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Why are smart devices and IoT becoming more and more popular? Why do manufacturers choose smart transformation of their products? In this article, we show you how to go with the flow and respond to market needs.
IoT means Internet of Things. It refers to a network of devices such as speakers, washing machines, televisions, phones, security systems, thermostats, etc. that thanks to being connected to the internet, become start. By connecting them to one network, our home can upgrade to a smart home and we can remotely control it via a mobile device. The IoT has made its presence felt in our world not only through devices typically found in the home. Smart clothes, shoes, and even intelligent vehicles are now manufactured, among other things.
We hear more and more about smart devices in the media, but whether the devices in question are smart might not always be the case. In a world where ‘smart’ is often overused, it’s good to know what a smart product really is.
“An intelligent device is a contextually aware electronic device, capable of performing autonomous calculations and connecting to other devices wired or wirelessly to exchange data.[1]
This definition lists three key features: context awareness, autonomous data processing, and connectivity.
The main idea behind IoT is that any item can be part of the Internet of Things. Any object can become smart by equipping it with a sensor, computing capabilities, and network connectivity. When smart products are connected to one system, they can significantly increase the comfort and safety of our lives. With just one device, we can manage heating, lighting etc., saving time and reducing energy consumption.
But what is context awareness? Smart devices can quickly adapt to changing circumstances and act in accordance with a situation. Because they can properly configure themselves and communicate with other devices, they are able to act appropriately in real time. This is how intelligent cars or houses work—they adjust simultaneously-performed actions to a present situation, for instance, a break-in, a potential accident on the road, etc.
By 2025, there will be 38.6 billion devices connected to the Internet of Things worldwide, and by 2030 there will already be around 50 billion (Statista).
If such forecasts come to fruition, we will soon have one huge worldwide network of connected IoT devices—from phones to cars.
Of course, this will affect the world economy. “By 2030, the IoT market will be worth from $5.5 to $12.6 trillion.“ says McKinsey. Providing innovative solutions to both individual customers and business partners is an excellent way for companies to increase competitiveness and reduce costs. It’s no wonder that the market is constantly growing and, according to forecasts, will become a major economic area.
Is it worth investing in IoT? As the mentioned forecasts show, the Internet of Things market will develop very dynamically. What are the benefits of investing in smart products?
Our company’s long experience in working with clients from all over the world has helped us to develop a process at Solwit that works perfectly in these types of projects. So, what are the stages of smart transformation?
A project for one of our clients—a manufacturer of heaters, electric heaters, and heating system accessories, is one example of how we can transform an everyday device into a smart one. The company wanted to add to their line of modern heaters through integration with smart technology to offer a heater with a remote control module for managing room temperature.
Analyzing their needs, we created smart software allowing for automatic regulation of room temperature. Our application independently adjusts the heating level to the ambient temperature. It also allows the facility to be divided into independent heating zones and set a dedicated temperature in each of them.
The application and the heating devices included in the system (electric heaters, thermostatic heads, electric radiators) communicate via wi-fi and standard routers. The solution stores and processes data in the cloud – it is hosted on Google Cloud Platform.
Created by our team, the remotely managed IoT system for temperature management with the possibility of real-time data analysis allows for saving energy, provides full control of the heating, and also configures itself based on an individual user’s preference.
