The Internet of Things (IoT) is the capability of physical products to transmit data over a network. Its impact extends beyond simply adding the internet to devices, but is also an opportunity to create new value for organizations and their customers through data models. Data models can provide usage analytics, product support metrics, and operational awareness that can then be monetized to create new products and services.
3 ways to create value with IoT
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Build better products: Introducing data to devices can extend their functionality.
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Support products better: Knowing how products are being used reduces the time and effort to diagnose, support, and improve system problems.
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Operate products better: IoT can put a pulse on products, allowing organizations to understand their current state. Preventative maintenance, location tracking, and system health can enable organizations to be proactive in delivering value.
Exploring IoT with BLE
Bluetooth Low Energy is a variation of the Bluetooth wireless standard designed for low power consumption. It was introduced by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) in 2009 as part of the Bluetooth 4.0 specification.
BLE is one way to add IoT capabilities to products. It offers many benefits including:
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Low manufacturing cost
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High-speed data transfers
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Long-term battery life
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Small form-factor can be embedded easily
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Mesh networks provide non-hierarchical data relay capabilities (ie: large sensor networks)
BLE is proximity based but can be linked to an internet-enabled bridge that relays data to the cloud where data models can be developed. Major cloud service providers (like AWS IoT Core and Azure IoT Hub) offer enhanced data capabilities like machine learning, advanced analytics, and secure data persistence.
Healthcare
The Healthcare industry stands to benefit from IoT in numerous ways. IoT extends a healthcare provider’s ability to serve patients through enhanced medical equipment, augmented physician capabilities, and more descriptive patient data. IoT data models also provide insurance companies better metrics for assessing risk and reducing cost.
Adding IoT to healthcare systems provides data on where and how equipment is being used, how patients are receiving care, and how procedures can be improved to manage or prevent disease faster and with reduced risk.
For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has put ventilators on short supply. IoT in ventilators can provide data on where they are, how much they’ve been used, and when they might need repair. Healthcare providers can track, distribute, and maintain ventilators with data-driven decision making. In the long term, these data models can be used to design and re-engineer ventilators with a enhanced understanding of their current limitations.
Conclusion
Augusto has developed IoT systems using a variety of technologies including:
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AWS IoT Core
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Azure IoT Hub
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Various microcontrollers
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BLE
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Embedded systems software development
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Cloud Architecture development
IoT is transforming the internet and is quickly becoming an integral part of consumer, industrial, commercial, and environmental systems. Through well-designed data models, value is delivered to key industries—like healthcare—at lower costs, reduced-risk, and increased performance.
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