What are some real-world applications of IoT?

Welcome to SandStorm IT’s 6-part series about the Internet of Things. In this series, we’ll shed some light on the basics of IoT.

Part 1 – What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?
Part 2 – Why do I care about IoT?
Part 3 – What are some real-world applications of IoT? (You are here)
Part 4 – What are the security concerns of IoT?
Part 5 – What devices do I have that connects to IoT?
Part 6 – What is the future of IoT?

As part of our “Internet of Things” series, SandStorm IT would like to go over some real-world applications for the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT). This category of products is very broad reaching across many industries including smart homes, wearables, automotive, industrial, retail, healthcare and many more.  For the purposes of this blog, we will separate some real-world applications into business and personal categories.

Personal Applications

Smart homes – Everything from controlling your lights, thermostat, alarm system, security cameras, etc.  A great example of this smart technology is some of the smart thermostats now that will actually adjust the temperate based on your actions for the previous week.  The device will recognize if you continually set the temperate lower in the evenings and it will start adjusting the temperature automatically!

Retail – Baby monitoring devices is another great example, for those of us that have newborns we are constantly worried about their health and safety.  There are now devices available that will tell you their heart rate, temperature, air quality in the room, and so much more.  Because of IoT, you can now have thermostats respond to your baby’s temperature based on the data that is collected to ensure your babies health and safety.

Business Applications

Smart Cities – Similar to smart homes, cities are now using IoT devices.  They have devices that can collect data on traffic management, power usage, water usage, and even pollution.  With this continual collection of data, cities will be able to make smarter decisions on where improvements are needed and how to best allocate their budgets.

Healthcare – This is probably going to be the most prominent industry where IoT will have a significant impact from both a personal and business perspective.  We will continually see the emergence of companies that produce wearable devices that track overall health information.  Some of these devices can be very general tracking things such as heart rate and blood pressure, while others will be very specific for tracking blood sugar levels for diabetic patients.

Overall, the Internet of Things will continue to be one of the most exciting yet challenging technologies of the future. If you have any questions about IoT or any other question regarding technology, feel free to call the experts at SandStorm IT at 901-475-0275.