Limitations of IoT

Over the past couple of years, many have been said about Internet of Things (IoT).

18:14 14 November 2017

Experts talked about how it will revolutionise the way we live while governments plan on using it to build smart cities have always made the headlines.

 

Although it is considered by some as the holy grail of the connected world, the implementation of IoT isn’t as easy as others paint it to be. There are many obstacles and challenges that are yet to be addressed in order to seamlessly launch IoT projects across industries. These include:

 

·       Not having access to information needed to plan an IoT deployment. An example is a project that involves optimising water networks to reduce leakage and save energy. Although we know that putting pressure sensors on water pipes can help identify problem areas, information on the location of very old water pipes might not be readily available.

 

·       Installation cost – Although the prices of IoT sensors and devices are going down, the cost of installing them is still very much expensive and complex. Many find this process to be frustrating that many users decide to just cancel their IoT projects.

 

·       Inconvenience – Many IoT devices are marketed as user-friendly products. However, these devices often require high maintenance. Their battery needs to be recharged every now and then. They can also lose their connectivity from time to time. In some cases, they are simply not well designed and cause inconvenience to users.