Internet of Things Applications

The internet of things (IoT) is already beginning to change how consumers shop and how consumer and packaged goods (CPG) companies do business. The industry is using the IoT to streamline manufacturing processes and supply chain management as it seeks new revenue opportunities. Brands are also exploring ways to build upon these efforts and use the IoT to deliver more personalized customer experiences.

Whether it’s monitoring the supply chain, tracking how products are used or gaining more insight into shopper preferences, the IoT is ushering in an era in which “smart” things can seamlessly collect, share and analyze real-time data. In turn, this data can be used to personalize consumer experiences and deliver proactive services, as explored in a new eMarketer report, “The Internet of CPG Things: What Consumer Products Marketers Need to Know Now.”

See more at: emarketer.com

One of the problems of IoT is that a really useful application hasn't yet been found. Who wants to have a fridge that tells you that you need milk?

I worked on a European investigation project in which we designed a connected kitchen. We hacked electro domestic products and connected them to the internet through circuits made for us by Arduino LLC. When we finished the project we invited people from the electro domestic companies to come and see them. Someone from Electrolux told us that they weren't interested in IoT because 30 years ago they had experimented with connected kitchens and they thought that the market wasn’t ready, or willing to pay extra for electro domestic products with internet connections.

One of the problems of IoT is that a really useful application hasn't yet been found. Who wants to have a fridge that tells you that you need milk? However, there are some home devices that have been very successful like Nest thermostats or Point fire alarms; but these are dedicated to monitoring.

Regarding standardization, the problem is that there are a series of large long-standing organizations held back by inertia and a series of small businesses with good ideas, between them it is hard to find a meeting point. This has generated friction and different approaches to the problem.

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Mobile apps try to keep you glued on the screen for as long as possible, but in the future these experiences will become focused and unified, as they interact more seamlessly to become extensions of your IoT system.

That’s according to Frank Palermo, the VP of digital solutions at Virtusa, who says the growth in momentum surrounding IoT will change UX design for mobile applications and consumer systems.

Palermo makes a few points on the future of UX design in the IoT age, including what might be the most shocking to users today: No more screens.

Screens are a thing of the past, according to Palermo, in a design world focused on integrated context. Everything is always running and UX design needs to make operations simple for the end user, removing clutter found on apps currently. The UX needs to change as well to make sure only a few connections are occupying the space, and Palermo claims data-driven design might help towards a cleaner interface.

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Brands are poised to benefit greatly from the Internet of Things (IoT) over the next several years, as companies are being connected with their consumers in ways they never could before.

Engagement is at the heart of IoT. It isn’t a dusty server sitting in a back office, it isn’t your laptop or even your smartphone. It is a concept built around connecting the various items we interact and engage with throughout the day in a way previously only reserved for what we would describe as computers.

This means that brands have a variety of new methods by which they can connect with and deliver value to the consumer, and to create a lifestyle around interacting with their brand and the environment around consumers.

See more at: www.readwrite.com

Cloud, connectivity and the Internet of Things (IoT) are key focuses for Intel, its CEO Brian Krzanich has said, as the company looks to realign for the future.

Just last week, the chipmaker announced plans to cut 12,000 jobs - a figure representing 11 percent of its workforce - as part of a significant restructure brought upon by a decline in sales of PCs and other hardware.

Now, writing in a blog post, Krzanich has set out his vision of how Intel can transform from a PC company to "a company that powers the cloud and billions of smart, connected computing devices. That, he claims, will be achieved by focusing on five core themes - connected things, memory, connectivity, Moore's Law and cloud - with the final element seemingly forming the core of the company's plans.

See more at: www.zdnet.com

I once heard someone describe the Internet of Things (IoT) as a sleeping giant. Is it fair to describe the IoT as some kind of barely moving creature with massive potential and unimaginable strength, but far from gaining any momentum?

Is the Internet of Things a two-speed phenomenon?

The Smart IoT London painted the picture of IoT as a two-speed phenomenon. On one hand you have companies that are making enormous leaps forward and have already integrated IoT into their everyday processes. On the other you have many people across various business verticals and levels who look at it like my grandma would look at an iPad. Curious, interested, utterly bewildered.

So it’s no surprise that even at an event that gathered the cutting edge of the IoT world, when Andy Mulholland opened his brilliant talk by asking if anyone had clarity on what the IoT was, the answer was total silence, despite the sizeable audience.

What’s the hold-up then? IoT is still clashing with several crucial obstacles but smart companies are thinking ahead.

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The Internet of Things is the concept of everyday objects – from industrial machines to wearable devices – using built-in sensors to gather data and take action on that data across a network. Thierry Godart, General Manager of Energy Solutions at Intel, describes IoT as “taking the best of IT into the operational world.”

IoT devices are indeed flooding utility operations. From synchrophasors to smart meters, new assets installed in the energy grid are highly sensored, due to the declining cost of the sensor technology. And customers aren’t left out either. Home automation technology can sense and respond to the needs of an individual or family, even when they are not present.

For utilities, the smart grid era unleashed not only millions of these new IoT devices, but also more data that utilities need to analyze and understand to make better decisions about their networks. In fact, 63 percent of utility respondents in a recent SAS survey indicated that IoT was critical to their companies’ future success.

See more at: www.intelligentutility.com