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Read about the latest IoT applications
When customers stop to buy gas, their focus is typically making sure they have the fuel they need to get where they are going. As a secondary aim, they may also want to get their cars washed or stock up on cool beverages and hearty snacks. While these might seem like goals for the traveler, they require significant considerations from petroleum retailers. That is where an IoT gateway comes into play.
Most drivers are intimately familiar with the maddening experience of riding around a few square blocks endlessly, looking for a place to park. Particularly in urban centers, finding an empty space can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. To add insult to injury, drivers who rush to an appointment and park without carefully reading regulations may come back to find a costly ticket awaiting. How will M2M and IoT gateways change the parking landscape?
Can you picture walking into your kitchen after work and saying, "Refrigerator: Give me a recipe I can make with my current inventory of food"? What about, "Oven: Preheat to 350 degrees"? These are functions that modern technology, including inexpensive Iot gateways, makes possible, and that retailers hope to market soon.
Picture this. One unfortunate homeowner who was also a specialist in restoring old Porsches came home one winter’s day to find his prized high-performance vehicle in his garage encased in several inches of ice after a water pipe froze and burst. The temperature was so low and the water loss so severe that the weight of the ice caused tires on the Porsche to burst. That’s cold—and that’s the price of water damage, which is the second most common cause of homeowner loss.
The Internet of Things (IoT), the idea that all devices that can benefit from connectivity will ultimately be connected, is already re-shaping industries like education, healthcare, facilities management and industrial processing. When machines can “talk” to each other—and connectivity is at an all-time high—they can perform a variety of functions without human intervention, leaving employees free to complete other pressing tasks and allowing for automatic data capture as well.
As the age of the Internet of Things (IoT), Machine to Machine (M2M) and IoT gateways dawns, automation offers businesses the chance to conserve resources by letting machines communicate and complete tasks without human intervention. Server automation hasn't been the focus of any AT&T commercials and probably isn't quite as well-understood as other automation applications, such as those for security, lighting or HVAC. It does, however, hold great value for businesses willing to invest in the technology.
The industrial processing sector is rife with challenges not present in other verticals. Extremely harsh physical environments, complex machinery and tremendous energy consumption make the industry unique in its technology needs. This is where the building automation and IoT gateways can come into play.
Let's face it: the restaurant business is flat-out difficult. Research shows that 59 percent of hospitality businesses fail within the first three years, so if you are going to open a new eatery you need to be sure you are maximizing your resources. Building automation technology (IoT gateway) can play a major part in improving efficiency and boosting your profit. Here are some the of the ways you can do it:
Can the Internet of Things (IoT gateways) make you safer? Picture this. A large office building that houses a number of different companies officially closes at 6 p.m. Of course, many employees in the building have to work past normal business hours on certain days, so the building management hires a security guard to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to the building.
As summer approaches, HVAC companies everywhere will be on high alert, installing new systems and making sure existing ones are in proper working order. Of course, as temperatures gradually rise your customers’ bills are likely to follow suit. The hotter the weather outside, the higher air conditioning units everywhere are cranked up.
If your organization still looks at the Internet of Things (IoT) as a technology with several years to widespread adoption, it might be time to take another look. According to a report from The Economist entitled “The Internet of Things Business Index: A Quiet Revolution Gathers Pace,” 75 percent of companies are either actively exploring IoT now or are already using it. The same report reveals that among senior executives surveyed, 61 percent believe that companies which are slow to integrate IoT into their business will fall behind the competition.
If you follow technology even casually, chances are you've heard a lot about the possibilities that machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions can offer for real-world problems. You may not be aware, however, about some of its more cutting-edge applications. So here are three M2M uses I think are pretty cool, and I hope you'll agree!
Sure, M2M technology used in building automation has all kinds of practical uses for companies and homeowners alike. But recently, the technology has been used for some heartwarming projects, like building “smart” homes that make life easier for wounded veterans. The advantage of M2M goes beyond increasing efficiency and cutting costs—such technology can change lives.
If you watch even a little bit of television, you are likely to have seen commercials displaying the wonders of home automation by now. AT&T, for instance, has aired spots that show how easy it can be to adjust your thermostat or activate your security system or communicate with a growing number of the Internet of Things, with just the touch of a smartphone button. Gone are the days of worrying about whether you forgot to set the alarm or left the air conditioning on before leaving on a 10-day vacation.
For years, experts have predicted that the Internet of Things—a system in which objects can communicate internally or with other machines—will transform the way we live our lives. As it turned out, some of those prognostications were a bit premature. In 2014, however, I fully expect the IoT to be a much more mainstream concept. ABI Research, after all, predicts that by 2020, 30 billion total devices will be connected, nearly triple the number that exist today.
Machines are taking over. OK, not like they did in "The Matrix," but machine-to-machine (M2M) technology, aka Internet of Things, is making serious inroads. In sectors like healthcare; security; automotive and transport; and financial services, the ability of machines to communicate internally and with the outside world is changing the business landscape. The numbers vary depending on who you ask, but predictions about the general direction of the IoT market does not—the arrow is pointing up. According to research firm Analysis Mason, IoT will produce $88 billion in revenue by 2023, up from $10 billion in 2013.
