IoT Advancements
2022 will likely be a year of major technological advancement. Of course, few other fields have advanced quite as much as IT and the kinds of tech used in IT Support Companies – in half a century we have advanced from room-sized computers to pocket-sized computers, and many more impressive innovations to boot. Communication and the transfer of information have been the biggest things to be advancements thanks to IT; nowadays, even machines communicate with one another, like with the Internet of Things.
What is IoT?
The Internet of Things, also commonly known as IoT, refers to any network of devices that are able to communicate real-time data with one another, and a centralized computing pool (in other words, a Cloud). An IoT device contains as many as 4 major components:
Firstly, there is the thing, which is the device itself – for a smart fridge, the fridge itself would be the ‘thing’.
Then, you have the Data Acquisition module; this is essentially a collection of sensors that can record real-world signals such as temperature, light, motion, etc. The sensors are connected to hardware that can convert those real-world signals into digital information – the hardware varies depending on what type of signals the device is collecting.
Next, you have the Data Processing module. These are rudimentary computers intended for processing the data that the device acquires. The Data Processing module must support local data storage, and some level of processing power (like with a computer’s CPU chip).
The final main component is the Communications module. This is how the smart device is able to communicate with the Cloud platform, which is where the majority of the data storage and processing power resides. The Communications module may include physical connections like USB, and it may support wireless communications like Wi-Fi, 4G, or 5G.
What are the applications of IoT?
Having smart devices that can record, process, and transmit data has a vast array of applications. Smart homes are beginning to be built, with smart fridges, smart light networks, and much more. Smart water pumps and autonomous vehicles are examples of independent smart devices that use IoT tech.
The Internet of Things is also being used in industry – for instance, the application of this tech in factories makes monitoring machinery, and even predicting machine failures possible, thus making the running and maintenance of factories more effective.
So, in 2022, what other advancements will be worked on for the Internet of Things?
Edge Computing
Whilst this technology already exists, it is not yet widely implemented with IoT networks. Normally, an IoT network relies on a Cloud platform, which is a centralized platform. Centralized data and computing platforms have some inherent flaws to them, such as being quite a large target for cyber-attacks.
With Edge Computing, the data storage and computing are distributed across endpoints, making it a more decentralized model of computing, thus less of a target, and also a lower-latency solution. Data processing and transfer are much quicker with Edge computing, which is IoT Advancements essential for smart devices such as self-driving cars.
Blockchain
Building on the idea of decentralized technology, there are developments for a blockchain-driven IoT solution that completely decentralizes the computing and storage requirements for Internet of Things networks. IoT devices on a blockchain-based network would be able to IoT Advancements communicate with one another directly, rather than having to use a Cloud platform as a middleman. Additionally, such devices would also be able to update their own software and manage bugs, all independently.
