We live in a world of abbreviations and acronyms these days. Letter combinations like OOF, BRB, TYL, LOL, and IDK fill our texts, Slack messages, and, depending on your work environment, emails. They’re mostly easy to decipher and use in responses. But there’s one abbreviation that’s popping up everywhere and changing the world, but isn’t so easy to understand: IoT.
IoT: Internet of Things. When the Internet became widespread, we were all connected as the Internet of People. It changed our lives. But it is about to change again. Soon, it will not be us but our devices (cars, phones, appliances, etc.) that will be connected, and this change will turn the world upside down. According to most experts, in a very good way. Some predict that the change will be so extreme that IoT will lead to the next industrial revolution.
One of the reasons the Internet of Things will be so big is because the number of “things” far outnumbers the number of people. Gartner predicts that there will be 20.4 billion connected devices by 2020. Can you imagine that? Over 20 billion devices, all connected and sharing data all around us all the time. That’s a low number; the FTC predicts it will be 50 billion, and this infographic suggests it could be as much as 200 billion. And then there’s the money issue; IDC predicts that the global IoT market will exceed $1.7 trillion by 2020. Billions of devices and trillions of dollars? All of those numbers are mind-boggling!
But right now, it’s just a number. Devices and money alone don’t tell you what IoT is, how it works, or why it matters. And without understanding these three things, you can’t truly understand the importance of this inevitable transformation, or your potential role in it.
Internet of Things: What is IoT?
Let’s start with the question of what is IoT? According to the Internet of Things, IoT is “the interconnection of computing devices embedded in everyday objects over the Internet, enabling them to send and receive data.” At the consumer level, these devices are attached to cars, phones, home appliances, medical devices, wristbands, livestock, etc. At the industrial level, these devices are attached to machines, transportation equipment, vehicles, robots, warehouses, etc. But where the devices are located is less important than what they do. What they do is “talk” to each other, share data, and get feedback based on that data and all the other data they are generating, analyzing, and processing.
How it works: IoT applications
Perhaps the best way to explain how IoT works is to look at the applications of the Internet of Things. What are some of the real-world scenarios that this technology can enable?
Your car might detect an engine problem, schedule an appointment with a mechanic, and notify the manufacturer of the problem in case similar issues are occurring with other engines. Your smart home might know if you had a stressful day at work and provide soothing music and soft lighting when you open the door. Your refrigerator could tell you which groceries to buy or order them for you. Your coffee maker might know when you wake up and turn on at that time.
In these examples, no device is operating in isolation. They are responding to and sending data. The sensors in your car are connected to your mechanic’s calendar and your manufacturer’s logs. Your smart home is connected to your calendar so it knows you’ve had a long day. Your refrigerator is receiving data to figure out what foods may be spoiled and what you want to keep on hand. Your coffee maker is connected to your wristband so it knows when you wake up.
All these scenarios make days easier for consumers, but what about businesses? What does IoT mean for the world of commerce? There are many. In the world of Industrial IoT, similar devices can track inventory to optimize stock availability and reordering, make transportation more efficient by taking into account weather and traffic conditions, and reduce machine breakdowns with predictive maintenance. Autonomous vehicles can deliver the warehouse parts you need exactly when you need them. The examples are too numerous to mention, as Industrial IoT has already taken off and businesses are already reaping the benefits.
Why it matters: The benefits of IoT
From the above application examples, you can see that IoT can only improve the lives of consumers and make it more cost-effective for businesses. And these two perspectives are equally important, because the question regarding the benefits of the Internet of Things can be answered in one of two ways: from a consumer perspective or from a business perspective.
From a consumer perspective, IoT has the potential to streamline daily activities, reduce utility bills (and energy usage), improve healthcare, avoid congestion, and much more. IoT has the potential to make life easier. From a business perspective, IoT has the potential to reduce costs, increase efficiency, improve customer service, speed up decision-making, and much more. IoT has the potential to become a competitive advantage, rewarding innovators who adapt to IoT first.
Pursuing a career in IoT
The IoT transformation is already underway and businesses cannot ignore it. Nor can they remain ignorant of the challenges they will face in adapting to IoT. But what about you as an individual? Should you take steps to prepare for the next industrial revolution? If you want a career that is future-proofed and has unlimited possibilities, you can. There are many jobs available in ITIL® 4 Foundation. One reason is that IoT is not an industry or a specific technology, it is all-encompassing. That is why we need skilled professionals in the areas of data and analytics, programming and ITIL, cloud computing and TOGAF®, programming and engineering. The list goes on and on.
If you want to learn more, here are four ways you can get involved in the next wave of the internet: But there are many more ways.
Learn ITIL – According to influencer Manuel W. Lloyd, ITIL is crucial to the future of IoT, as it brings additional challenges to stability, networks, and security. “ITIL, with its proven framework for managing what was once disconnected, is the best hope for the future of not just IoT, but the Internet itself,” he says. Learn TOGAF – IoT is one of the technologies TOGAF is working on. The Open Group’s IoT standards will do for IoT what HTML and HTTP did for the web, making everything instantly connected. Earning a TOGAF certification will equip you with the skills you need to work with IoT. Learn Big Data – This may be obvious, since IoT is based on data and will generate a lot of data. Most organizations will need to adapt their technology to be able to handle the large amounts of IoT data that will result from the Internet of Things. Learn Blockchain – Blockchain’s security nature could make it crucial for IoT.
Unlike technologies that are predicted but never materialize, the IoT is here to stay. It’s already on its way. And soon we’ll be as familiar with connected devices and the data they share as we are with email and Google today. But whether for your business or your future job prospects, it’s best to be prepared.
Disclaimer: “TOGAF is a registered trademark of The Open Group.”
