IoT (and sometimes ‘IoT Solutions’) is a generic term applied to describe all sorts of devices and machines interrelated, interconnected and integrated with each other, especially through the introduction of the Internet of Things (IoT). In simple terms, IoT refers to a 'cloud of objects', a network of physical objects that are linked together and share a common physical space. This space can be described as the physical environment where various objects that make up IoT solutions live, work and move, in order to communicate and exchange data. An important aspect of IoT is providing a common ground for all elements or devices used within a specific IoT solutions deployment.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is thus a term used to describe the interconnection of a enabling layer (or several layers) of services, and tools that are delivered via the internet. This layer provides the means and/or opportunity for the configuration and operation of those services.
IoT rarely refers to the Internet of Things directly. Instead, IoT is usually a specific instance of a network, as mentioned above. For instance, if we observe the current development of smart cities, then smart homes will be two separate ecosystems. One will be the home IoT network, and the other will be the connected city network.
As mentioned above, IoT is about connectivity and sharing data. This stems from the fact that, at a basic level, every device connected to an IoT solutions deployment or system essentially acts as a node or a smart terminal. The node stores the relevant data, which can be recorded locally for later retrieval, or passed on to other locations within the network as needed.
If we look at these nodes in more detail, we can say that they are generally dumb terminals with sensors. Smart homes use a network of nodes - in the form of smart appliances containing sensors of various types - and industrial IoT solutions work in the same way - it’s simply that the types of devices and the tasks that they are meant to fulfil and the data that they’re recording are different. These devices all communicate with each other through the use of the open API (Application Program Interface) or REST. REST is used throughout the smart appliances to gather information, like for temperature, time, motion, humidity and more.
Sensors attached to the IoT node along with the gathered data can be used for building up a general overview of the current situation in the home or place of business.
With the increasing acceptance of cloud storage and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, it is a reasonable expectation that within the next few years, most homes and workplaces will include some type of smart or connected device.
However, many households and organizations are not yet prepared to take the IoT initiative. Though ready for testing, a lot of people still need to get their hands on the necessary building blocks first. In general people are now willing to purchase ready-made solutions from the likes of Microsoft and Amazon, but remain guarded about the business and technology implications of such a move. In the IoT ecosystem, there are many vendors that are looking to make their offerings compatible with the myriad of connected devices expected to become available in the near future.
These offerings will provide organizations and households with a ready-made platform for exploring and using big data in support of their core business activities, or in a greater part of their lives at home. IoT solutions that also involve the cloud should also provide the scalability and elasticity that’s needed to expand and thrive in a connected, cloud-based world.
‘The Cloud’ first emerged as a scrum technology around 10 years ago. While there was an orientation toward static infrastructures, the business and technology perspective was one of elasticity and scalability. While the world rebooted itself numerous times during the period, IoT solutions emerged and continued to develop their ability to adopt and make use of new and developing business tools and services.
While there are numerous areas that focus on specific facets of IoT solutions, the global cloud landscape is changing dramatically. The public cloud has emerged to be the foremost mode of operation and is expanding rapidly. However, private clouds are finding their way into the market place too. Each continues to emphasize different facets with unique architecture that incorporates various combinations of public, private and hybrid clouds. Each new technological option provides more robust features with a credibility based on past experience.