In this exclusive feature for IoT Insider, Scott Brenton, Technology Director at Solsta argues that hype can prove a hindrance; and the phrase IoT has become confused
Google has more than 5.6 billion hits for ‘Internet of Things’, but what does the phrase actually mean?
Too broad a brush
The term ‘IoT’ has become so widely used and generic that it’s become difficult for many to understand how it specifically benefits their business or the unique value it offers. This confusion largely stems from its broad application as an umbrella term encompassing various distinct technologies such as AI, cloud computing, connectivity and data technology.
Using ‘IoT’ to group these diverse technologies under a single label has diluted the specific applications and advantages of each technology when they are all referred to collectively. This overgeneralisation, or painting with too broad a brush, not only obscures the meaning of each technology but most importantly, it has diminished the potential value each of these technologies can deliver to businesses.
Unlocking value
With IoT being talked about so widely and originally being hailed as the fourth industrial revolution, it’s understandable that business leaders can feel the need to get onboard and adopt this new ‘technology’. For CTOs and IT managers, this can prove a challenge when there’s no real clarity as to what IoT exactly is or what value it can add. Organisations need to understand their objectives and what they are trying to achieve first and foremost. Like many technology transformation projects, to ensure success, the requirements and objectives need to be clearly identified – only then can organisations determine the most optimal technology to meet those needs.
In essence, IoT simply means connected devices – things that are connected via the internet or network in such a way that it adds value and insight to those devices. But it’s much more than that. It is not enough to put sensors on equipment that tracks data; it’s about capturing that data, digesting it and being able to extract something meaningful from those findings – that’s where the value lies. By utilising technologies and linking them together, IoT makes the sum greater than its parts by gaining enhanced knowledge through data analytics and improved efficiency, accuracy, and insights.
What problem is it solving?
In the past, there have been scenarios created to illustrate the technology’s capability, such as Smart Cities and Smart Schools, but these high-level concepts are often difficult to comprehend with no real understanding of what that might look like in practice, or what value they add to a business or an organisation. This is where hype can prove a hindrance as IoT then loses its meaning and can feel like a ‘pie in the sky’ concept.
However, if a real-world example was given on how, for example, sensors were fitted to refuse collection bins that are monitored by sensors to alert when they were getting full and ready to be emptied, it would be easier to understand the application and its value. The sensor would be connected to a system in a central location that could understand when the bin was getting full and so, dispatch a bin collection – far more efficient than sending personnel to locations to “check” or worse, when trash is overflowing This offers clear value to an organisation in terms of efficiency, therefore reducing costs, and facilitating a better user experience as the bin will be emptied before it overflows. A simple but easy to understand example.
It is always hard to live up to hype. Crowned as the fourth industrial revolution, IoT has some substantial predecessors but arguably, the first three industrial revolutions had tangible benefits and solved problems of efficiency, scale, and accuracy.
Without context, a clear description and examples, IoT could be considered a meaningless phrase. Talking about implementing IoT with no detail is like saying you want to buy electronics. What type? A mobile phone, an electric car, a games console, a running machine? They are all electronics but wildly different and – importantly – all intended for different applications and purposes.
It’s similar for the Internet of Things. Saying you want IoT gives no clear indication of your requirements; saying you want a system of sensors to monitor and then analyse footfall of a shopping centre, or to monitor traffic and enable real time adjustment of traffic lights at peak times, gives it meaning. Adding sensors to streetlights to provide remote feedback when the light is about to fail offers an obvious improvement in maintenance efficiency.
Driving improvements
IoT needs to be demystified. A big bang in the beginning with little follow through has left many people at best, unsure, and at worst, cynical, of the real value it can bring. But that would be doing IoT’s competencies a disservice.
Looking at the benefits IoT can offer in healthcare is enough to change the minds of even its biggest naysayer. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning, healthcare providers have developed the ability to scan tens of thousands of samples in a bid to detect cancer at an increased rate of speed and accuracy. To do this, IoT provides the connectivity required and is a key enabler of this type of technological advance in healthcare. The potential value of IoT is incredible, but only if its meaning is defined, its intention understood, and its value demonstrated.
Transform ways of working forever
There is huge potential value in IoT, but the phrase has been overused and implemented out of context to the point that there is no single, defined and understood description. Much like the term AI has been thrown around without its central characteristics or purpose being defined, IoT has become another buzzword that is used with little context or understanding, and that does its real capabilities and applications an injustice. Simply put, does it reduce cost, increase revenue, or improve user experience? If you can identify one or more of these key reasons to adopt IoT based technology, you are already beating the hype.
Whilst the early excitement of what IoT had the potential to achieve has faded to a distant PowerPoint memory, what we’re left with are the true capabilities of what connected devices can achieve and real-life examples of where it not only adds value but has the potential to transform ways of working forever. We need to educate or re-educate industries on what IoT truly means and how it can deliver greater value to their business.
Author: Scott Brenton, Technology Director at Solsta
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