IoT devices are hardware devices, such as sensors,
appliances, devices and other machines that collect and exchange data over the network. They are designed for certain applications that can be connected to
other IoT devices. For example, an IoT device in your car can detect oncoming
traffic and send an instant message to the person you're about to see about an
upcoming delay.
The term "Internet of Things" or IoT was first
coined by Kevin Ashton in 1999. But it wasn't until Gartner added IoT to its
list of new emerging technologies in 2011 that it began to gain global
traction. As of 2021, there are currently 21.7 billion connected devices
worldwide, of which over 11.7 billion (54%) are IoT devices. This means that
there are more IoT devices in the world than non-IoT devices.
Watch the video below which will help you understand IoT and
how it works. What is IoT?
IoT is an umbrella term that refers to billions of physical
objects or "things" connected to the Internet, all collecting and
exchanging data with other devices and systems on the Internet. Although IoT
has been around since the 1990s, recent advances in many different technologies
have made it more effective, such as:
• Availability of affordable and reliable sensors
• Increased availability of cloud platforms
• Advances in machine learning and AI technology.
IoT devices can range from simple home appliances to
sophisticated industrial applications. Each IoT component has a unique
identifier (UID) and can transmit data without human intervention.
