Question

write a research paper of about 2000 words on the impacts of internet of things on the way we live and work.

Answer 1

Impacts of internet of things on the way we live and work.

The Internet of Things has been making people's lives more efficient and more comfortable for the past several decades, and it's only expected to get better. As technology becomes more sophisticated and innovators come out with the next best device, this web of interconnected objects--from kitchen appliances to wearables to voice-operated assistants like Amazon's ALEXA and Google Home--is only going to grow exponentially. Cisco predicts that in the next two years, the number of connected devices will exceed 50 billion, more than double the number of devices in 2015.

Cable's high-speed networks and infrastructure have enabled these devices to work together to improve business productivity and to create better in-home and entertainment experiences. But did you know that the Internet of Things is already proving to be life-saving? Not only are these devices making lives more convenient, they are also proving to have widespread-societal impact. As internet service providers continue to deploy faster and stronger networks, IoT-enabled objects and sensors are being used to help cities save energy and water, reduce traffic pollution, and create smarter agriculture and food supply systems. IoT applications in healthcare are also assisting doctors in treating their patients, and helping people to easily monitor their health patterns.

The Internet of Things is still in its infancy as a phenomenon. Despite this, its rate of expansion, adaptability, ingenuity and scope is startling. Companies are developing more and more ways for us to connect. Within the next five years, sensors will likely have permeated every aspect of our lives, from our refrigerators to our shoes. The world's IT infrastructure will be supporting a trillion devices, big and small.

The challenges we face in this area are still great - security being at the top of the list. Supporting the billions of connected devices through a stable network infrastructure is another. Soon enough, if all goes well, the phenomenon will be more than a trending hashtag - it will be a way of being in the world. With that bright future in mind, let's look at some of the aspects of your daily life that the Internet of Things may influence.

First and foremost, the home. Smart, connected appliances are what people think of when they hear IoT. They imagine an intelligent house, programmed to save energy and make your life a more convenient one. Alarm clocks will be synced with traffic apps; heating systems will be synced with external temperature sensors, which will be synced with cost evaluations; lighting will react as we enter a room, as might our coffee makers. It all sounds so alien to us, but there are plenty such homes that already exist.

Next, IoT will have a drastic effect on waste management. With the seamless integration of light, heat and air conditioning that reacts to you, a lot of money could be saved on those bills. For food, anything you don't eat in your fridge will be recorded so you can examine trends and patterns.

Thirdly, we have our daily commute. Imagine you left your home without your house key - your house would tell you this. Our cars will anticipate our approach and open themselves via a sensor in our phones. Intelligent traffic detection will allow our device to direct us to the shortest route to work/ home. Taxi services for business meetings will be planned according to your calendar - synced with your smartphone.For personal health, the possibilities are even more extensive. 3d-printed wristbands for reading vital signs are already in development. With the long list of wearables already in circulation, we can track even more: sleeping patterns, nutritional balance, GP visits and check-up schedules, exercise programmes, etc. To keep you safe, sensors around your city will also alert you to any potential dangers including traffic accidents, proximity alerts around your vehicle, bad weather, and more.In sport, IoT devices and wearables will be all about performance efficiency. You'll be able to track your progress, errors, power, agility, overall cariovascular fitness level and any variable you can imagine. Whether for cycling, tennis, or football, all can make use of sensors - and they will use them to their full effect.

The international research firm Gartner estimates that by the end of last year, there were 3.8 billion connected things out there—smart cars, smoke detectors, door locks, industrial robots, streetlights, heart monitors, trains, wind turbines, even tennis racquets and toasters. By 2020, Gartner estimates there will be 25 billion of these smart devices, transmitting tiny amounts of data to us, to the cloud and to each other. Cisco’s outgoing CEO, John Chambers, has boldly proclaimed that there will be 50 billion devices online within five years, with a total market worth $19 trillion (all currency in U.S. dollars). Another leader in this sphere, Siemens, has said these smart things are starting to power a fourth Industrial Revolution (after steam, electricity and wired computers).

"Internet of Things" (IoT) may sound like the futuristic wave of talking refrigerators and self-starting cars, but Internet-connected devices that communicate with one another will affect our lives outside the "smart home" as well. For workers, IoT will change the way we work by saving time and resources and opening new opportunities for growth and innovation.

1. Even more data

The Internet of Things will be a data machine. This means that companies will have to rethink how they collect and analyze information — not only will decision-makers need to learn and adapt to a new form of data intelligence, but the amount and type of information produced by IoT will also introduce new or expanded roles for data analysts, strategists, and even customer service.

"Companies will have access to an enormous flood of data that all these connected devices will generate," said Mary J. Cronin, professor at Boston College, Carroll School of Management, and author of "Smart Products, Smarter Services: Strategies for Embedded Control." "But that data needs to be analyzed to understand more about customers and trends. Companies will need to start using IoT data as part of their planning in order to stay competitive and to offer innovative new services and products."

2. Know where everything is, all the time

"IoT has the potential to make the workplace life and business processes much more productive and efficient," Cronin said.

One significant way IoT will increase productivity and efficiency is by making location tracking much simpler and seamless. As currently done in hospitals, Internet-connected equipment and devices will all be geographically tagged, which will save workers time hunting things down and save money by reducing the loss rate.

"Companies can track every aspect of their business, from managing inventory and fulfilling orders as quickly as possible to locating and deploying field service staff. Tools and factories and vehicles will all be connected and reporting their locations," Cronin said.

3. Get anywhere faster

IoT is the next big thing in your daily commute. The interconnectivity of mobile devices, cars and the road you drive on will help reduce travel time, thus enabling you get to work faster or run errands in record time.

Today, the "connected car" is just the start of IoT capability. "AT&T, together with automotive manufacturers such as GM and BMW, are adding LTE connectivity to the car and creating new connected services, such as real-time traffic information and real-time diagnostics for the front seat and infotainment for those in the back seat," said Macario Namie, vice president of marketing at Jasper Wireless, a machine-to-machine (M2M) platform provider.

In the future, IoT will integrate everything from streets to stoplights.

"Imagine a world in which a city’s infrastructure installed roadside sensors, whose data could be used to analyze traffic patterns around the city and adjust traffic light operations to minimize or perhaps eliminate traffic jams," Namie said. "This could save a few minutes, if not hours of our day."

4. Cheaper, greener manufacturing

Thanks to IoT, device interconnectivity will facilitate the adoption of "smart grid" technologies, which use meters, sensors and other digital tools to control the flow of energy and can integrate alternative sources of power, such as solar and wind.

"The Internet of Things will drastically lower costs in the manufacturing business by reducing wastage, consumption of fuel and the discarding of economically unviable assets," Namie said. "IoT can also improve the efficiency of energy production and transmission and can further reduce emissions by facilitating the switch to renewables."

5. Completely remote mobile device management (MDM)

IT departments may have remote access to computers and mobile devices, but IoT will also enable remote control of other Internet-connected devices, said Roy Bachar, founder and chief executive officer of MNH Innovations and member of the Internet of Things Council.

Bachar, who also works with CommuniTake, a startup that provides remote-access technology, said that the cutting-edge technology that has given them full control over smartphones and tablets now allows remote management over other devices, including Android cameras and set-top boxes, among others.

Soon, MDM technologies will extend to the remote management of IoT devices, which will introduce changes for IT departments and IoT-connected employees.

"It's clear that the telecommunication giants will play a major role in the IoT domain and they are all introducing solutions. I believe that as early 2014, we will see the introduction of platforms for managing the IoT applications as well as solutions offered by companies, such as CommuniTake, for remote management of IOT devices," Bachar said.

6. Increased device management complexity

According to Bachar, as the number of connected devices grows, so does the complexity of managing them. For instance, today workers use smartphones for communication, productivity and entertainment. With IoT, they will have an additional function: controlling IoT-connected devices. "Many of the future IoT-connected devices will not have a screen. The way to take control over the device will be via smartphones," Bachar said.

"The complexity will also increase due to the variety of operating systems," he added. Thus, employees and IT departments will have a broader range of platforms to deal with, not just Android or iOS, Bachar said.

Both of these instances may require training for employees to learn how to control and manage connected, cross-platform devices.

7. Save time and get more out of your day

Other than controlling other IoT devices, your smartphone will also be much like a remote control for your life, said Brendan Richardson, co-founder and chief executive officer of PsiKick, a Charlottesville, Va.-based startup that develops IoT wireless sensors.

One of the most convenient aspects of IoT is that you have devices that "know" you and will help save time by allowing you to get in and out of places and conduct transactions faster using a mobile device.

"The iPhone or Android will increasingly interact with a whole range of sensors that you never see and don't own, but which provide your smartphone with valuable information and act on your behalf through an app," Richardson said.

With these sensors, even just getting your morning coffee will eliminate the need to wait in line for a less stressful start to your day. For instance, wireless sensors can detect when you walk into a Starbucks, which alert the barista of your likely order based on your order history. You can then confirm or choose a different order, then pay for it using your phone, Richardson said.

8. You may actually have to work harder

IoT may make workers' lives easier on many levels, but Richardson said IoT also means big changes in every industry.

"Every business and every industry will be disrupted over the next 30 years," Richardson said. "We're seeing this now beginning with the regular old Internet. It's being driven by data and large-scale efficiencies when you convert something to bits rather than atoms."

Richardson cited the evolution of movie rentals as an example.

"Netflix more or less destroyed Blockbuster by using the Internet to vastly improve the logistics of exchanging DVDs and removing pesky late fees. Then they converted the atoms of a DVD into bits and deliver 80 percent of their movies over broadband now. [You get] more movies on-demand and lower costs. And an entire industry — the DVD rental business — is consigned to the archive of history."

The examples above demonstrate the limitless potential of the Internet of Things. The more creative we are with sensors, the more valuable the data we will gather. If trends in development are anything to go by, the best is yet to come.