Today, more people live in cities than
in rural areas. There are no signs of a slow-down in urbanization; in
fact it’s only speeding up. With many a problem to solve, and a
population of 356 million between the ages of 10 and 24 (according to a
UN report), the world’s largest youth population should be encouraged to
make use of these favorable circumstances.
What is IoT?
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the
network of physical objects that contain technology embedded within
which enables them to communicate, and sense or interact with their
internal states or the external environment. A simpler definition: IoT
is where different objects of your world are connected and controlled
with the help of the Internet.
The IoT Ecosystem
There are hundreds of companies
worldwide developing technologies and solutions to meet the needs of
smart cities. For instance, dozens of companies are working to provide
more efficient lighting and traffic planning to help pedestrians and
drivers by computerizing those systems.
Other IoT startups and established
household names also work to provide solutions for cities both on macro
and micro-level. Phillips, launched Lumimotion, a sensor-based lighting
systems that is activated based on data collected from street activity.
Startups should keep these things in mind while building their IoT business:
- Seamless on-boarding experience: communication between devices should be so simple that requiring a connecting would not be necessary. Integration should be kept as simple as possible.
- Understanding IoT: One reason for the relatively slowly adoption of many IoT-based tools and services is that it is hard for consumers to understand how the solutions work. Visualization will play an important role in helping consumers understand what IoT streams of data mean and how to react.
- Support Multiple Devices:
IoT solutions should be optimized to function across different devices as most people have more than one device.
- User-friendly Systems
Although we’re talking about complex
systems here, effective IoT tech should be managed by just one
user-friendly control center.
- Security
Both established companies and emerging
IoT startups must take into account security measures when looking to
market their products.
Disruptive IoT technologies have the
power to be applied to seemingly unlimited devices and appliances.
Moreover, to truly meet the demands of a growing urban population
competing for limited city resources, IoT has a huge role to play in
transforming the way people experience urban living, from their homes,
to the office, to everywhere in between. It will be interesting to see
how this technology evolves to provide sustainable answers to pressing
urban issues.