Where’s my stuff? How location and IoT work well together
Ever wondered how to track small, high-value devices where there might be varying strengths of Wi-Fi, GPS, and cell tower signal?
At its heart, the core value from IoT stems from data. A lot of people refer to data as the new gold but the reality is it’s the new oil. When oil comes out of the ground it has intrinsic value, yet it’s not much use to anyone in its raw form. The true value of data, like petrol and diesel, can only be realized after being refined. The data from IoT sensors is very raw – possibly consisting of a temperature, location, or pressure reading; and, because this raw data can come from many different sources, the key differentiator for IoT is the ability to aggregate data stemming from different places using analytics capabilities. IoT data insights developed by Watson IoT Platform allow organizations to tap into knowledge they’ve never had access to before – an incredibly powerful capability. Once refined, the data can come together to be fed into applications and solutions, turned into insight, and applied as knowledge that among other things can help to grow or expand a business.
Data can be derived from any number of IoT devices such as sensors and actuators. The data may come in any manner of shape and form ranging from temperature, pressure, motion, and distance. Typically sensors connect through a gateway because they cannot communicate directly over the internet. Getting the connector to communicate over the wide area network or the internet requires connecting in an open interoperable, scalable and secure manner. On the web, when people talk through services they are using a single protocol, HTTP – which is open and interoperable. In the same way, IoT devices need to be connected in an open, a scalable manner, where everything is interoperable and secure.
The advent of a new generation of billions of sensors being deployed and retrofitted to existing systems, some of which could be 10, 20, 30, and even 40 years old, has given organizations the ability to access and collect data derived from multiple, often siloed systems. For example, a facilities management system might include sensors for managing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. In parallel, the assets in the building are connected to an asset management system. Historically the two systems were only linked indirectly through individuals who used the phone (another system) to raise a problem, or, to manually type in a meter reading. Watson IoT Platform makes it possible to bridge disparate systems, enabling not only the integration and aggregation of different data sources from each system, but also allowing the inclusion of new data sources, such as weather and location to be added to the mix.
IoT is important from two perspectives. From the point of view of technology, IoT is a fantastic driver of innovation; on the business side IoT is an enabler for business transformation and business disruption. An IoT solution can help organizations to improve their existing business. In fact, location data combined with timestamps gives organizations the capability to know when and where something is, or where it was; It also enables trend mapping which can be used to optimize processes.
Depending on the type of business or operating model, business optimization can be achieved through streamlining costs, improving efficiency, increasing yield, ensuring or improving quality, reducing cycle times, etc.
IoT in general is a huge creator of data, and has created many opportunities for big data analysis. Location is a key element in a comprehensive IoT solution, one that can enable companies to both increase revenue and decrease costs. Adding location data as another data point for input into data analysis enables an organization to derive valuable insights which can lead to more informed decision making.
