anywhere directly if you would like to get yourself educated. The Internet is no longer a network of connected universities and their libraries but an organism with a lot of business aspects in it which offers borderless market access to businesses, schools and most importantly, to information.

Initially, when the Internet was introduced to the public, security had the least or no concern where the entire product did not aim any profits to be taken. However, the situation today is very different in fact just the opposite. Security concerns require a lot of attention and profitability is the main objective of the entire thing. Imagine, access to the Internet is not different than basic human rights like access to clean water, vaccination but there exist increasing tensions between Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and content providers. Subscription plans, minimum speed and performance guarantees, network neutrality, quality of experience and others are all argument points that have a direct impact on the formation of the price that is offered to the end user. This is happening even before our access to the Internet. What about our post-access? There go tensions in cyber security between users, businesses and attackers.

As each action executed online leaves a significant trace, the Internet has become a very lucrative source to collect and then analyse data about people and naturally their behaviours while they are online. (Think of Google searches, which a recent research suggested that people are very much like their real selves when searching when compared to their personality on social media platforms.) This brought us the recent evolution of Internet of Things (IoT) as it is the connectivity of the Internet to the physical world now.

In view of its present attractiveness and profit-promising genre through data traces; we may expect continuous improvements in connection speeds, more wireless access at new spots as well as a significant share of artificial intelligence and machine learning surrounding the gadgets around us. The good news is that we will not be concerned over new issues but will have to maintain our existing ones on safety, security, privacy, resilience and robustness.

Presently, two main factors limiting one’s ability to access the Internet are affordability, lack of literacy with language skills. This is where the emerging markets are getting penetrated by developed countries now as it is a sure-win deal expanding their markets without borders. Does it matter for a website in Uganda to be hosted in the UK? Or why isn’t it possible not to route server connections from certain server hubs in the world but direct?

Okay, this was the business part. Let’s go back to our individual lives. With the help on IoT, it is possible to enhance not only lives but also business volume. For example, think of a farmer using a simple IoT gadget (one of the 50 billion to be in circulation by 2020) in his farm that streams only 2 basic information to him: weather forecast and present rate that crops are sold. This instant information will get him make informed decisions instantly too. He can plan his day, he can decide on the type of crops he would like to focus more. And he’ll not be underpaid by the middle-man that trades his products. Or imagine him using a drone to dispatch sample of his crops to a trade hub. No traditional roads are required, no supply routes are necessary. Point A to Point B. Simple. Straightforward. This concept (adaptability to IoT and reflections of it to our daily lives) will get us to a future where cities will be defined not by their geographical locations but common interests.

If you think carefully, you will observe that Google has started connecting these dots for some time now.

IoT is expected (and already giving promising signs now) to play a key role in enhancing the wellness and the sustainability of the planet. We are already combating with overconsumption of raw materials, pollution from fossil fuels, industrialised farming, the destruction of forests and numerous other effects of modernity. IoT has the capacity to play a significant role in addressing these challenges and ensuring the welfare of future generations.

So, isn’t it better to get started learning about IoT now and be part of these changes earlier? The IoT Academy has plenty of good courses to choose from and caters a wide range of audience from all ages to meet the future. Hurry, contact us now to find out more!

Internet of Things: Is it the Next Big Thing?

Internet of Things (IoT) promises certain changes in the ways we function and interact with our homes, offices, transportation, and health. Silicon Valley, the high-tech universe known to every living soul on this planet is focusing on a single thing: Technological Innovation. Anyone who is a tech user and connected to “something” is already a part of 640 terabytes of data being populated every minute. Location information, Google searches, your connectivity to a telco, Facebook, Instagram, photo uploads, cloud drive services and so on. And yes, every minute 640 terabyte of data is populated.

Many new and modern technologies are usually addressed as the “Next Big Thing”. Is it just because there will be revolutionary changes in the way we do things, the way we live and interact with each other? Or is it because discontinuity appeared on the horizon? Or did we realise a disruptive, exciting jump from one level of boring technology that we were so excited merely 12 months ago into another new one? Think of Grab, a regional version of Uber in South East Asia. It became a part of an extraordinarily successful business model that not only facilitated and inspired taxi rides but also the amazing pairing of suppliers and customers instantaneously, as well as being the precursor to automated transportation. That was the “next big thing” not long ago, isn’t it?

Wait! Or were you thinking that Segway’s PT, a two-wheeled, self-balancing, battery-powered electric vehicle that was introduced in 2001 is still the next big thing?

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the connectivity of everything that seemed so remote only a decade ago. And it has 3 essential elements that make it unique when compared to other generic “Next Big Thing” candidates: convenience, economy, and safety. IoT promises certain changes in the ways we function and interact with our homes, offices, transportation, and health. (where we are stationed, when we are on the move and concerning our very selves) And IoT investments typically yield as convenience (i.e. pre-heated oven by the time you arrive home from work), economy (i.e. efficiencies in progresses and operations when you are stationed, on the move or even without you knowing) and safety (i.e. data enabled online personal health monitoring device attached to patient’s body communicating the health condition with his physician).

It is absolutely possible to do more things with IoT ourselves when compared to what comes bundled with many of the household items nowadays. IoT gadgets are not spies or pressure sales tools that monitor your stocks at home and order from the supplier automatically. IoT might even be programmed to narrate an issue, prompt the user and then take appropriate action. For example, you can program a gas detector’s buzz in your house to do more things in a better way. If there is a gas leak, instead of buzzing, it may narrate “there is gas leak”, SMS you and then cut off the gas automatically. Therefore, your imagination is the limit what IoT can do for you. Like playing the piano, there’s no skilful player or bad player. There is one that enjoys playing the piano and one that does not.

So, isn’t it better to get started learning about IoT now and enjoy the Next Big Thing earlier? The IoT Academy has plenty of good courses to choose from and caters a wide range of audience from all ages to meet the future. Hurry, contact us now to find out more!

Internet of Things is Everywhere!

Internet of Things (IoT) has the capabilities of influencing, facilitating and consolidating many of the operational task and procedures.

Recent years have witnessed tremendous growth in major companies’ careful considerations and generous investments for the internet of things (IoT). A recent Harvard Business Review article suggests that General Electric, Ford, Toyota, Caterpillar and others have allocated $1 billion level each to develop equipment ranging from a tiny wireless device to aircraft engines. And the bottom line of this initial effort: $86 million dollars per company in the United States, according to a 2015 survey.

It is not difficult to realise that these large companies are not the only ones getting to know the real value IoT is offering but also pioneers that deal with how products perform the best for their customers. We are hearing and indeed will see more of the daily electronics equipped with IoT technologies that communicate with the manufacturer about its performance. This by no means is an act of inquiring secretly or whatsoever but an opportunity for the manufacturer to enhance the product as well as attending to our service enquiries way faster than the conventional way. In return, the manufacturer is offering significant discounts, aren’t they? Have you realised that at times your smart TV refuses to boot instantly and prompts that firmware is being updated? Or HP’s inkjet printers triggering re-orders via wireless when the ink is getting low that saves headaches for the customer? What about that? IoT is already in our lives and yes, just to enhance it, for better, maybe for the best.

For the manufacturers’ side, IoT has the capabilities of influencing, facilitating and consolidating many of the operational task and procedures. However, given the well heard, stereotype “cultural” facts like technology fears that might reveal about the business are one of the major barriers slowing IoT penetrating more into today’s life. Only the companies that continuously reimagine their business and relentlessly evolve will be able to exploit the best value of IoT both for themselves and their customers.

By the way, the term “IoT” might be new but have you realised that nobody was trapped in an elevator for more than 10 minutes in the past few decades? How is it possible that first someone is immediately attending to the rescue matter and elevator service personnel is showing up so fast? Yes, elevators and other sensitive product and services that are prone to human fears or concerning health conditions were using IoT for a very long time. Have you brushed your teeth today? Procter & Gamble does not need to ask this question to you at all if you have been using their electronic toothbrushes.

So, isn’t it better to get started learning about it now? The IoT Academy has plenty of good courses to choose from and caters a wide range of audience from all ages to meet the future. Hurry, contact us now to find out more!