How Does the Internet of Things Work? The Internet of Things has been around a long time now, though it has really taken off over the last decade. From 90 million connected devices at the turn of the millennium to around 5 billion in 2010, it is projected by the Gartner Report that there will be around 1 trillion connected devices by 2025.

Despite its ubiquity in our daily personal and professional lives, it remains something of a mystery to many people. It does sound quite vague, though its vagueness is quite accurate due to its immense scope.

Here we will try to make it all a little clearer by explaining what the Internet of Things is and how it works.

The Internet of Things Explained

The Internet of Things (IoT) describes all devices that connect and communicate through the internet. It is a huge network of connected devices of all shapes and sizes that can collect and share data for a practically endless variety of purposes.

The data collected could be as simple as a thermostat gauging the temperature and automatically adjusting itself to maintain a pre-programmed temperature. There are also more complex examples of IoT devices, such as the tech inside a driverless vehicle or robot detecting objects in order to navigate a path through a congested area. It is even possible to have an alarm clock that self-adjusts the time it wakes you according to data such as weather forecasts and any unexpected delays in public transport. A nightmare scenario for many, I’m sure, but also very useful for workers whose morning commute is at the mercy of a variety of factors they won’t be aware of until they are awake.

Many of us have already incorporated such devices into our daily lives, such as wearable devices like fitness-monitoring wristwatches. Such a device might count the number of steps you’ve taken during your usual daily activities and suggest an exercise plan to help you achieve a certain calorific deficit.

How the Internet of Things Works

The connected devices and associated objects will have sensors integrated into their construction which are connected to the Internet of Things via a particular IoT platform. The platform will gather the data from the sensors and apply whatever analytics are necessary for its designated application and specific need.

The platforms are designed to identify and isolate the relevant information and ignore everything else. The relevant information is then analyzed for patterns in order to make recommendations. The platform may also be designed to recognize problems and either suggest solutions or initiated the solution itself.

Ultimately, the information gathered by connected devices helps us make smarter decisions based on real-time information.

To find out more about The Internet of Things and how it could help your business, please contact our team at +1 800 974 7219 ext. 202. Alternatively, complete the online form here and a member of our team will contact you.