What the Internet of Everything is
- The Internet of Things (IoT) is everyday objects connected to the internet that collect and share data, such as smart thermostats and fitness trackers.
- The Internet of Everything (IoE) goes further. It connects people, processes, data and things, so they can work together intelligently.
The four pillars
- People: the users of connected devices and services.
- Things: physical devices and sensors.
- Data: collected by devices and turned into useful information.
- Processes: the rules that get the right information to the right person or machine at the right time.
Uses
- Smart homes: heating, lighting and security controlled by phone or voice. Smart cities: traffic lights that respond to traffic, and sensors that show free parking spaces.
- Healthcare: wearable monitors that alert doctors. Transport: connected cars and live travel updates.
- Agriculture: soil sensors that switch on watering when it is needed. Retail: stock tracked automatically.
Benefits and drawbacks
- Benefits: saves time and energy, convenience, better decisions from real-time data, safety and health monitoring, and automation.
- Drawbacks: security risks (every device could be hacked), privacy worries (lots of personal data), reliance on an internet connection, cost, devices that don't work together, and e-waste.
Key terms
- Internet of Things
- Everyday objects connected to the internet that collect and share data.
- Internet of Everything
- The connection of people, processes, data and things.
- Sensor
- A device that detects and measures something, such as temperature or movement.
- Smart device
- An everyday device that is connected to the internet.
- Real-time data
- Data that is collected and used immediately.
- Automation
- Machines or systems doing tasks without people controlling them.