Basics of IoT

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Support Multiple Devices:

IoT solutions should be optimized to function across different devices as most people have more than one device.

4. User-friendly Systems

Although we’re talking about complex systems here, effective IoT tech should be managed by just one user-friendly control center.

5. 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.