4 IoT Product Design Best Practices Worth Knowing

The Internet of Things has revolutionized our generation, blessing us with products that simplify our day to day lives. Ever since IoT became a success, all major brands want to launch their own IoT products into the market and compete with rivals to determine whose device is the best.

Take the case of Google and Amazon who are competing over which smart home device works the best; the Google Home or Amazon’s Alexa. Both have similar functions and usability but are always at loggerheads about efficiency and quality.

There are many components that go into a viable IoT product design. Right from embedded electronics and software, to sensors, actuators, and connectivity, the overall product design needs to account for a lot of aspects. This way, they can work well with human-to-machine and machine-to-machine interactions. Want to know what these key aspects are? Then read on and find out more

1. Emphasis on value

Emphasis should always be on quality research data before anything else. The research team needs to dig deep into user behaviors and patterns in order to come to conclusions. If the designs are groundbreaking, they reach an unbeatable quality that will become hard to match, thus delivering a well-crafted product to the market. And if R&D is done well, your product design has a higher likelihood to stand out from other similar products.

2. Architecture Security

Since IoT functions in real-time, developers need to keep security at the utmost priority. Because these devices are dealing with private user information like addresses, payment information, real-time locations and phone numbers.

If there happens to be a data breach or a hack into the device software, all this private information can go public or in the wrong hands, thus endangering the user as well as tarnishing the company name.

3. Taking context into consideration

An IoT device is such that it works around the clock. So it should be designed to perform well in the background rather than being in front of the user because it can be quite annoying at times. Commands given through digital boundaries may produce real-world effects, but unlike digital commands, the actions happening in the real world cannot necessarily be nullified.

IoT devices should also be of weatherproof design. Come rain or sunshine, the device should be able to sustain in any climate. Having a robust IoT design will give the product a cutting edge over competitor’s products.

4. Responsible data usage

As a device connected to the internet, it is obvious that a lot of data will be generated over time. But, it is important not to pile up that data, instead generate data that is relevant to the user. It is essential for a designer to keep in mind the prowess of data science and what to do to generate the relevant actionable insights for stakeholders.

Data science offers a lot of opportunities to make sense of the patterns and trends behind the numbers and separate the valuable insights from the seemingly mind-numbing data deluge.

To wrap up

If these 4 points are taken into consideration, one can surely succeed at launching a successful IoT device into the market. The prospect of IoT and the role that digital design will play is about empowering users to find data in ways that previously required a lot of effort to find out. Developing an IoT product is not about being economical but about gaining a level of proficiency that will benefit everyone.

How AI will shape the future of Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things (IoT) has been the topic of discussion for the past few years. It seems as though everyday the IT universe is finding new applications for IoT and its mainstream plausibility is becoming more. While considered a brand new vertical with endless possibilities IoT is just an extension of Artificial Intelligence. The very idea of IoT spawned from the prospects that AI has shown in the past. The idea of devices being connected with each other and communicating is something that is truly a remarkable point in human civilization. When we take a closer look, it sheds light on the extent to which AI has grown and the development it has brought about in other verticals.

While the application of AI in other verticals such as robotics, automobile, marketing etc. create reason for argument due to the various threats they pose, IoT is a vertical that at the moment poses no such threat, unless they start transforming into little killer robots and tearing your house apart.

Device Development and AI

Today we have more machines around us than we have human beings. If we introspect it might seem that we are spending more time with our smartphones than we are with other human beings. While a frightening realization, it is the future that we have been building since we first sprouted on this earth. At the brink of achieving that reality, we are now at the stage where we are exploring choices and trying to make the right steps towards them. The devices that we are coming up with reflect these steps and that is where the concept of AI raises some interesting questions for IoT.

While AI is primarily used as the cornerstone of devices, in IoT it plays several roles. There is much there that could influence how the IoT would react with our world. Further along the way it would boil down to the popular paradox of the chicken and the egg. Which technology would shape our future- AI or IoT?

It is easy to argue that advances in both these technologies would be of equal consequence. However, that is not the case. The very correlation between these two verticals is just as defined as how contrastingly they could influence each other. Machine learning is a key aspect of the progress that IoT is making. An IoT network that would consist of devices with sensors, video surveillance tools etc. will be capable of monitoring the functioning of the other devices. For software related issues certain devices will be equipped with troubleshooting tools both for themselves as well as other devices. Data is the instigating factor that could influence all these technologies and it is data that will continue to govern them in the future. The expectations would again fall upon AI to make the best out of the data.

IoT in Data Analytics

The idea of developing actionable insights is something that in recent years has provided a huge update for the use of AI and IoT services. As these technologies function using data, the uses become well defined and the margin of error depends only on the validity of the data. This creates avenue for wearable ‘smart’ devices to actually function in a sentient manner. Devices such as the heart rate monitor watches, various goggles allow provide vital data that could be relayed to your doctor, your banker, even your barber, who could avail the analyzed output that they could use to customise the service they provide.

Deep Learning

Deep learning is a breakthrough in IoT. This technology facilitates devices to go beyond the prosaic machine learning algorithm. Deep learning draws from a plethora of sources to arrive at a solution on any given subject. This comprehensive approach to producing solutions could become a key driving force for IoT and how the various devices around us function under it.

Conclusion

The many exabytes of data that is being produced now allow for further proliferation on the IoT front. Going ahead, it is AI’s data analytics capabilities that could facilitate this growth. Both machine learning and deep learning both function on the data that is procured through AI data analytics.

With the AI data analytics process being non-stop, big data and other verticals are proving to be vital resources for IoT. Many industry experts believe, actionable insights will be the key to the future. The possibilities with actionable insights are endless and investments in AI have been made to speed up and increase the productivity.   

IoT in Agriculture

IoT has shown tremendous potential in various gadgets such as wireless speakers, electric appliances, light sources, etc. It has also been used in practical and innovative applications in industries (termed as Industrial Internet of Things or IIoT). Sectors such as agriculture is seen as one of the biggest beneficiaries of IIoT and the various advantages it offers to streamline the farming and cattle-rearing operations.

Why the need of IIoT in agriculture?

With the help of Industrial Internet of Things, the agriculture industry is evolving to enable growers and farmers face various hurdles on the field efficiently. Before the implementation of this technology, the sector was facing low rewards, heavy workload on labor, and high risks. Moreover, farmers used to face unexpected risks, economic recessions, and sudden changes in the environment as well. All this greatly affected the overall growth of crops in fields, until now.

How IoT can evolve farming?

IoT has a lot of scope in agriculture. So, let us have a look at some of the ways it can improve this sector.

1) Controlling climatic conditions in greenhouses

Greenhouses require subtle conditions so that the growing plants can stay healthy. Previously, this process was quite labor-intensive, but with the help of IoT-based equipment, it has greatly helped in reducing the burden on growers.

The process involves using sensors that monitor attributes like soil moisture, intensity of light, humidity, temperature, etc. These sensors connect to appliances that automate processes such as air or water control. Some sensors are even smart enough to deduce signs of pest infestations.

2) Safety of crops in logistics

IoT technology has also evolved the supply chain management of agricultural products, retail and logistics. Farmed food that is shipped to various places is tagged using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags that help in easy tracing and tracking.

This increases consumer confidence and transparency levels about the source and origin of the food product they would be consuming. Some IoT gadgets used for monitoring the crops are so advanced that they provide real-time data for packaging, transport, and storage of farm foods.

3) Monitoring crops

A lot of IoT-based machines and robots are coming up to help in experimental farming. A few of these are designed for monitoring crops in a field. With synchronizing capabilities, these machines are able to record data like yield maps for crops or link information related to crop prices.

Such robots are said to be so capable of their sensors and features that they are able to keep track of every single crop stalk in fields.

4) Livestock farming efficiency

Not just plants, but farm animals can also be monitored using this technology. Internet of Things can monitor problems like infection threats among chicken, cattle, etc. and inform farmers about it before it gets too late. Even food intake habits can be monitored for farm animals that can help in deciding the right food for them.

No doubt, the world of IoT has so much to offer farmers in the world of agriculture. The ROI that this investment will bring is bound to outweigh the costs associated with it. Hence we can expect to see rapid adoption of IoT technology in the agribusiness.

How to effectively use data from Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a digital revolution that has taken the world by storm. Having digital control over your home and office when you’re not around is fantastic progress in today’s world. It is a sure shot way of simplifying people’s lives.

The global IoT market has risen from 157 billion dollars in 2016 and is expected to reach a whopping 457 billion dollars by 2020. This translates to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28.5%.

The gains from IoT data

Today, companies are utilizing Internet of Things and its data to score on mission-critical business parameters like elevated customer experience, operational improvements, better yields in supply chain management, and overall revenue acceleration.

Manufacturing transportation and utilities are the key business sectors where the proliferation of IoT will be the greatest, thanks to benefits like improved quality management, better asset tracking, and manufacturing intelligence.

Here are 3 ways to use your IoT data to meet your KRAs

1. IoT for Cost Management

Most IoT users do not make the most of the data they receive via their devices. They sometimes may use just a small part of data received. They fail to realize the value of the statistics they obtain from their devices. These figures can be used to track operational issues, errors, and shortcomings.

The forecast for IoT devices as of now is to target errors and to boost improvement. Over time, Internet of things data can improve the economic state over different verticals. Of course, it will take a different amount of time to develop for different fields.

2. IoT to Revamp Products and Services

A lot of feedback from IoT users is generated. Analyzing it can be helpful in further bettering the devices and the services used by the customers. After using IoT devices for a certain time, a feedback generally pops up asking the user about his experience with the device and how the company can put in an effort to improve its usage.

The company should value this feedback, as it will help them create loyal customers. Because in today’s competitive market, every company comes up with similar products and services. If a brand wants to keep a customer loyal, they have got to take customer feedback seriously.

3. IoT for Procuring and Allocation of Data

To accentuate the value of data to its full potential, one needs to learn how to accommodate and evaluate data from various Internet of things devices that he is using. Only by doing this, issues can be trouble shooted and resolved more efficiently.

This data should be publically accessible where IoT developers can analyze the data, point out the mistakes and suggest optimal solutions. This concept is known as Open Data Market. It is a well-emerging concept and is the future of IoT development.

In conclusion, IoT data should be taken seriously as it can help the business grow and improve in various ways. It is an innovative new technology and should be used to its full potential.

How IoT can improve CX at Airports

From arrival to security checks that people face in an airport, it can prove to be hectic and irritating. The passengers have to go through multiple checkpoints in order to board a flight. In the end, it all becomes an experience that no passenger likes.

However, things are changing with the enhancements of technologies. Over 95 percent of passengers carry a mobile device while visiting airports. And that presents a great opportunity for airports to integrate IoT in their services to improve the customer experience. The well-connected Internet of Things can not only reduce the time requirement, but it can also improve the security measures for an airport.

Here, in this article, you will find all the customer experiences that can get an immense level of improvement with IoT.

1. Effortless security checks

The security checks are the biggest considerations for customers as well as airport authorities and IoT can become an effective solution to that problem. The automatic sensors can be implemented at security checkpoints which can help to reduce long queues.

These sensors can connect to the mobile device of the passenger to know the person’s identity and boarding details. The same information can reach the security guards on her device along with the analysis reports of their luggage.

The facial recognition technology can also be attached to the security checkpoints. A customer can opt for such a technology, which will allow airport authorities to match his or her facial features with the data available in blockchain systems.

As a result, every security point will receive information related to the identity of the passenger, which will reduce the time requirement of security checks.

2. Easy luggage handling

Another aspect of customer experience that people care about is luggage handling. Airport authorities can include the smart device features in their baggage management.

First of all, the luggage should provide the ability to the passenger to receive information regarding the weight of the luggage on their mobile device. Also, it should include a mobile payment facility too. Authorities can include tracking sensors in the scale to get a report of the baggage.

There are smart bags available in the market that provide valuable reports regarding the temperature, g-force, humidity and other data on a smartphone. These smart bags are able to give alerts whenever the bag is opened. Similarly, the bags have an automatic lock system, which activates whenever the luggage gets out of reach from your mobile device.

The airport security can open and check your bags, but the complete report can appear on your device. This can reduce the problem of losing your items from the luggage.

3. Boarding assistance

IoT facilities can also improve customer experience in terms of boarding. The information about the flights, directions, and location can help passengers navigate their way in an airport on their own.

The smart devices can become their personal assistance and lead them towards the right direction. The devices can offer an exact boarding time to the passengers. So, a passenger doesn’t have to keep waiting in one place for the boarding turn.

There are various other customer experience aspects that IoT can help with. But, it is all about correct application.

Do let us know in case there are any other ways through which IoT can elevate the overall airport experience!

Outlook of Internet of Things (IoT) in 2018

The humongous connection of sensors, human beings, computing devices, and other things connected over the internet to pass information holds tremendous potential. This underlying principle of IoT can shape lives to be better than before and get proactive alerts rather than a reaction.

It is this possibility that is taking IoT to a whole new level of adoption across the planet. Consider the below numbers –

1. The number of connected devices will rise from 15.4 billion (2014) to 30.7 billion (2020) and further to 75.4 billion (by 2025)
2. The global spending on IoT (hardware, software, integration, monitoring, and analysis) was $737 billion. This will go reach a whopping $1.29 trillion by 2020!

This data proves that IoT holds substantial value in our lives in the coming years and businesses are already marshaling their resources to help take this technology mainstream.

How IoT impacts customer lives?

IoT provides personal assistance by regulating temperature, locking doors, activating burglar alarms, and so on. The continuous data flowing through all the objects connected over the IoT has provided a new dynamic in the world of AI. Companies are actively using IoT paired with AI to create interesting and useful products.

Here are some ways in which IoT will influence customer lives in 2018.

1. Voice Technology

IoT and AI paired together have provided people with a way of managing everything ranging from their personal to professional lives, through speech. Be it controlling AC temperature to turning on car ignition, voice assistants are fast becoming a part of everyone’s daily lives.

Ford has incorporated Alexa into their cars to enable easy radio toggle and accurate traffic updates which the user can ask for, through his speech. This will make driving safer. Alexa can also be installed into your home to act as a hub to control your personal gadgets and electronics.

2. Healthcare

The massive data collected by IoT can help determine diseases quickly and also provide accurate and relevant medications for the same. This is done by gathering information and insights on the disease from the internet.

IoT can help hospitals maintain patient records, manage workflow, and optimize appointments to help doctors carry out their duty more effectively. Using IoT enabled software to monitor blood pressure and heartbeat can help doctors recognize the cause by studying data provided by IoT.

3. Smart Refrigerators

Imagine if you were to be informed beforehand of a shortage of supplies in next 1-2 days so that you can fill in the grocery provisions easily? Yes, that’s what the IoT enabled refrigerator of the future would be capable of doing. It will generate a grocery shopping list based on which staple is running low on supply.

At the store end too, they can push notifications to your smartphone right when you step into the supermarket. They will alert you to add specific items on your list/shopping cart based on your past buying behavior or trends.

Thus, IoT as a tech trend has been advancing rapidly due to the immense value it has displayed across various facets of our lives. It will continue to grow and influence people in a positive way in 2018 and beyond.

Internet of Things (IoT) in the Insurance Industry

IoT is often regarded as the next big industrial revolution after the Internet. In addition to connecting machines with machines and with people, it is also promoting an enhanced sense of awareness of our surroundings. From coffee makers to washing machines, everything can now be connected and controlled. It doesn’t come as a surprise that spending on IOT worldwide (across all markets) is expected to rise from $737 billion in 2016 to a whopping $1.29 trillion by 2020.

Internet of Things is making its presence felt across industries, and the insurance companies are no different. IoT essentially uses its massive data flow and information from various devices to calculate and come up with possible outcomes for insurance companies and policyholders, which help them to minimize their losses, and it also actively engages the policyholders to prevent mishaps. Here is how the IoT can affect the Insurance companies and insurance policyholders.

How Internet of Things benefits Insurance policyholders

Advancement in IoT is in the best interests of the policyholders. This is because IoT keeps a track of anything and everything which is on the network, which includes the policyholder, and the assets he has insured.

1. IoT and Car Insurance

Consider a case where your car is insured at an insurance company which uses IoT to assist them with insurance policies. You can ask them and get your driving habits recorded with the IoT.

If a fluctuation is seen in the insured person’s driving, it will alert the insurance company. Also, good driving habits observed by IoT can get you good discounts on insurance policies. Hence, an increase in IoT technology can prove to be very beneficial for insurance policyholders.

2. IoT and Health Insurance

A person who cares a lot about his well-being and his fitness is obviously less prone to diseases as compared to a person with a sedentary lifestyle. However, almost every fit person and a normal person pay the same premium.

IoT can help you here. With various devices available now, like Fitbit and other running apps, which track your activities, you can contact your insurer and link your apps and devices with the IoT and get discounts on your premiums.

3. IoT and Home Insurance

As a homeowner, it is natural for a person to opt for a good home insurance policy to protect his home from damages and sudden calamities.  Many a time, untoward incidents can lead to lead to losses for both policyholders as well as for insurance companies.

These things can be avoided using IoT. Devices powered by IoT can be linked with satellites and various environmental sensors which can warn insurance policyholders of a potential problem before it gets too big. It can also notify the people about a possible approaching calamity to be avoided, hence preventing too much damage.

These pointers aptly denote the immense value that IOT can have in the insurance sector. It not only segregates the right premium for the right set of policyholders but also captures essential data points that can prevent claims and payouts for the insurance companies.

Designing an intuitive dashboard for IoT Products

Smart homes are soon becoming a more acceptable norm of society now with devices such as Amazon Echo, Google home, Alexa etc. But it is not just the technology that makes these products a massive hit among customers. A lot of thought has gone into designing such user-friendly IoT products.

As a product engineer or a UX designer who is working on an IoT project, your main focus is centered on creating and designing a product that brings immense value addition to your client.

One of the most crucial designs in IoT products involves the look and feel of an IoT dashboard which serves as the touch point for the user to interact with the device.

In this blog post, we are going to talk about the 4 steps involved in designing an intuitive dashboard for IoT products.

1. Break down the User Journey:

Take this a thumb rule – before you even get to the stage of picking up your pencil and sketch pad, spend some time to research and understand what kind of IoT product are you designing for?

It could be anything ranging from a smart system that controls the lighting of the house to a smart refrigerator that sends updates on the grocery list or a super efficient home locking system.

For better understanding, let us take the example of designing an IoT dashboard for a smart refrigerator that allows the user to track the details of grocery items and to set up reminders in the user’s mobile to stock up items.

Now, before we get down to designing this dashboard, as a product designer you first need to understand the underlying technology that will be used by the refrigerator such as, what kind of sensors would be triggered, what kind of data will be recorded, how will the data be analyzed etc.

Your job is to represent this underlying data in an intuitive manner. This is where your creative mind kicks in and is expected to think about the user journey and different use case scenarios. Also, while designing it is very necessary to be mindful about the target audience who is bound to use the product.

In the above example, the smart fridge is going to be used by a household which would include:

• a family of 4-5 members
• the users could be aged between 24 to 55 years
• the user could be either male or female
• pet-friendly house

Now based on the above user scenarios, you will be able to sketch out different user journeys.

2. Create the Skeleton with Wireframes

This is the fun part because here is where you actually visualize each and every action of the user. Some people call the wireframe stage as setting up the blueprint of the design and functionality of the product.

Now, when you are designing the dashboard of an IoT product, it is necessary that you visualize each and every step of the user and jot them down into squares, circles, and triangles. The key here is attention to detail. Step into the shoes of the user and think of the ways he/she will use the product on a real-time basis. Document scenarios that are not so obvious but have a probability to pop up.

In this stage, you also get to logically test the flow of user actions. Yes, ‘Logic’ is the word here. Don’t just go by your gut or instinct, you need to think if the steps in your wireframe make logical sense in the bigger picture. Sketch out as many possible scenarios here. Do not restrict your mind to – ‘this is it’! Explore different options and also be conscious to capture different user emotions while sketching the wireframes.

Don’t just put a button because it has to be there. Think of how you expect the user to navigate to a particular page such as – to check the grocery stock, to get alerts on food items that are running low on storage, setting timers for bakery products etc.

Once you have a gamut of ideas, sit down and evaluate the best possible user flows to create an unparalleled user experience (UX). This is the most important part of the whole designing process and so it is imperative that you get it right. The UX is the make or break deal for the success of your IoT product.

3. Bring your Product to life with Visual Designs

For all those creative artists out there, this is the stage where you need to find the Picasso inside you and splash those colors into the wireframes. But don’t just add any color – keep in mind factors such as color psychology and branding guidelines (if any) while choosing the colors.

Let us go back to our example of the refrigerator dashboard and see the kind of colors we could use.

It would be advisable to use a lot of white space in the design to give it a neat and easy user interface (UI). Also, depending on the USP of the overall IoT product, either blue or green could be a great choice of color for a dashboard.

If the highlight is more on the technology, then blue would be an ideal choice as it showcases intelligence and is a color that is most commonly used with electronics. But let’s say if the USP of the IoT product is to highlight health or any environmental benefits, then green would be an excellent choice to complement the messaging. Also, colors such as red, yellow and green can be used to indicate any functionality features to the user.

So, in a nutshell, while you are creating the visual designs keep the end user in mind and choose colors that are able to communicate instantly with the user.

4. Test your Designs – Time to Prototype:

This is the last and final stage of the design process where your designs are put to the ultimate test. With the help of many online tools such as Adobe XD or Invision, you can test your designs in real time and showcase the functionality to your clients.

This real-time feedback helps you to iterate designs on-the-go and incorporate all feedback at one point. It is important that all designers prototype their designs since quick and responsive designs translate into happy clients.

Thus, designing for IoT products can be slightly different from creating mobile apps and websites as User Experience is the key here. But with the above-guided approach, you can be assured of designing a vibrant and intuitive dashboard for IoT products

Is It Really Smart To Live In A Small Home

Always thought of building a smart home for yourself?

Always thought of living like a technological king?

Is this the right time or is it really smart to live in a smart home?

Ask yourself these 5 questions to know better.

Question 1: Do you even need a Smart Home?

Technically, no one needs a Smart Home any more than anyone needs a Casper mattress. But enough of your inner circle has talked about it that you’ve developed an itch. That itch, my friend, is the want for something ,  not a need. If you’re okay with admitting this nuance, then follow along.

Question 2: What problems are you trying to solve?

As quoted by a user on Mashable:

“When I started thinking about what I wanted a Smart Home for, I had some very specific pain points:

• My daughter couldn’t reach the light switch in the hallway that led to her bedroom.
• When my daughter was in her bedroom, she couldn’t reach the light switches there, either.
• I didn’t have an alarm system but having one would make me feel more comfortable; preferably one that didn’t require a subscription or phone line.
• Anytime we hired a doggy sitter, there was this dance of “How do we get you the key” and “How do we get the key back.” Ideally, no key is necessary — I have a smart lock that has personalized codes, or at the very least, I can control the lock remotely.

There are many other things I wanted, but those are the top 4. Lights turning off automatically, speakers announcing that a door has opened — those were just niceties that came expanding the system. “

Question 3: Do you have the money?

If you don’t have disposable income, stay away, because you really don’t need a Smart Home.

But for this post, let’s pretend that you do, but you’re still budget conscientious.

Consider this:

If you wanted a basic system that would turn on lights based on motion, you’d need:

• A motion sensor that doesn’t require a hub($40+)
• A bulb that doesn’t require a hub ( $30+)

= That’s $70 (again, this assumes you can use WiFi and some service like IFTTT that can get the 2 products to communicate with each other)

But then you realize that your WiFi isn’t sufficient/reliable, so now you have to purchase a Hub.

• A Hub (~$50+)

That makes it $120

And if that’s not enough, you just remember that there are 4 light bulbs in that room/hall that need to be Smart, not just 1. You’re clever though — you realize a switch is the cost effecting thing to do here.

Well, do you need an electrician or can you install it yourself? Are there multiple panels that turn the lights on and off? If so, you may need multiple smart switches. Oh, you want the bulbs to be able to change colors? Well, back to the drawing board!

Question 4: Are you in your forever home?

Things to consider:

Compatibility

You may not want a system that only “Works with Apple HomeKit”. If you land a buyer that is an Android user, the smart home becomes less…smart.

Switches over Bulbs

Bulbs will eventually burn out and the buyer may not want to be stuck purchasing these over and over again. A smart switch may be your best bet here. Just make sure that it’s using something that’s open like Z-Wave or Zigbee (Note: one technology is more open than the other.)

Smart Locks

When a person moves in, they’re likely going to want to change the lock. So, consider if you want a smart lock that actually supports keys (some don’t). And if you do, see how easy it is for the lock itself to invalidate your key and support new ones.

Risk

All the technologies above will eventually become outdated. Either because the technologies themselves have continued to improve (Z-Wave vs Z-Wave Plus vs Z-Wave v3), or in the worst case scenario, the technology itself has become obsolete.

Question 5: Do you care for your roommates?

We’re telling you now. Whether your roommate is a friend, a dog, or a spouse, you’re going to do something that’s going to annoy them. Whether it be the WiFi going down as you’re tuning frequencies, or the light is waking people up that just want to cross the hall to pee.

The Industrial Internet Of Things

The increase in the internet speed has spawned multiple use cases and technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. This enables the existence of a network layout that connects various gadgets and electronic devices (enabled with Wi-Fi connectivity) to share and exchange data. This way a user is able to operate any of the Internet of Things or IoT- enabled devices using a portable device such as a smartphone.

While IoT has a number of interesting and possible applications for personal use, there is a wider scope to it for industrial use as well (popularly known as Industrial IoT or IIoT). However in order to widen its coverage and improve adoption rates it is important that companies already utilizing IIoT improve the yields they derive from this technology. This can become an automatic impetus for companies to embrace this technology in the near future.

How can one increase the output of IIoT technology?

IIoT’s increasing role increases the scope to a wider platform that covers innovation opportunities at governmental levels as well. In addition, many major companies are looking forward to adapting this evolving technology in their products and services to ensure a much faster and convenient way of communicating with devices. Here are some possible areas:

• Production:

To ensure a higher level of analytical and prognostic processing, companies can use this high-end innovation to optimize the manufacturing and repairing techniques for their products. Many private and public sectors around the world including the U.S. Army’s Logistics Support Activity (LOGSA) operation has been implementing IoT aspects for increasing the performance of production. The operation unit further noted that there was a decrease in the manufacturing break by almost 20% after the adaptation of Internet of Things-enabled units.

• Utilities and Energy:

Another major advancement opportunity using IIoT is in the energy and utility sectors. With it, these sectors can use predictive methods to analyze and maintain the power for continuous supply of energy wherever needed.

• Infrastructure:

Managing infrastructure is quite hectic. However, with the use of IoT, there is a chance of improving the building operations. Some have already implemented it and have already experienced a dropdown of 20 percent in the infrastructure costs.

• Retail Sector:

Any company that is using this technology understands the benefits. One of them is that a customer who purchases a unit from such a company may never even have to speak directly to its customer service for a complaint about a product. This is because IoT enabled devices analyze and predict any maintenance requirements or defects in the products to keep them working as well as communicate with the end customers more effectively. A major brand who has implemented this technology is Whirlpool.

• Transportation:

Internet of Things also has a great opportunity in improving logistics service providers. Its implementation can easily reduce the time it takes to transit various shipments as well as reduce chances of errors or fraud. Such attributes enable companies to keep track of the shipping documents, any digital signatures, inventory management, etc., to enable a much higher level of transportation process.

Thus, with IoT there is great chance of improving not just your residential areas, but also the industrial sectors. So, are you ready for the IIoT technology implementation in your commercial layout?