It’s time to start thinking differently about IoT

A steady churn of stunningly useless consumer devices has turned IoT into a running joke in the tech community. Worse yet, some applications have gone beyond the silly and into the realm of scary – like Internet-connected teddy bears that record your kids (and skimp on security). But there’s a whole other side to IoT. Far removed from the world of consumer gadgetry, IoT is being used behind the scenes to solve real problems and create real value across a wide variety of applications and industries.

When you think of “IoT”, what comes to mind? Internet-connected diapers? “Smart” egg caddies? Or maybe “flip-flops 4.0”, which use the wonder of connectivity for the sole purpose of sending you more targeted advertisements.

Although these products are technically “things that are connected to the internet”, treating them as accurate representations of IoT is more than a little unfair. It’s the equivalent of using ringtones to explain music to someone who’s never heard it before. Yes, it’s sound organized by tone and time. But does anyone actually want to listen to it? In the very same way, these gimmicky products fit the literal definition of IoT, but provide little to no actual value.

So, if smart toasters are “Who Let the Dogs Out” played through a Nokia, who are the Mozarts of IoT?

By far and away, the most compelling applications of IoT are the ones that you’ll never interact with. From manufacturing to environmental conservation, IoT is already quietly being used to overcome a wide variety of long-standing challenges.

In manufacturing, for instance, IoT is working to reduce costs and boost efficiencies in a variety of ways. For example, a small, inexpensive temperature sensor can be attached to an internet-connected microcontroller to alert manufacturers when a machine starts to overheat. That way, action can be taken to fix the machine before it breaks, therefore saving money on repairs and avoiding costly downtime on the factory floor.

That might not grab as many headlines as a kettle that learns your tea-drinking habits. But the impact is far, far greater.