How IoT Affects You and Your Business
The complex world of IoT connectivity and how it affects you and your business
As Openreach continue to remove copper wiring which once offered a traditional analogue line to replace it with fibre, jostling with other network providers doing the same in a bid to compete for ‘digitised’ business, what role will the Internet of Things play in our future?
Simply speaking, what is IoT?
The Internet of Things enables people to live and work smarter and have more control over their lives. That means smart devices that make our lives easier and more efficient by automating our homes — lighting, heating — all of which, we can access remotely and report on. IoT allows us to see vehicle location and performance, monitor CCTV (consider smart doorbells) and we’re entering an age where labels such as ‘smart cities’ and ‘smart homes’ are prevalent.
When a smart device is combined with integrated technology (consider sensors and functional software) and the capability to connect to the internet in any way is enabled, an IoT device is formed—your iPhone is an IoT or your android, your Amazon Echo or Google Nest is too. Technology is getting smarter and it’s all in a bid as to who can make life easier, simpler, more automated and apparently ‘more livable.’
Last year, the global number of connected IoT devices was around 12.3 billion active endpoints, this is expected to rise to 27 billion connections by 2025. 5G holds the key to the expansion of the IoT ecosystem.
What are the advantages of IoT for businesses?
- Due to more machine to machine interaction, there’s less space for human error and it’s more cost-effective with the reduction in manual tasks.
- IoT provides effective automation and control with powerful monitoring features to keep an eye on performance.
- Due to the ability to automate tasks, it saves a lot of time for businesses with increased efficiency.
What are some examples of IoT in business environments?
Working with global partners Pangea and Wireless Logic, we've been immersed in the IoT market for a number of years. Our partners provide us with core connectivity solutions, but also offer enhanced service provision and management capabilities to facilitate the management of high volumes of connected devices around the world.
- Internet backup is critical for most of our clients with businesses migrating to cloud-based services, many find it hard to function without it. Using an IoT solution to automatically back up a fixed connection enables business continuity.
- Using IoT technology to service ATM's across the UK has improved availability and assisted in quicker deployment compared to fixed-line connectivity. Secure encryption keeps data safe and protected.
- Deploying IoT technologies into data centres across Europe and the US to help monitor temperatures allows optimum conditions to be maintained. This helps provide efficient service, optimising equipment performance and reducing harmful emissions to a minimum.
- Working with an existing client in the construction industry, we identified a need for immediate and temporary internet access at locations across the UK where existing fixed connectivity would be impractical. IoT provided the perfect solution, reducing the time to establish a new location and often providing a service where traditional methods were simply not available.
Nearly all businesses can benefit from the IoT, from simple backup services to securely managed information distribution. Mason Infotech partners with two of the IoT's industry giants, which allows us, as a business, to bring you the very best in service and management on a global basis.
If you would like to discuss requirements, please get in touch and we'd be delighted to help.
Nearly all businesses can benefit from the IoT, are you one of them?
Mason Infotech partners with two of the IoT's industry giants, which allows us, as a business, to bring you the very best in service and management on a global basis.