The future of enterprise Internet of Things applications

Enterprise internet of things

Internet of Things applications are vast, such as deep learning on household security monitoring and energy consumption information or using your cell phone to control your thermostat from a remote location. It is continuing to gain traction as one of the biggest future technology trends to watch because it makes life easier for consumers, something which businesses have started taking note of.

For enterprise IoT, businesses can expect to get a much deeper understanding of how consumers spend their time, especially if they utilize the data collected from smart devices and appliances. This will allow businesses to provide consumers with a better, more well-rounded consumer experience. Below we discuss the future of enterprise IoT applications and what this could mean for the businesses using them.

Fast 5G

One of the biggest problems that the Internet of Things applications face is the risk that the devices could overwhelm existing 3G, 4G and LTE networks as they grow. This is why LPWAN (low-power wide-area networks) have been popping up.

5G is one of the more innovative future technology trends that could be on the horizon of enterprise IoT, as it will offer a more powerful and versatile answer to the problem. 5G stands for ‘fifth generation’ and the connections are based on user experience, system performance, business models, and management and operations. 5G is suited to low-power, low data rate devices in large numbers, but is also capable of handling high bandwidth pulses of data. It’ll allow for an infinite number of ‘things’ with embedded connectivity.

Machine learning

Internet of Things applications creates a seemingly unfathomable amount of data. For example, industrial IoT reports show that one jet engine creates one terabyte of data in just five hours. A lot of this data can be unstructured, which means that machine learning is needed to structure, cleanse, and process this data.

One of the future technology trends for enterprise Internet of Things applications involves using machine learning to help tame the flood of information that comes from the various sensors and devices being used. If IoT ever wants to enter the world of automation (which seems likely) then having a strong machine learning component will be the next step to take. For enterprise IoT, which deals with consumers and businesses, machine learning will be vital in improving the customer experience.

Smart offices to save on costs

One application for enterprise IoT will be to use devices that have a high ROI and work on reducing costs through automation. There are cases of smart offices which use IoT sensors to regulate the temperature of the office, and lighting systems that enable and disable lighting based on presence as well as motion.

If someone was to book a conference room, the air conditioning system could adjust the temperature while the room is in use and before the conference has started, based on the data collected. The lighting system would be able to adjust to the number of people who will be in the room, all of which involves using data collected from sensors, combined with machine learning. Using heating and lighting only when people are in rooms saves businesses monthly costs on high electricity bills.

Blockchain meets the Internet of Things applications

Using blockchain technology combined with the Internet of Things applications is one of the most exciting future technology trends for enterprise IoT. Combining these two powerhouses of technology could help to ensure steady, secure, and robust transactions via Blockchain.

Blockchain technology is a decentralized technology that stores numerous uneditable ledgers that are maintained on various ‘blocks’ to strengthen financial transparency and efficient transactions. How does this relate to enterprise IoT, you ask? Well, one of the downfalls of IoT is that there are security issues, such as data integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. These security issues can be regulated by the use of blockchain technology. It also helps with the transparency of procedure, as each node can be tracked and the weak link can easily be discovered. It will lead to no overwriting or altered records, creating a more robust system.

Tracking employees with wearable devices

While using vehicle trackers is not a new thing, tracking your employees with wearable devices is one of the Internet of Things applications that can help a business to remain transparent to consumers and ensure that nothing untoward is happening while employees are out in the field.

You could also use these devices in an office setting, but it’s important to be aware that surveilling your staff should not come from a place of mistrust. The wearable devices can also be used to ascertain the health of your workers, allowing you to put this data to good use by implementing an office health plan or setting up a worksite gym to encourage healthy lifestyle choices. These devices could be connected to your computer or phone, giving you alerts when an employee has veered off the route they were set on, or if their health is improving, thus directly improving their productivity.

Data is the key to the future

If you look at all the future projections for enterprise IoT, it’s clear that industry professionals see that IoT-generated data provides the biggest short- and long-term possibilities, rather than the devices themselves. To create a smart world, future technology trends are looking more and more towards data-driven decisions, but the devices involved are not being cast aside. Rather, they’re updated accordingly. Find out more about the interesting Internet of Things applications by reading our recent article on the topic.