The Internet of Things
What is IoT?
You’ve probably heard of it before, it’s the newest trend in the Technology sector – and it looks like it’s here to stay.
IoT stands for Internet of Things, “it is the inter-networking of physical devices, vehicles (also referred to as “connected devices” and “smart devices”), buildings, and other items—embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and network connectivity that enable these objects to collect and exchange data.”
In simpler terms, it is the connecting of devices, such as your smart-phone, to work together using the internet to exchange data gathered.
Why should I care?
IoT is will appear more and more in your devices, even objects which you thought would never need the internet. Fridges, TVs and other household objects are getting the IoT makeover. The Samsung’s Family Hub refrigerator is one of the newest “smart” fridges on the market. This neat piece of innovation allows you to order your groceries via voice command and check what you’re running out of – even when you’re not in the house!
This data sharing benefits the performance of many devices, data gathered can help an “intelligent assistant” (eg. Siri) to provide better answers to a user’s request. This in turn, allows these devices to learn, make themselves smarter and perform better.
For example, waking up, you turn off your 6 am alarm and your alarm tells your coffee to start brewing. Then you get in the car, and your phone’s navigation app tells your car where to go. Next, your car will also tell bother cars on the road exactly where it is and vice versa, which will help reduce the risk of crashes. Your car knows if you’ll be late to work due to upcoming traffic, so it tells your phone to contact your boss to let them know.
How OSD Digital Agency is using IoT
Amazon, of course is leading the IoT game with their Echo Bluetooth speaker. The “Alexa-enabled” speaker allows us to turn on the lights, radio and music with just a simple command. It also can tell us the weather and latest news. We can even order items off Amazon with just a simple call.
The more you use Echo, the more it adapts to your speech patterns, vocabulary, and personal preferences. This is probably one of the most defining traits of any device on the IoT spectrum.is
IoT promotes productivity in OSD Digital Agency thanks to sharing of data. It means everyone is on the same page with one another, without having to waste time catching up with each other on what we’re doing.
In the future, IoT could be used in offices to tell employees where the nearest quiet area is, where it is warmest or if a meeting room is free or not. This data will be exchanged real-time using cameras, sensors and even heat maps. Employees can get this information on their phones or computers using wifi.
In conclusion, IoT is one of the most exciting innovations right now and it is here to stay. IoT is on course to change our way of thinking and using technology for years to come.
Written by Síofra Kelleher
