What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?

An IoT application is a collection of services and

The term IoT, or Internet of Things, refers to the
collective network of connected devices and the
technology that facilitates communication
between devices and the cloud, as well as
between the devices themselves. Thanks to the
advent of inexpensive computer chips and high
bandwidth telecommunication, we now have
billions of devices connected to the internet.
This means everyday devices like toothbrushes,
vacuums, cars, and machines can use sensors
to collect data and respond intelligently to
users.
The Internet of Things integrates everyday
“things” with the internet. Computer Engineers
have been adding sensors and processors to
everyday objects since the 90s. However,
progress was initially slow because the chips
were big and bulky. Low power computer chips
called RFID tags were first used to track
expensive equipment. As computing devices
shrank in size, these chips also became smaller,
faster, and smarter over time.
The cost of integrating computing power into
small objects has now dropped considerably.
For example, you can add connectivity
with Alexa voice services capabilities to
MCUs with less than 1MB embedded RAM, such
as for light switches. A whole industry has
sprung up with a focus on filling our homes,
businesses, and offices with IoT devices. These
smart objects can automatically transmit data
to and from the Internet. All these “invisible
computing devices” and the technology
associated with them are collectively referred
to as the Internet of Things.
How does IoT work?
software that integrates data received from
various IoT devices. It uses machine learning or
artificial intelligence (AI) technology to analyze
this data and make informed decisions. These
decisions are communicated back to the IoT
device and the IoT device then responds
intelligently to inputs.
A graphical user interface
The IoT device or fleet of devices can be
managed through a graphical user interface.
Common examples include a mobile application
or website that can be used to register and
control smart devices.
What are examples of IoT devices?
Let’s look at some examples of IoT systems in
use today:
Connected cars
There are many ways vehicles, such as cars,
can be connected to the internet. It can be
through smart dashcams, infotainment systems,
or even the vehicle's connected gateway. They
collect data from the accelerator, brakes,
speedometer, odometer, wheels, and fuel tanks
to monitor both driver performance and vehicle
health. Connected cars have a range of uses:
 Monitoring rental car fleets to increase
fuel efficiency and reduce costs.
 Helping parents track the driving behavior
of their children.
 Notifying friends and family automatically
in case of a car crash.

 Predicting and preventing vehicle

A typical IoT system works through the real-
maintenance needs.
time collection and exchange of data. An IoT
system has three components:
Connected homes

Smart devices

This is a device, like a television, security

camera, or exercise equipment that has been
given computing capabilities. It collects data
from its environment, user inputs, or usage
patterns and communicates data over the
internet to and from its IoT application.

IoT application
Smart home devices are mainly focused on
improving the efficiency and safety of the house,
as well as improving home networking. Devices
like smart outlets monitor electricity usage and
smart thermostats provide better temperature
control. Hydroponic systems can use IoT
sensors to manage the garden while IoT smoke
detectors can detect tobacco smoke. Home
security systems like door locks, security
cameras, and water leak detectors can detect
and prevent threats, and send alerts to
homeowners.
Connected devices for the home can be used
for:
 Automatically turning off devices not being
used.
 Rental property management
maintenance.
 Finding misplaced items like keys
wallets.
 Automating daily tasks like vacuuming,
making coffee, etc.
Smart cities
IoT applications have made urban planning and
infrastructure maintenance more efficient.
Governments are using IoT applications to
tackle problems in infrastructure, health, and
the environment. IoT applications can be used
for:
 Measuring air quality and radiation levels.
 Reducing energy bills with smart lighting
systems.
 Detecting maintenance needs for critical
infrastructures such as streets, bridges,
and pipelines.
 Increasing profits through efficient parking
management.
Smart buildings
Buildings such as college campuses and
commercial buildings use IoT applications to
drive greater operational efficiencies. IoT
devices can be use in smart buildings for:
 Reducing energy consumption.
 Lowering maintenance costs.
 Utilizing work spaces more efficiently.
How can IoT improve our lives?
The Internet of Things has a wide-ranging
impact on human life and work. It allows
machines to do more heavy lifting, take over
tedious tasks and make life more healthy,
productive, and comfortable.
For example, connected devices could change
your entire morning routine. When you hit the
snooze button, your alarm clock would
automatically get the coffee machine to turn on
and open your window blinds. Your refrigerator
would auto-detect finishing groceries and order
them for home delivery. Your smart oven would
tell you the menu for the day — it might even
cook pre-assembled ingredients and make sure
and your lunch is ready. Your smartwatch will
schedule meetings as your connected car
automatically sets the GPS to stop for a fuel
or
refill. The opportunities are endless in an IoT
world!
What are the benefits of IoT for business?
Accelerate innovation
The Internet of Things gives businesses access
to advanced analytics that uncover new
opportunities. For example, businesses can
create highly targeted advertising campaigns by
collecting data on customer behavior.
Turn data into insights and actions with AI and
ML
Collected data and historical trends can be used
to predict future outcomes. For example,
warranty information can be paired with IoT-
collected data to predict maintenance incidents.
This can be used to proactively provide
customer service and build customer loyalty.
Increase security
Continuous monitoring of digital and physical
infrastructure can optimize performance,
improve efficiency and reduce safety risks. For
example, data collected from an onsite monitor
can be combined with hardware and firmware
version data to automatically schedule system
updates.
Scale differentiated solutions
IoT technologies can be deployed in a customer
focused way to increase satisfaction. For
example, trending products can be restocked
promptly to avoid shortages.
What are IoT technologies?
Technologies used in IoT systems may include:
Edge computing
Edge computing refers to the technology used to
make smart devices do more than just send or
receive data to their IoT platform. It increases
the computing power at the edges of an IoT
network, reducing communication latency and
improving response time.
Cloud computing
Cloud technology is used for remote data
storage and IoT device management – making
the data accessible to multiple devices in the
network.
Machine learning
Machine learning refers to the software and
algorithms used to process data and make real-
time decisions based on that data. These
machine learning algorithms can be deployed in
the cloud or at the edge.
What is AWS IoT and how can it help?
AWS IoT brings AI and IoT together to improve
business outcomes. It is the only cloud vendor
that combines data management and rich
analytics to create easy-to-use services
designed for high-volume IoT data.
AWS IoT includes services like security, data
encryption, and access control to device data. It
is built on secure and proven cloud
infrastructure and IoT networks and scales to
billions of devices and trillions of messages.
AWS IoT also integrates with other AWS
services so you can create complete solutions.
Build with AWS IoT
AWS IoT provides IoT services for industrial,
consumer, and commercial solutions. You can
rely on AWS IoT services to build applications
that uncover new business value, run
sophisticated analytics and detect and respond
to events from large number of IoT devices.
Get started with AWS IoT by creating a free
AWS account. New to IoT? Learn the basics and
get started building simple end-to-end IoT
applications.
https://aws.amazon.com/what-is/iot/#:~:text=The%20term
%20IoT%2C%20or%20Internet,as%20between%20the%20devices
%20themselves.
What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?
The term IoT, or Internet of Things, refers to the
collective network of connected devices and the
technology that facilitates communication
between devices and the cloud, as well as
between the devices themselves. Thanks to the
advent of inexpensive computer chips and high
bandwidth telecommunication, we now have
billions of devices connected to the internet.
This means everyday devices like toothbrushes,
vacuums, cars, and machines can use sensors
to collect data and respond intelligently to
users.
The Internet of Things integrates everyday
“things” with the internet. Computer Engineers
have been adding sensors and processors to
everyday objects since the 90s. However,
progress was initially slow because the chips
were big and bulky. Low power computer chips
called RFID tags were first used to track
expensive equipment. As computing devices
shrank in size, these chips also became smaller,
faster, and smarter over time.
The cost of integrating computing power into
small objects has now dropped considerably.
For example, you can add connectivity
with Alexa voice services capabilities to
MCUs with less than 1MB embedded RAM, such
as for light switches. A whole industry has
sprung up with a focus on filling our homes,
businesses, and offices with IoT devices. These
smart objects can automatically transmit data
to and from the Internet. All these “invisible
computing devices” and the technology
associated with them are collectively referred
to as the Internet of Things.
How does IoT work?
A typical IoT system works through the real-
time collection and exchange of data. An IoT
system has three components:
Smart devices
This is a device, like a television, security
camera, or exercise equipment that has been
given computing capabilities. It collects data
from its environment, user inputs, or usage
patterns and communicates data over the
internet to and from its IoT application.
IoT application
An IoT application is a collection of services and
software that integrates data received from
various IoT devices. It uses machine learning or
artificial intelligence (AI) technology to analyze
this data and make informed decisions. These
decisions are communicated back to the IoT
device and the IoT device then responds
intelligently to inputs.
A graphical user interface
The IoT device or fleet of devices can be
managed through a graphical user interface.
Common examples include a mobile application
or website that can be used to register and
control smart devices.
What are examples of IoT devices?
Let’s look at some examples of IoT systems in
use today:
Connected cars
There are many ways vehicles, such as cars,
can be connected to the internet. It can be
through smart dashcams, infotainment systems,
or even the vehicle's connected gateway. They
collect data from the accelerator, brakes,
speedometer, odometer, wheels, and fuel tanks
to monitor both driver performance and vehicle
health. Connected cars have a range of uses:
 Monitoring rental car fleets to increase
fuel efficiency and reduce costs.
 Helping parents track the driving behavior
of their children.
 Notifying friends and family automatically
in case of a car crash.
 Predicting and preventing vehicle
maintenance needs.
Connected homes
Smart home devices are mainly focused on
improving the efficiency and safety of the house,
as well as improving home networking. Devices
like smart outlets monitor electricity usage and
smart thermostats provide better temperature
control. Hydroponic systems can use IoT
sensors to manage the garden while IoT smoke
detectors can detect tobacco smoke. Home
security systems like door locks, security
cameras, and water leak detectors can detect
and prevent threats, and send alerts to
homeowners.
Connected devices for the home can be used
for:
 Automatically turning off devices not being
used.
 Rental property management and
maintenance.
 Finding misplaced items like keys or
wallets.
 Automating daily tasks like vacuuming,
making coffee, etc.
Smart cities
IoT applications have made urban planning and
infrastructure maintenance more efficient.
Governments are using IoT applications to
tackle problems in infrastructure, health, and
the environment. IoT applications can be used
for:
 Measuring air quality and radiation levels.
 Reducing energy bills with smart lighting
systems.
 Detecting maintenance needs for critical
infrastructures such as streets, bridges,
and pipelines.
 Increasing profits through efficient parking
management.
Smart buildings
Buildings such as college campuses and
commercial buildings use IoT applications to
drive greater operational efficiencies. IoT
devices can be use in smart buildings for:
  Reducing energy consumption. energy consumption and machine performance. This data can be
analyzed in real time to identify patterns, trends and anomalies
 Lowering maintenance costs. that can help businesses optimize their operations and improve
their bottom line.
 Utilizing work spaces more efficiently.

How can IoT improve our lives?

The Internet of Things has a wide-ranging Improved efficiency

impact on human life and work. It allows
machines to do more heavy lifting, take over
tedious tasks and make life more healthy,
productive, and comfortable.
For example, connected devices could change
your entire morning routine. When you hit the
snooze button, your alarm clock would
automatically get the coffee machine to turn on
and open your window blinds. Your refrigerator
would auto-detect finishing groceries and order
them for home delivery. Your smart oven would
tell you the menu for the day — it might even
cook pre-assembled ingredients and make sure
your lunch is ready. Your smartwatch will
schedule meetings as your connected car
automatically sets the GPS to stop for a fuel
refill. The opportunities are endless in an IoT
world!
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a network of physical
devices, vehicles, appliances and other physical objects that are
embedded with sensors, software and network connectivity that
allows them to collect and share data. These devices — also
known as “smart objects” — can range from simple “smart home”
devices like smart thermostats, to wearables like smartwatches and
RFID-enabled clothing, to complex industrial machinery and
transportation systems. Technologists are even envisioning entire
“smart cities” predicated on IoT technologies.
By using IoT devices to automate and optimize
processes, businesses can improve efficiency and
productivity. For example, IoT sensors can be used to
monitor equipment performance and detect or even
resolve potential issues before they cause downtime,
reducing maintenance costs and improving uptime.
Data-driven decision-making
IoT devices generate vast amounts of data that can be
used to make better-informed business decisions and
new business models. By analyzing this data,
businesses can gain insights into customer behavior,
market trends and operational performance, allowing
them to make more informed decisions about strategy,
product development and resource allocation.
Cost-savings
By reducing manual processes and automating
repetitive tasks, IoT can help businesses reduce costs
and improve profitability. For example, IoT devices
can be used to monitor energy usage and optimize
consumption, reducing energy costs and improving
sustainability.
Enhanced customer experience
By using IoT technology to gather data about customer
behavior, businesses can create more personalized and
engaging experiences for their customers. For example,
retailers can use IoT sensors to track customer
movements in stores and deliver personalized offers
based on their behavior.

IoT enables these smart devices to communicate with each other

and with other internet-enabled devices, like smartphones and
gateways, creating a vast network of interconnected devices that
can exchange data and perform a variety of tasks autonomously.
This can include everything from monitoring environmental
conditions in farms, to managing traffic patterns with smart cars
and other smart automotive devices, to controlling machines and
processes in factories, to tracking inventory and shipments in
warehouses.

The potential applications of IoT are vast and varied, and its
impact is already being felt across a wide range of industries,
including manufacturing, transportation, healthcare and
agriculture. As the number of internet-connected devices
continues to grow, IoT is likely to play an increasingly important
role in shaping our world and transforming the way we live, work
and interact with each other.

In an enterprise context, IoT devices are used to monitor a wide

range of parameters such as temperature, humidity, air quality,