IoT

What is it? 

The Internet of Things, or IoT, is a system of interconnected smart devices that have their unique identifiers (UIDs), Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, and the capability to transfer data across the network without human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. 

Applications of IoT span across home settings as well as various industries, e.g., manufacturing, transportation, healthcare, and agriculture. Benefits of this technology include controlling machines at factories, tracking inventory at warehouses, managing traffic patterns with smart vehicles, monitoring environmental conditions, etc. 

How does it work? 

An IoT ecosystem contains web-enabled devices that gather, share, and act upon data from their surroundings. They exchange collected sensor data by linking to another edge device or a gateway, i.e., a component that connects different types of devices in a single IoT network. At that point, data is either transported to the cloud or locally analyzed. 

IoT devices may also interact with other related devices and act on received data. Although they mostly operate without human involvement, people intervene with them for configuration, instruction, and data access purposes. 

With the help of IoT, people can automate their homes. At the same time, businesses learn how well their systems function in real time, optimize their processes, cut labor costs, and reduce waste.