How to start with business IoT

What does it take to get started with business IoT?

13:04 27 September 2017

Internet of Things (IoT) is essentially about connecting multiple devices using the Internet, allowing them to talk to each other so they can perform specific tasks. For example, you can track and adjust your heating and energy consumption by connecting your monitors (such as Nest and Hive) to your smart device.

 

IoT has many applications and it is definitely useful in any type of business. It can be used for monitoring, reducing energy consumption, and improving productivity, among others.

 

When setting up IoT, it is important to decide early on how frequently you want to capture the data you need. Your decision here will impact your solution further down the line. Do you want to record data every 30 minutes or would every two hours be enough?

 

Your requirement will determine how much power you need. How much power your IoT device would need to run and how is it going to be supplied? Will your IoT devices be powered from your main lines or do they need batteries? With this information, you can start calculating your total cost of ownership, which includes not just batteries but maintenance as well.

 

After capturing the data you require, you will need to find ways on how you’ll communicate this data. Looking at traditional communication methods, your options include WiFi, Ethernet, and even 3G and 4G. Just like the power consideration for your sensor, some methods of data communication require a lot more power than others.