The internet has become such an integral part of our lives that now we cannot even imagine a world without it. The internet is being incorporated into all of our daily activities. Science and technology have made significant advancements in the past few years. Device automation, robots, artificial intelligence, etc. are just a few examples. One such development which has gained prominence in recent years is the IoT.
What is IoT?
IoT is short for ‘Internet of Things.’ IoT is essentially a platform where embedded devices are connected to the internet, so they can collect and exchange data with each other. This enables devices to interact, collaborate and learn from each other’s experiences, a situation similar to that of human beings.
Components of IoT: Key Building Blocks of IoT
The major components of an IoT setup are:
- Cloud: It is the platform through which data is collected, transmitted, processed and then stored. It is the replacement of the conventional hard drive, which may fall short of space.
- Network: It links all the physical devices and gadgets to each other, gathers data from them. Then, it decrypts and organizes the data systematically.
- Devices and their required functions: The devices must support the activity that you need to perform. For example, if you want to control your music player, to play or stop, the device must be installed with the specific operating system.
Applications of IoT
- Smart Home: Many companies are now actively involved in the provision of smart home technology. Devices used at home are connected to each other and can be regulated through a single server.
- Smart City: As the name suggests, this segment is used for improving the lives of people living in the city. This involves many aspects like powers supply, traffic control, water distribution, etc.
- Wearables: Wearables like smartwatches of Apple, Sony Smart B Trainer, LookSee Bracelet, Myo gesture control, etc. are in high demand.
- Connected Car: This includes multiple sensors, antennas, software, and other technologies that assist in the navigation of a car.
- Smart Retail: Retailers have also started using IoT platforms. This is useful for improving store purchases, reducing theft, proper inventory management, and thereby provide a better shopping experience to customers.
- Industrial Internet: All the equipment, machines, computers, etc. can be connected to an appropriate IoT platform which can be regulated by the owner or the prime authorities.
- Connected Health: This enables patients to have a more interactive relationship with doctors, thus being more engaged and satisfied. Also, personal fitness sensors, surgical robots, and other such technologies can be used.
- Smart Farming: It makes day to day farming operations easier and effective. But, this aspect is usually overlooked because farming operations are mostly remote. But, IoT can be extremely beneficial in the farming sector.
7 Tips to Make the IoT App Development a Great Success
- Choose a suitable platform: IoT developers should be critical while choosing a viable platform. Some of the well-known start-ups are Android Ubidots, Thingworx, and Xively.
- Knowledge about levels of IoT: An IoT developer should be well informed about IoT as a whole and also of its levels. There are four years of IoT, namely, the devices, the ingestion stage, the analytics section, and the end user.
- Adopt security measures: Data transmitted online is susceptible to penetration. The data is prone to hacking and malware attacks. One of the most effective solutions at hand right now is to utilize machine learning. Digital forgetting, computation, communication, privacy and trusted sensing should also be considered.
- Consider all interfaces: The top interfaces for IoT are desktops and mobile phones. Thus, developers need to develop their setup in such a way that the data can be accessed through both desktops and mobile phones, or through any other interface preferred by the users.
- Optimizable for a large number of people: The IoT platform attracts more and number of users over time. Thus, it should be developed in such a way that it is able to handle a significant increase in data requirement and needs.
- Faster service: Superfast software and hardware should be encompassed on the network so that data transmission is faster.
- Manage data effectively: A good IoT platform manages data in such a way that the results acquired are accurate, reliable and timely.
- Data acquisition: accept data from their servers and block unauthorized sources.
- Data validation: data is analyzed and corrected in order to ensure consistency and validation.
- Data storage: the cloud shouldn’t get crowded and suffer from bad network problems.
- Data processing: the data is processed thoroughly with minimum latency.
IoT has revolutionized the concept of, gadgets, interconnected people and systems. It is estimated that by the year 2020, the existing base of the Internet of Things devices will grow to almost 31 billion worldwide. So, it is important for app developers to be upfront and flexible to changes. In terms of Internet of Things (IoT), it is up to the proactive and sharp app developers to capitalize on this evergreen opportunity.
Author Bio : Shared as Guest Post
Neeraj works as a Growth Assistant at AirTract.Com, a social platform wherein people ask questions, read and write articles, share knowledge and experience. Graduated as a Computer Science Engineer, he is now a digital marketing enthusiast who reads and finds the latest techniques to grow an organization. If he is not working, either he would be on a football pitch or listening to music.