The Internet of Things can be used in many different aspects of life, in both the private and public sectors. Thanks to IoT, people can track things like lost pets, their house’s security systems, or appliance maintenance schedule.
Consumers can use the IoT to help them make restaurant reservations, monitor their exercise progress and overall health, and receive coupons for a store only by virtue of walking by the business in question.
Businesses can use IoT to monitor supply chains, track customers’ spending habits as well collect their feedback, monitor and maintain inventory levels, and engage in predictive maintenance of their machines and devices.
IoT Applications by Industries
The ubiquity of the Internet of Things is a fact of life thanks to its adoption by a wide range of industries. IoT’s versatility makes it an attractive option for so many businesses, organizations, and government branches, that it doesn’t make sense to ignore it. Let us learn about IoT applications across industries below:
1. IoT Applications in Agriculture
For indoor planting, IoT makes monitoring and management of micro-climate conditions a reality, which in turn increases production. For outside planting, devices using IoT technology can sense soil moisture and nutrients, in conjunction with weather data, better control smart irrigation and fertilizer systems. If the sprinkler systems dispense water only when needed, for example, this prevents wasting a precious resource.
2. IoT Applications in Consumer Use
For the private citizen, IoT devices in the form of wearables and smart homes make life easier. Wearables cover accessories such as Fitbit, smartphones, Apple watches, health monitors, to name a few. These devices improve entertainment, network connectivity, health, and fitness.
3. IoT Applications in Insurance
Even the insurance industry can benefit from the IoT revolution. Insurance companies can offer their policyholders discounts for IoT wearables such as Fitbit. By employing fitness tracking, the insurer can offer customized policies and encourage healthier habits, which in the long run, benefits everyone, insurer, and customer alike.
4. IoT Applications in Manufacturing
The world of manufacturing and industrial automation is another big winner in the IoT sweepstakes. RFID and GPS technology can help a manufacturer track a product from its start on the factory floor to its placement in the destination store, the whole supply chain from start to finish. These sensors can gather information on travel time, product condition, and environmental conditions that the product was subjected to.
5. IoT Applications in Retail
IoT technology has a lot to offer the world of retail. Online and in-store shopping sales figures can control warehouse automation and robotics, information gleaned from IoT sensors. Much of this relies on RFIDs, which are already in heavy use worldwide.
6. IoT Applications in Transportation
By this time, most people have heard about the progress being made with self-driving cars. But that’s just one bit of the vast potential in the field of transportation. The GPS, which, if you think of it, is another example of IoT, is being utilized to help transportation companies plot faster and more efficient routes for trucks hauling freight, thereby speeding up delivery times.
The Future of the Internet of Things
What does that mean for you? The Internet of Things, and its association with technologies such as ITIL, Blockchain, and Big Data, is a lucrative field with lots of potential for careers. Check into Simplilearn’s offerings in the technologies as mentioned above to get your start in becoming proficient in the workings of the Internet of Things, and be prepared for the future.