IoT is proving to be invaluable in the energy sector with a wide span of potential applications. Asset tracking, remote monitoring, preventative maintenance, environmental monitoring, and lone worker safety are just a small group of integral applications highlighting the potential improved operational efficiencies that IoT can provide in this industry.
While consumer-focused IoT projects have dominated the industrial area for years, more profound and diverse industrial IoT devices are now just starting to make their way into the industrial sphere. The benefits of IoT in the industrial world are significant, including cost savings, improved competitiveness, better facility management, increased operational efficiency, a higher level of cybersecurity and data security, and faster manufacturing processes to name a few. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) can help a wide variety of businesses to track crucial data in a variety of sectors.
Difference between IoT and IIoT
Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) are quite closely related since both of them are involved in the digital transformation of the world, can be applied to device management, and energy management. Generally, IIoT belongs in the IoT subcategory and is based on the same principles. The main difference here is that IIoT focuses on industrial automation, production processes, and other systems connected to production lines, while general IoT connects such devices as home appliances, smart city devices, or office monitoring systems. Both IoT and IIoT are aimed at increasing the efficiency of processes and tend to focus on inward-looking processes. Common IIoT use cases are preventive maintenance, quality assurance, post-calculation of orders, and other areas with high information requirements necessary for a smart factory.
One more primary difference between IoT and IIoT is that IIoT is based on cyber-physical systems. Cyber-physical systems, being edge computing technology, comprise physical components driven by digital information, and provide the foundation for closed-loop processes. IoT applications, on the other hand, are more focused on extracting knowledge from heterogeneous data streams and do not necessarily require a closed loop with the physical world. For example, ambient assisted living applications are based on user activities. So, we can say that industrial IoT solutions are more oriented on facility management, machine learning, and production, while common IoT devices give actionable insights into everyday life processes.
Areas of Application
It may be hard to believe, but even one integrated industrial IoT solution can help improve manufacturing processes and reduce costs. For example, predictive maintenance, which is possible because of IIoT platform adoption, can help avoid broken machinery, which can cost millions of dollars. By analyzing data generated by IIoT sensors, manufacturers can identify potential problems and address them quickly. In addition, proactive maintenance reduces downtime and increases productivity.
As the industrial IoT applications develop, the business model of organizations can change dramatically, creating new business models based on IIoT data. While IoT for industrial sectors can make businesses more efficient, it is crucial to understand the impact of digital transformation, and the risks of IIoT for industrial applications before implementing them in your own company. The advantages of IoT for industrial purposes are numerous and include greater system integration, improved logistical agility, and remote access to the data. However, it is really crucial to pay attention to how raw data is transferred, whether all data life-cycle is secured, and whether IIoT devices have a high level of data integration. By combining the Industrial Internet of Things, connected supply chains, and artificial intelligence, factories are becoming more seamless and profitable able to overcome even the biggest challenge.
Benefits for any Industry
Asset Tracking and
Remote Monitoring
IoT, being the edge computing technology, connects industrial assets, providing advanced analytics of the manufacturing process. Industrial IoT is a platform that analyzes the operation of industrial equipment to make decisions that are in the best interests of the company. The benefits of IIoT applications are plentiful. They can improve the monitoring of industrial environments, identify potential points of failure, and automatically trigger predictive maintenance processes, to avoid the situations connected to the breakdowns of production assets. For this reason, intelligent devices are becoming increasingly important for businesses in the manufacturing industry.
You may be interested to know that many connected devices transfer industrial data through the LoRaWAN network. As the breadth of IoT applications in the industrial area continues to evolve, LoRaWAN is rapidly gaining momentum as the ideal technology to address these constraints with cost-effective and highly reliable long-range, low-power IoT connectivity. LoRaWAN’s multi-usage capabilities accommodate a high capacity of industrial IoT products in a single network. A carrier-grade LoRaWAN collection hub, known as a gateway has the capacity to simultaneously send and receive hundreds of messages every second from the devices deployed in its vicinity. This is ample capacity for most industrial processes and applications.
For any industrial enterprise, IoT devices are a critical component. The benefits are also pretty clear. The main is that IoT will improve operational efficiency and decrease costs. While cost and operational efficiency are the primary goals, business models that involve IoT-based data monitoring should also include revenue opportunities. With proper data monitoring and management, savings will be high enough to reallocate finances to the sphere in the company that brings more profits.
Impact on World Economy
Speaking about the world economy, and IoT’s role in it, we can say that since the first industrial revolution, current actionable information provided by IIoT technologies is an edge computing technology that changes the whole understanding of the manufacturing industry again. The IIoT is the first step in the fourth industrial revolution, commonly known as Industry 4.0. It is an important component of the industrial production process, where real-time data from IIoT devices and other big data analytics sources can be interpreted to make better decisions in the industry. Using this information, IIoT devices can automate tasks. With the IIoT application, factories can run more efficiently and effectively than ever before, increasing revenue streams, and optimizing asset utilization. We are now real witnesses of the fourth industrial revolution, and that is why edge computing solutions based on edge gateway will continue to evolve and grow.
The Industrial Internet of Things and information networks are transforming the industry. The IIoT is transforming how a supply chain functions to meet global consumer needs and impact global consumer behaviors in many ways. It’s pragmatic and intriguing to see the momentum in the IoT ecosystem. Changing communication and data integration paradigms are driving consumer behavior and industries across the world.
At the same time, the opportunities for IIoT are vast. According to Mordor Intelligence, the expected industrial IoT market worth for 2026 will reach a value of USD 1,4 billion. This data shows the rising popularity of IIoT solutions and their impact of it on the global economy. In addition, it also includes a forecast from research and markets. The Industrial Internet of Things is definitely reshaping the economy through the transformation of assembly lines, the introduction of connected logistics, OPC unified architecture, industrial robots, and digital twins for everything we know well.
The Industrial Internet of Things can help companies in many industries. For instance, quite a few farms in California use satellite imaging to monitor harvest and delivery processes. In addition to agriculture, IIoT devices are used in the aerospace industry, monitoring key areas of operation. These solutions can prevent maintenance problems before they occur and reduce flight delays in the aviation industry. Likewise, oil and gas companies use IIoT solutions to detect leaks with minimal or low latency. Additionally, a good example of an IIoT use case is Rolls-Royce, which receives 70 trillion data points from engines in service. The Industrial Internet of Things using cyber-physical systems, providing for machine learning, and working with low latency gives a huge opportunity for companies to faster and cheaper process their industrial data in order to have no disruptions in the supply chain.
Our solution
Embedding devices in industrial IoT projects is a great way to ensure a smooth project management process, advanced analytics, and connected logistics. IIoT application is not only can help to streamline the development process but can also reduce costs. In many cases, the Industrial Internet of Things with its advanced analytics can help companies to save millions of dollars. For instance, enterprise IoT can monitor critical performance metrics in real-time, which saves manufacturers in different industries tens of millions of dollars. In addition, these devices can help prevent machine downtime by sending alerts when problems are detected.
TEKTELIC, in turn, is ready to offer you a wide range of Industrial Internet of Things devices. We have a lot of gateways perfect for transferring big data remotely, working on the basis of the Industrial Internet of Things framework. Our products are perfect for any industry since they have long battery life and most of them can resist extreme temperatures. IIoT application will help your industry in many ways, especially with reliable products.
TEKTELIC offers for industries different types of gateways. The most convenient and universal is KONA Micro IoT Gateway. This gateway is applicable in different industries thanks to its compact size, low power use, and simple configuration. TEKTELIC has already successfully integrated KONA Micro IoT Gateway into the industry of geotechnical engineering. This case was incredibly successful as it solved such issues as the difficulty of monitoring different types of concrete samples, temperature monitoring, and access difficulties. Additionally, TEKTELIC has such gateways for industries as KONA Macro IoT Gateway and KONA Mega IoT Gateway, which are suitable for outdoor deployments, and especially suitable for the industries working with private and public network operators. These Industrial Internet of Things solutions for data transfer and monitoring are great options for almost any industry, as they are cost-effective, efficient, and easy to use.
Industrial Internet of Things devices can be integrated into the processes of any industry. They can help with process efficiencies, offer real-time visibility of products, and predict impending machinery breakdowns. The possibilities are endless, and Industrial Internet of Things devices can be installed in nearly any factory. With the proper design and implementation, they can help improve the quality of data management in the industry and increase profits. So, the integration of IoT in the industry is a wise choice that will pay back in a quite short time.