What is The Internet Of Things? What are IoT Devices? We’ll Explain

Posted by MPH Group on November 10th, 2020

The Internet of Things is a concept people are throwing around, and as such has been raising some eyebrows by people who quite don’t know what it is. Discover what it means in this post!

There is a lot of talk about the Internet of Things, but the truth is most people still don’t grasp the concept or what it really is. This is easilly fixed as IoT isn’t a hard concept to explain or to understand, and so we thought we could do it right here through this blog post.

Of course, this post should be taken as a place to start, since IoT is a rabbit hole that will drag you deeper and deeper into its endless possibilities and benefits to reap. 

Grab a cup of tea, sit back and take notes of the concepts that interest you the most in this IoT runthrough so you can research the areas of it that pique your interest the most.

Are You Using the Internet of Things?

You may think adopting IoT is an expensive process and that it requires a lot of onboarding, but you probably already adopted it quite a while ago without even realizing it. As an example, if you have a smartwatch you should know that is an “Internet of Things Device”. If you have an Alexa, or Google Assistant, that’s one of those devices as well.

So you see, chances are every day more and more people adopt IoT devices without even realizing it and while thinking IoT is a faraway abstract concept only top companies and rich individuals can put to use.

There are over 30 Billion devices already connected to the Internet of Things, and that’s pretty impressive as if you divide that number per each inhabitant of our blue planet Earth, then you get to the conclusion each person has over 2 devices on IoT – so that really helps you see how mainstream IoT really is.

About IoT Devices:

Internet of Things devices are, to put it bluntly, gadgets you can connect to the Internet. This means even most mobile phones these days are IoT devices, so when thinking about that the 30 billion devices suddenly seem justified.

These devices can receive and send data which gives them a programmable use. This programmable use is being adopted on gadgets that usually don’t connect to the internet, as a way to provide users added benefits while using them or to expand their possibilities.

As an example, even coffee machines are sometimes connected to the Internet these days, and those bring a whole lot of new features to the table, such as the ability to brew you coffee when you’re not even home yet.

Some fridge models let you know how low they are on certain products, some mattresses record your sleeping movements and sleeping habits, some cars use the Internet to navigate and some homes are smart devices these days as well.

Now you know how great IoT can be, it expands on products thought to be unexpandable and adds new feature layers on products that need it or apparently don’t (until you add them in and suddently nobody wants to go back to the “vanilla” version).

If You Like IoT Devices: Hear About IoT Platforms

Now, you can’t really make the most out of these devices without platforms. These platforms are what makes IoT possible in the first place as they serve to build, modify, launch, keep, sell or distribute applications.

We’re talking about IoT platforms from big guys like Amazon, Google and IBM since these giants are the ones with the means to pull off this highly optimized and connected hubs.

Developers rely on these tools to make the “magic” possible. Again, if you’re a user, you don’t have to worry about this at all, but we told you we’d explain all about IoT, and now you know.

Read About Some Numbers: How is the Internet of Things Relevant

If you are a data oriented guy, then rest assured numbers will confirm IoT is one of the biggest things since the Internet popped out.

For starters let’s just talk about how IoT is distributed throughout industries. According to Forbes, IoT is going to be relevant in residential, industrial, health and life.

Forbes points out 26% of the devices will be Smart City devices, 24% industrial ones, 20% healthcare related devices and 14% smart home components.

Not only that, Business Insider also claims IoT adopters in the manufacturing industry will experience increased revenues of up to 28,5%, which is a growth level you shouldn’t look down on, for sure! 

Shipping expenses will also be reduced in a range of 20-30%, which is convenient for all of the devices people will be ordering.

IoT Security: The Age of Cryptography

There are a lot of concerns about all of this connectivity, but they are mostly coming from people not following the evolution of cryptosecurity.

There are security methods being invented and implemented around the clock, such as blockchain, to make these devices as safe as possible.

We anticipate that cryptography is going to have an ever-increasing relevant place in the world, and people will start “buying locks” for their virtual doors.

There’s also a chance that these cryptographic innovations will simply be in-built, making the devices inherently safe, though you’ll have to trust the manufacturer since he is fabricating both the lock and the product, which isn’t an easy thing to do if you order cheaper devices from less known brands.

On the other hand, there are technologies that can’t be tampered, again like blockchain, and as such guarantee added security, but only time will tell how this evolves.

We hope we made this whole IoT thing a bit clearer for you and that you now have some fresh new concepts to explore if this text piqued your interest.

Rest assured, the age of IoT is coming, and we’re mostly already in it so it’s okay.