[Video Lesson] What is Internet of Things (aka IoT)?

What is Internet Of Things?

I am sure that most you might have heard the word Internet of Things (also known as IoT) and scratched your head wondering what kind of ‘thing’ it is. Here we present some beginner lessons which would give you a basic understanding of IoT and answer your question: ‘What is Internet of Things?’

The Internet of things is the inter-networking of physical devices (not just the PCs and smart phones) that enables these connected devices to collect and exchange data.

These devices can be your car, kitchen appliances, buildings and even your heart monitor. Ideally these devices will be embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and network connectivity that enable the collection and exchange of data.

What are some use cases of Internet of Things?

Healthcare:

Internet of Things reduces the need for the patient to be in front of the doctor to handle most of the medical conditions. The sensors connected to the patient’s body can track important data which a monitoring system can analyze and have different actions triggered automatically. These actions can be informing patient’s family members about an emergency, alert the ambulance service and provide the patient’s location to bring them to hospital etc. Telemedicine using Internet of Things creates an efficient and economical way to monitor patients conditions.
Intelligent Buildings

According to United Nations, the buildings emit 40% of world’s green house gases. This can be reduced by building intelligent buildings and design structures which uses natural light more and automatically controls the usage of the electricity within the building. The usage of the light bulbs within the building can be controlled automatically based on the sunlight.
Smart traffic management system:

As per a study it was proved that drivers spend an average 34 hours an year in traffic jams. This is a huge loss for the nations GDP and development. The personal impact (driver stress, physical impact etc) on the drivers too impact the industry on long term. An intelligent traffic management system can track the locations where the traffic jams are found and notify other vehicles in other locations and divert the traffic accordingly. The sensors and the cameras installed at the different part of the city and a central control room take care of these activity automatically as per the previously written algorithm and machine intelligence.

These are some examples of how we can use IoT for a better life and to create a great economy. Please watch the below video to get more insights regarding your question ‘What is Internet of Things’

What is Internet of Things- Some use cases?

Current growth, IoT companies, the industry etc

According to Gartner Inc, there will be nearly 20.8 billion devices on the Internet of things by 2020According to Gartner Inc, there will be nearly 20.8 billion devices on the Internet of things by 2020. So definitely the IoT industry is growing at an exponential pace. So who will be reaping the benefits of such a growth? All the stakeholders; the government, the consumers and different business organizations. So its a win-win for all.

Here are the major industries where Internet of Things (IoT) can cause a revolutionary, positive impact

Agriculture
Banking
Defense
Food Services
Manufacturing
Retail
Oil, gas and mining

Major IoT Platforms

There are many technology companies who are investing a lot on IoT based technology development and research. Below are some of the major IoT platforms offered by major technology companies.