What Is the Internet of Things?

WHAT IS THE INTERNET

of Things?

Roman Semiokhin, serial investor and entrepreneur.

What is

THE INTERNET OF THINGS? The

Internet

of

Things

(IoT) essentially connects any device with an on/off switch to the internet, as well as to other

connected

devices,

culminating in a giant network of interconnected people and things – all collecting and sharing data about the way devices are used and the environment that surrounds them.

From

smart

microwaves

that automatically heat food for the right amount of time to self-driving cars with complex

T H E I O T I S PA R T I C U L A R LY VALUABLE TO BUSINESSES. sensors detecting obstacles in their path, the IoT covers an extraordinary range of technologies. Devices are connected via an IoT platform that aggregates data from all of the various different interfaces, applying analytics and sharing valuable data with applications built to address a specific need.

The IoT is particularly valuable to businesses. For example, in the automotive industry, a car manufacturer might want to know which optional components are most popular with their customers. Using IoT technology, they could detect which areas of the showroom receive the most footfall using sensors, drilling down into the available sales data to discover the fastest-selling components and automatically aligning sales data with supply – ensuring the most popular items never go out of stock.

ROMAN SEMIOKHIN You can learn about increased interest in the IoT from a marketer’s perspective by vising the blog of Roman Semiokhin.