From smart light bulbs and outlets to intelligent thermostats, you’ve heard all about “smart” things. Understanding the ins and outs of the Internet of Things can be a little tricky, but we are here to help!
IoT – What Does That Mean?
The Internet of Things (IoT) is fundamentally the concept of connecting “offline” objects so they can communicate over a network. Having these things connected to the internet or a network allows them to be controlled, monitored and managed from a remote location. There is no limit to what an object may be. It might be a machine in a factory, the lock on your front door, your work vehicle or maybe even grandma’s prescription pill bottle.
Why Do People Want to Connect Things?
There are a wide range of reasons people may want to access their information and things from remote locations. Let’s think about your health, Grandma. Imagine a world where you could wear a device that monitors your blood flow, checking for anomalies in coagulation. Your doctor could be notified as soon as irregular blood clotting is detected. How about your asthma? Wouldn’t it be amazing if you had an inhaler that could “sniff” the air and tell you what is causing your shortness of breath? What if all of this information could go directly to your doctor and that person could take proactive and immediate action? Maybe the information goes to the pharmacy as well and prescriptions are automatically filled and delivered to you. This is the future IoT hopes to build.
It may sound farfetched, but this fantasy is quickly becoming a reality. Although it is in its early stages, IoT is used today by millions and millions of people, both in their homes and in their places of work.
At home, it can be found in “smart” thermostats, lights, scales and other household items that can be controlled from anywhere through a mobile app. This enables people to do things like have the lights in the house turn on automatically when you arrive home in the evenings. Maybe you forgot what you needed from the grocery store. No problem! There’s an app that can let you look inside your fridge to see what you may need. Tired of remembering what ink your printer takes? Your printer will order the right ink for you automatically before you run out.
At work, people are using this technology to remotely troubleshoot problems that may be happening on their machinery or equipment in the field. This saves time and money because they can now diagnose and even potentially fix problems without ever leaving the office. This is especially helpful when things are very far away (like wind turbines and offshore oil rigs).
Should I be Concerned About Sharing All of This Data?
The amount and variety of data collected by these smart things, connected machinery, medical devices and wearables have even the largest supporters of IoT a little concerned.
The idea of someone stealing your personal information is scary. It’s unfortunate that it has become almost commonplace in today’s world, but we still want to do everything we can to prevent that from happening.
Most mature and established companies have very strict and secure policies and technologies in place to do their very best to prevent your personal information from being accessible to others. Unfortunately, there is and will always be risk in this digital world. Even the most secure of systems and platforms can become compromised.
Where Do I Start?
There are many “connected” and “smart” things you can buy in the market, but most of the things available in the consumer space are pretty new. A lot of maturity is needed but there are already some amazing products available. It’s important that you do your research and buy from a reputable company. Most importantly, try to solve a problem and make your life a little easier with this technology. Start small with something easy and grow your “IoT Collection” over time.
