What is Internet of Things (IoT) and how can it help your business?

IoT enables your organization to analyze and act on data, allowing you to make smart decisions in real-time. With the timely and relevant insights about your business and customers that come with these new sources of data, there's great potential for industries of all kinds—including manufacturing, transportation, energy, agriculture, retail, and government—to operate more efficiently and provide new value to customers by implementing the right IoT solution.

What is the Internet of Things used for?

In short, IoT lets you solve your business problems using your own data. The Internet of Things isn't just about connected devices—it's about the information those devices collect and the powerful, immediate insights that can be garnered from that information. These insights can be used to transform your business and lower costs through improvements like reduction of wasted materials, streamlined operational and mechanical processes, or expansion into new lines of business that are only made possible with reliable real-time data. Create a real competitive advantage by using IoT to turn your data into insights and turn those insights into action.

What are some IoT examples?

Remote monitoring

Monitor almost any kind of asset—including heavy machinery, vehicles, and even livestock—almost anywhere, either continuously or at regular intervals. By tracking location, performance, condition, or environmental factors, the insights you gain from IoT-connected things may help you:

Reduce your service costs and refine your business processes.

Understand how your products are performing to provide a better experience for your customers.

Increase the number of appointments per day, cut fuel costs, and reduce wear-and-tear by using machine learning capabilities to route freight or vehicles more efficiently.

Know where your resources are at any given moment—down to which vehicle they’re on—for improved field service, stronger security, and increased employee safety.

Predictive maintenance

Similar to remote monitoring, predictive maintenance incorporates machine learning software that analyzes data to predict outcomes and automate actions. Predictive capabilities allow service providers to move beyond the traditional reactive and scheduled maintenance business model and use their data to identify issues before they become critical. This gives technicians the opportunity to intervene before customers even realize there's a problem. Armed with this information, you're able to:

Figure out what mechanical or operational conditions are causing failures or slowdowns.

Better predict what spare parts to keep in your inventory before repair issues arise.

Move beyond a break/fix business model by preventing equipment failures through preventative maintenance.

Facilities management

This IoT scenario is focused on monitoring your buildings, infrastructure, and other spaces, allowing you to improve energy efficiency, space utilization, productivity, and safety using the data you collect. The insights you gain may help you:

Save money by automating lighting or optimizing heating and cooling cycles.

Increase employee or occupant satisfaction by keep equipment running or ensuring that supplies are stocked.

Manufacturing efficiency

What is the internet of things used for in manufacturing? Every business is different, but many manufacturing processes share a common pathway from raw materials to finished products. With IoT, it's possible to learn from your own systems find new ways to manage your processes and product quality with data from your devices and sensors. With these data insights, you're able to:

Identify bottlenecks that reduce efficiency, enabling you to improve your process.

Reduce downtime caused by unplanned maintenance or equipment failure.

Eliminate substandard materials, parts, or errors before your product is complete.

Improve materials and inventory management so that you always have what you need on hand.

Connected products

Connected products have smart, connective components that allow data to be exchanged between the product and its user, manufacturer, or environment. Related IoT solutions may help you build smart factories with new functionality, greater reliability, and higher product utilization. Using connected products, you're able to:

Streamline the development and maintenance of your products.

Provide more secure, connected experiences for your customers.

Create new lines of business with managed service and support.

Monitor how products perform to improve design, manufacturing, and reliability.