A wealth of examples are now emerging across industry sectors of successful implementations of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. These projects are creating new efficiencies, competitive edge, cost savings and revenues, and demonstrating that the Internet of Things is here to stay.
IDG in partnership with Intel recently surveyed 200 IT leaders on the subject of IoT. The survey suggested that IoT is beginning to catch the interest of IT leaders, with the majority of respondents defining it as ‘the biggest revolution in business computing for decades’.
However, what the survey also found was that there is a perception that only a handful of sectors will benefit from IoT technologies. Respondents felt that the top four industry sectors that will gain from the Internet of Things, in terms of efficiency and innovation, are: technology, consumer electronics, energy/utilities and automotive.
Limiting IoT application to these four industries is not surprising however when it is considered that the survey also indicated that many IT professionals feel there is too much hype and not enough information available about IoT technologies. One respondent stated, “Almost everyone I talk to has no idea what IoT could mean - including me!” with another saying, “I work in the industry and I have no idea about this at all,” whilst others felt that there just weren’t enough real-life examples of successful IoT implementations for them to understand the opportunities on offer.
Clearly, the Internet of Things is yet to prove itself to IT leaders, but, in its defence, it is emerging out of some very strong trends. We now have a proliferation of smart, connected devices with embedded sensors; massive data growth; and more powerful data analytics meaning the building blocks are in place for IoT to become ubiquitous across industries very quickly.
For example there are already a number of implementation case studies emerging from companies across a range of industry sectors:
Smarter, Energy Efficient Architecture
One such example is the number of successful IoT-equipped Smart Buildings that are being built. Intel, Tatung and Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) are working together on such a project, focused on creating smart energy savings for businesses.
The IoT solution uses an IoT Gateway integrated with an I/O board that provides a smart connection between energy management systems and other commercial building devices.
The partners have completed a first step verification phase which produced “excellent” performance from a smart, energy-saving conference room. The next stage is to use the technology to address an entire smart building, targeting a 30% improvement in building energy efficiency.
Advanced Factory Automation
In manufacturing, Intel and Mitsubishi Electric are working together to create advanced factory automation systems that use end-to-end IoT connectivity and big data analytics. The two companies collaborated on a pilot at Intel’s manufacturing facility in Malaysia, demonstrating the benefits of IoT in this sector.
Using Mitsubishi’s Intel Atom-based gateway, Intel was able to securely gather and aggregate data for the analytics server. Data was then processed using software from Revolution Analytics, hosted on Cloudera Enterprise, the foundation of an enterprise data hub.
The pilot resulted in improved equipment uptime, and increased yield and productivity. In addition, Intel gained the ability to conduct predictive maintenance, with reduced component failures, and optimised inventory of tooling and human resources.
With the help of this IoT-based solution, Intel realised $9 million in savings through cost avoidance and improved decision-making.
Remote Control Agriculture
There are many examples of industrial uses of IoT technology, but agriculture is often one not immediately thought of. Abbaco Controls in Malaysia, is using IoT technology to create efficiencies through the remote control of water levels in its paddy fields.
The solution features real-time sensor networking and data transmission, which provides accurate and real-time status of water levels, and water flow both in and out of the fields.
This enables users to monitor them, and respond quickly and remotely via smart mobile devices. This has drastically reduced the lead time to farmers’ requests, minimised manual intervention, and ultimately, increased operational and farmer efficiency. Data analytics and reporting at the back end has led to further efficiencies.
Abbaco Controls’ IoT system is the first water irrigation automation project in Malaysia’s paddy fields. It uses an IoT gateway, which replaced the conventional - and less efficient - Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.
Getting from A to B
Transportation is also a growth area for IoT, using embedded sensors to track a range of data points including fuel usage, location, time and distance.
US transportation company Saia is achieving a 7% annual increase in fuel economy through sensors and analytics. Vnomics, its technology partner, worked with Intel to develop a cloud-based solution to help Saia keep its drivers safer, make its trucks more efficient, and lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Using an Intel Atom E3800 processor-based intelligent gateway, the end-to-end fleet management system gathers fleet data from truck-based sensors, providing immediate feedback and data analytics. Amongst other things, the IoT system is able to track inventory, anticipate maintenance needs, and manage fuel usage and personnel.
Intelligent Vending Machines
Finally, in retail, coffee company Costa used connected retail kiosks to improve profitability at its self-serve espresso bars. Its innovative coffee kiosk, the Costa Express CEM-200, uses bright and colourful high-definition touch-screen displays, cashless payment, telemetry, near-field communications and digital signage.
Behind the scenes, the station utilises Anonymous Viewer Analytics (AVA) - part of the Intel Audience Impression Metrics Suite - which gives retailers a better understanding of their customers and their purchases.
This enables them to optimise their product mix by location and customer-type, charge premium prices and up/cross-sell, and share information with the buyer.
Costa found that the stations have the ability to increase their sales per transaction because the touchscreen interface and cashless payment make it easier for customers to buy more items, thereby boosting sales.
Although the five examples above only represent five industry sectors, many other IoT pilots and full implementations are emerging across the board.
One company is using IoT technology to monitor pipes remotely using drone aircraft; another business, a drinks manufacturer, is using it to measure and manage beer levels in its kegs.
IoT sensors and gateways are commercially available, and analytics software is ready to provide useful insights from the data they generate. The question is: how could you use IoT to help your organisation?
This article is brought to you in association with Intel
The Internet of Things: Intelligent connections for smart creations
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