What Is Meant By the term: Internet of Things(IoT)?

Definition: Internet of Things(IoT) is a system of computer devices, digital and mechanical machines that are inter-related to each other with unique identifiers(UIDs) and has the ability to transfer the data over the network without having human interactions.

Internet of Things is actually a pretty simple concept in which it takes all the things in the information from the world and connects them through the internet. If something is connected to the internet, that means it can send or receive information. This makes the device smart.

Fundamental Components of the IoT System:

1. Sensors/Devices: They help in collecting the information from the surrounding environment(even the minute information is collected). This information can be simple(like sensing temperature) to complex(where face recognition takes place for unlocking the door/devices). Devices can have multiple sensors/devices connected together for sensing things in the environment. The rudimentary step will always remain to pick and collect data from the surroundings/environment where it is placed.
2. Connectivity: As of now, we have collected the data, now it has to be sent to the cloud infrastructure, but a medium is needed for it. So we can connect our sensors using the cellular network, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other Wide-Area Networks. Every network has it own specifications and trade-offs between power consumed by them, their range, and the bandwidth at which they operate. Hence, choosing the best-suited connectivity is most important for the IoT system.

3. Data Processing: Till now we have collected and sent the data to the cloud, now we will be processing it. It can be simple(like checking the temperature on the device) and complex(like detecting the correct face for face recognition system).

4. User Interface: We have collected, sent, and processed the data till now, so we will be making the processed data(information) available to the end-user. This can be achieved by using triggering an alarm or by pushing a message to the user. We can also design an application/website which will have an interface in which the user can actively check the IoT system.

For different applications, the IoT system is designed in different ways: A) in some applications the user might also perform an action that backfires and affects the system. B) And in some predefined rules will be set, so the IoT system will adjust the settings automatically.

Why IoT is Important?

IoT is helping people live and work in a smarter manner by gaining control over their lives. It plays a major role in automating homes by providing smart devices. IoT also plays an essential role in business, as it provides a real-time look into how the system is performing by delivering insights. Helps in tracking the efficiency of supply chains and logistics operation.

IoT has enabled companies to enter automation(known as Industry 4.0) which automates the process and reduces the labor cost. Due to automation, manufacturing is in-expensive and also makes it possible to deliver the good quality products. It also helps in improving service delivery as it offers transparency into customer transactions.

IoT is becoming so prominent, that it has felt no field/industry untouched. Some of the industries where IoT is used: agriculture, health-care, manufacturing, finance, retail, and transportation.

IoT is the backbone of Artificial Intelligence, as IoT is about connecting machines and making use of the data generated from those machines and AI is about simulating intelligent behavior in machines of all kinds. Hence, IoT and AI go hand in hand and make the device smarter.

Advantages of IoT:

1. The ability to access the data on the go, i.e. accessing it from anywhere at any time on any device.
2. It helps the physical devices to stay connected and communicate with each other, known as M2M(Machine to Machine) Communication.
3. More availability of data simplifies the decision-making process, making life easier.
4. Automation helps in getting uniformity in tasks, improving the quality of service, and control day-to-day tasks without human intervention. M2M communication helps in maintaining transparency throughout the process.
5. It improves labour efficiency and also avoids mismatch of skills which increases productivity.

Disadvantages of IoT:

1. As our everyday device is getting connected to the internet, more and more information is getting readily available. Due to this, it makes it harder to keep the information confidential from hands of hackers and unauthorized users.
2. As there is no international standard currently, compatibility between devices from different manufactures is difficult/complex.
3. IoT is a vast and diverse network, hence a single failure(in hardware/software) can have disastrous consequences.
4. IoT gets consistent automation, hence there will be decline in the need for unskilled employees over time.
5. As dependency is increasing over technology, basic human interaction skills are getting reduced across society.

Some of the IoT Protocols are:

1. MQTT: MQTT (Message Queue Telemetry Transport) is a lightweight protocol for sending simple data flows from sensors to applications and middleware. MQTT suits small, cheap, low-memory, and low-power devices.
2. DDS: DDS (Data Distribution Service) is an IoT standard for real-time, scalable, and high-performance machine-to-machine communication. It was developed by the Object Management Group (OMG). You can deploy DDS both in low-footprint devices and within the cloud.
3. AMQP: AMQP (Advanced Message Queuing Protocol) is an application layer protocol for message-oriented middleware environments. It is an open-source published standard for asynchronous messaging by wire. It enables encrypted and interoperable messaging between organizations and applications and it is approved as an international standard.
4. CoAP: Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) is the protocol designed by the IETF that specifies how low-power, compute-constrained devices can operate within the internet of things.

Some of the IoT Communication Technologies:

1. Bluetooth: Bluetooth is the short-range communication technology integrated into most smartphones and mobile devices, which is a major advantage for personal products, particularly wearables. Bluetooth is well-known to mobile users. But shortly, the new significant protocol for IoT apps appeared — Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE), or Bluetooth Smart. This technology may be a real foundation for the IoT because it is scalable and versatile to all or any market innovations. Moreover, it is designed to reduce power consumption.
2. Zigbee: Zigbee is a low-power, low-data rate wireless network used mainly in industrial settings. ZigBee is based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.4 standard. The ZigBee Alliance created Dotdot, the universal language for IoT that permits smart objects to figure securely on any network and understand one another.
3. Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is the technology for radio wireless networking of devices. It offers fast data transfer and is able to process large amounts of data. This is the foremost popular sort of connectivity in LAN environments.
4. Cellular: Cellular technology is the basis of mobile phone networks. But it’s also suitable for the IoT apps that require functioning over longer distances. They can also use cellular communication capabilities like GSM, 3G, 4G (and 5G soon). The technology is able to transfer high quantities of data, but the power consumption and the expenses are high too. Thus, it is often an ideal solution for projects that send small amounts of data.
5. LoRaWAN: LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is a protocol for wide area networks. It is specifically designed to support huge networks (e.g. smart cities) with millions of low-power devices. It can provide low-cost mobile and secure bidirectional communication in various industries.