IoT Systems And Devices: Key Things That You Should Know
The Internet of Things is one of the basic technologies that drive digital transformation today. Namely, thanks to its capacity to connect different items into one network, businesses can get valuable insights into their functioning and performance, automate a lot of processes, and ensure interaction between different devices and machines.
The demand for IoT-powered systems across numerous industries is steadily increasing, as well as the volume of investments made in the development of this technology worldwide. Experts believe that in 2024, the IoT segment will enjoy an impressive surge in its revenue which will hit the mark of $1,387 billion.
Today developers have access to a rich tech stack that includes the most powerful tools and technologies and allows them to build feature-rich unique systems. Such solutions can be fully tailored to the needs of a particular entity which guarantees the highest efficiency of their implementation. If you also have an idea for an IoT-powered product, you need to make sure that your software engineers or an Internet of Things development company that you have chosen for establishing cooperation with has relevant expertise and qualifications for implementing your concept.
But even when you have the best experts by your side, to deliver a high-quality product that will help you achieve all your business goals and conquer new peaks, you also should have at least the most basic understanding of how the Internet of Things works.
IoT-powered systems
First of all, you need to know that each Internet of Things system includes elements of several types. Let us share a simplified version of a typical IoT system composition.
- Devices. We wouldn’t exaggerate if we said that these are core elements. They could be defined as hardware that has a task to gather, accumulate, and share data. In some cases (depending on the exact type and functionality of each device), it can also process the collected data.
- Software. To ensure the desired functionality of your IoT system, you should have a relevant program/application for having the possibility to interact with your IoT devices and manage them, as well as to achieve stable performance of the entire system.
- Network/connectivity. This element is responsible for establishing connections and organizing data exchange between the devices.
Though all the elements that are part of any IoT system deserve our special attention, in this article we will focus only on the first point on our list and will speak about IoT devices.
IoT device: What is it?
When we are talking about IoT devices, we typically do not mean any particular equipment or gadget. It can be practically any physical item powered by special elements or modules that allow it to transfer or/and collect data over the network. It means that, for example, your fitness band can act as an IoT device and at the same time a locker on your suitcase also can be an Internet of Things device if it is connected to the network and can transmit and receive data.
There can be really quite a lot of examples of IoT devices. And all of them may have different roles and tasks.
For example, there is a wide range of various sensors that can be mounted on manufacturing machinery and equipment for tracking their performance and defining deviations from the set norms. Such devices play a vital role in predictive maintenance solutions, help to increase productivity, and reduce risks of downtime.
Smart lockers are intended to ensure better security for your belongings and help you faster find your bags in case of loss or theft.
Special medical IoT devices allow doctors and nurses to remotely track vital parameters. They help to reduce the time required for face-to-face examinations but simultaneously let medical staff continuously monitor the state of their patients.
Of course, this is far not the full list of all the types of IoT devices and their functionality. But we hope it can help you get at least a general understanding of what an IoT device is and what it can do.
How do IoT devices work?
Typically the working principle of an IoT device can be presented in the following way:
- The device collects the required data. For example, it can be the geolocation data, the information regarding the air humidity, or the medical data.
- The data is sent over the network. Different systems use different networks, it can be cellular connection, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.
- The data is received at a storage center. As a rule, there will be a cloud platform where all the data from all the system’s devices will be accumulated.
- The data is processed by the system. Based on the results of this processing, the system can send a signal to devices to perform some actions (for example, to switch on lighting or block the door).
- The data is made available to users. Via a mobile (or web) app, users can get access to the valuable insights produced by the system.
Conclusion
As you can see, the opportunities that are provided by IoT systems today are practically unlimited. Everything depends on your business needs and the skills of the developers who will work on the creation of your solution. That’s why to achieve the best results, you should carefully analyze your needs and goals and then share them with professionals who will help you find the best approaches to addressing them.
