The Internet of Things

By Barton Goldenberg

Closely related to the Internet of Everything is the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT), which can be defined as any natural or man-made object that is embedded with sensors that are assigned an Internet address and that transfers data coming from the sensors by connecting wirelessly via the Internet to servers located in the Cloud.  The IoT diagram above helps to visualize this definition.

In the IoT, services like Skype, App Store, Kindle, Dropbox, etc. connect to the “Cloud”, which provides computer services over the Internet.  Each of these services in turn connects to things/devices such as a laptop, car, television, refrigerator, medical device, etc. so that data can be passed between these devices and the Cloud. Devices that have a built-in, machine-to-machine, communication capabilities are referred to as being smart devices.  Let me further explore some of the things/devices that make up the IoT.

Connected Home

The IoT connects different devices located in the home to the Cloud.  Here are some of the more popular IoT connected – home elements and devices shown at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show:

• Alexa – Amazon’s artificial intelligence voice assistant platform which rivals Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant. Amazon has integrated Alexa with a number of key external devices and products.  Alexa is Amazon’s attempt to become an operating system for the IoT just as Google Android and Apple iOS have done with mobile devices.  The intention of Amazon is to have an Alexa-powered device in people’s homes in which purchasing Amazon goods is done with a simple voice command.

• LG Door-in-Door Refrigerator – This new refrigerator features a dual-view camera, which is a LCD screen that shows the owner the contents with needing to open the door, thereby saving the owner energy. The refrigerator can also monitor expiration dates and provide alerts when food is expected to expire past its freshness date.

In our next blog post, ISM will have a guest blog piece by Gloria Kopp concerning the “Top 5 Cloud Computing Mistakes to Avoid or Risk Damaging Your Business”.

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  Barton Goldenberg, is the founder and president of ISM Inc., customer-centric strategists/implementers serving best-in-class organizations globally. As a CRM leader for 30 years, he was among the first three inductees in the CRM Hall of Fame. Recognized as a leading “customer-focused” author, his latest book, The Definitive Guide to Social CRM, is hailed as the roadmap for Social CRM success. Barton is a popular speaker on “maximizing customer relationships to gain market insights, customers and profits”. He is a long-term columnist for CRM Magazine and speaker for CRMevolution and frequently quoted in the media.