A Smarter World: What Is IoT And How Can It Help You?

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I bet many of you will draw a blank if I mention IoT. Yes? No? Any tech whizzes out there will no doubt know exactly what I'm talking about.

IoT is the abbreviation for the 'Internet of Things.' Sounds a bit like a science-fi movie if you ask me! It's another term that unless you've got your head around it, can cause much confusion. You only have to Google IoT to read a whole host of double dutch definitions. There are a few decent explanations too, you just have to scour the net to find them.

To put it simply, IoT is a network whereby devices can connect/talk to the internet as well as each other. A prime example of this concept is 'Instant Ink.' Usually with a traditional printer, when your ink runs low, you'll need to go out and buy more from a store or you might order it online. With the IoT concept, the printer would be connected to a network where it could send and receive information. When the ink would run low, it would send a message to another device that would mean your much needed ink was then ordered automatically without you lifting a finger.

To use a completely different example, imagine an elderly person living alone at home, relying on carers. Or even an at risk patient on a ward in the hospital. It's often impossible to give round the clock care and in the past if a patient had fallen, they'd often be relying on a staff member or carer finding them, sometimes unfortunately hours later. My own grandparents had been through this on more than a few occasions. If they weren't near a phone then they'd be stuck until a carer turned up for rounds.

Imagine how different life could be for a patient if they had a surveillance device which would monitor their heart rate, pulse rate, oxygen rate etc. Using the IoT technology, if the patient did fall or if their stats suddenly changed, the device would send information that could mean the difference between life and death. The quicker someone is notified, the speedier the emergency response.

There are other ways that IoT works too - anyone here use an iPhone?? Our devices are getting smarter all the time, our data is recorded and tracked, our consumer behaviour monitored. It's all out there, accessible to marketers. This sort of data will prove most useful to them and will be a powerful tool to take any business forwards.

If a company can visualise data, if they can see what's working and what's not, they'll be able to create solutions to problems, use more targeted advertising where appropriate and increase revenue. This helps clients to get more from there data thus improving business performance.

In a world where technology seems to be at the forefront of everything, no-one wants to get left behind. Choose a platfom that will give you that competitive advantage!