IoT

admin
November 30, 2020
IoT

8 Ways The Internet of Things (IoT) Can Help Grow Your Business

We live in a golden era where every device we use is connected to the internet in one way or another. The network of these connected devices is what we can call the Internet of Things.

IoT impacts the way we live our lives and make various aspects of our life smarter and more efficient. With smart technology being cheaper, we are now seeing more devices built with wireless connectivity embedded. Modern-day IT companies can use IoT technology to make their business operations more streamlined and improve efficiency in ways that were not possible earlier. Here are a few ways how IoT can grow your business today:

1) Improved business insights and customer behavior

Connected equipment in manufacturing, aviation, agriculture, healthcare, supply chain, and many other industries create more data streams and analytics potential. This means that companies are now gaining much greater insights about their day-to-day business operations and learning more about how their customers use their products or services.

In many of the cases, this has been enabled by cloud platforms provided by Microsoft Azure, IBM, AWS, and Google. But there is also a shift towards edge computing in some industries to reduce latency introduced by relying on third-party data centers.

2) Improved inventory management

The use of IoT will dramatically improve small businesses’ ability to monitor and manage their inventory process. Smart devices and IoT are now making it possible to automatically track and collect items and make overall inventory management and logistics more efficient. This whole comprehensive method is more productive than the cumbersome and expensive task where warehouse workers manually do the scanning and tracking of inventory piece one at a time

3) Personalized information and actions

IoT also brings together personal data so that they can deliver a more personalized experience to their customers.

In this way, E-Commerce retailers can leverage the analytics collected based on the customer’s behavior to offer more personalized information and actions. A good example fo this is where there is a car connected, and the driver receives offers that are tailored specifically to him or her. Alternatively, a family with a smart refrigerator can also receive the same tailored experience based on their personal preferences.

4) Efficiency and productivity gains

By connecting a business’s key processes, leaders can easily identify ways to boost efficiency and increase productivity. Thanks to these gains, companies expect that the revenues may get a boost by up to $154 million due to industrial IoT development, according to a recent report by Inmarsat.

Employees at Ford in Spain use a special suit equipped with Ford’s body tracking technology in partnership with Instituto Biomecanica de Valencia. The experiment involves 70 employees in 24 working departments.

The technology works similarly to motion taking systems that record how athletes sprint on turn or actors move and speak. Ford has been using the same technology to design a less physically stressful workstation to boost its manufacturing processes.

By accurately tracking the workers’ movement, it enables data-driven changes to its vehicle production processes, making them safer and more efficient.

5) Asset tracking and waste reduction

Closely linked to efficiency and productivity are the drives to reduce waste for which IoT tracking is integral. The growing use of IoT, with smart devices and sensors, can reduce unnecessary expenses that occur due to operational inefficiencies in the dress collection process. The urban waste collection process is also quite complex and time-consuming as well as resource-consuming

Therefore, using route optimization where municipalities or waste management companies work together and use smart dumpsters can transmit real-time data to waste collectors. The data then can be processed by the IoT company, which can select the best routes for waste collectors with areas that need a cleanup on priority. This results in an efficient pickup process that is more productive so that it can save fuel and workforce costs.

6) Remote working

Remote working is undoubtedly a trend that is becoming more and more popular as the days go by. For almost a decade, the possibility of working from home is more feasible for workers everywhere, and all the credit goes to development in the IoT.

IoT brings efficiency and accessibility on a level that was never seen before, and this has allowed remote working to be a popular option in today’s modern society. With IoT performing many different aspects of standard work practices, it is no surprise that remote working opportunities are flourishing.

7) Improved business security

IoT technology can be used to boost the security of your commercial office building in multiple ways. For example, wireless CCTV systems can be installed everywhere on your business premises and provide you with 24/7 live feed direct to your mobile devices. Many research data suggests that security cameras can be a handy tool against criminals. Security cameras can also come in handy to monetize star performance, and also it lowers the risk of employee theft.

Wireless alarm systems are also another affordable way to improve your business security and protect your equipment. An added benefit of installing IoT based security devices is that they may reduce the cost of your business liability insurance. Today, all the companies should take advantage of IoT devices that can monitor their buildings, boost their workplace security, and can negotiate lower insurance premiums.

8) New business models

While most of the use cases for IoT lies mainly inefficient productivity and process monitoring, and many companies recognized the scope for it to provide them with information about their customers in how they use their products.

We already have been saying internet-connected cars, coffee machines, trains, and all manner of other smart things that can feed used data back to the manufacturers and operators to build services around those products.

While few of these things were initially designed to be connected but added in IoT, there is a new value to them. These can also help improve the future design wire, the heaps of data gathered from real-world usage.

Companies that successfully can integrate IoT with their products have used benefits ahead in the future. It also allows the organization to shift the focus from conventional business models to new revenue streams. The data acquired from the IoT products hold much value. However, more significantly, customers can be given the option to purchase subscription-based services that offer customers a more personalized and tailored experience.

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admin
November 25, 2020
Edge Computing, IoT

How can Edge Computing Change the Outlook of Manufacturing Industry?

IoT, cloud, AI, ML and Edge have been quite familiar terms for technology lovers. There has been a wrong idea or approach that Edge and Cloud are mutually independent. Though they may operate in different ways; leveraging one does not prevent the utilization of the other. In fact, they powerfully complement each other.

Edge Computing in Manufacturing

With the growth and penetration of the Internet of Things in different sectors, the edge computing framework is also findings its way in several sectors. Today, the most promising edge computing use cases are present in the manufacturing industry as it welcomes new technologies, and these advanced technologies effectively improve performance as well as productivity.

IoT is already providing its best for the optimal result in the manufacturing industry; manufacturers are looking for some platform to boost the responsiveness of their production systems. To accomplish this, companies are adopting smart manufacturing with edge computing as its leading enabler.

Smart manufacturing indicates a futuristic factory where equipment can make autonomous decisions based on operations going on the factory floor.

The new technology allows businesses to integrate all steps of the manufacturing process like design, manufacturing, supply chain, and operations. This provides better flexibility and reactivity at competitive markets. But no doubt, this whole vision requires a combination of related technologies like IoT, AI, ML and Edge computing.

One of the critical reason for gathering analytics at the edge of the network is that it enables us to analyze and execute on real-time data without bandwidth costs that come with sending data offsite for analysis.
We all are well-aware that manufacturing is time-sensitive in terms of avoiding the production of out-of-spec components, equipment downtime, worker injury, or death.

In fact, for more complex, longer-term tasks, data can be transferred to the cloud and coupled with other structured and unstructured forms of data. Thus, this supports that the application of these two different computing frameworks is not mutually exclusive but its a symbiotic relationship leveraging the benefits provided by each.

Why businesses need Edge for Manufacturing?

In the manufacturing sector, the purpose of edge computing is to process and analyze data near a machine that require prompt action in a time-sensitive manner. It demands a quick decision right away without any delay. In traditional IoT platform set up, data produced by a device is collected through an IoT device is sent back to the central network server (cloud).

In the cloud, all the collected data is processed in a centralized location, usually in a data centre. This implies that all the devices which need access to this data or use applications associated with it should be connected to the cloud. Thus everything is centralized, and the cloud is easy to secure and control even if it allows for reliable remote access to data. Well, data processing is completed in the cloud; it can be accessed through IoT platforms in several ways, i.e. via real-time visualization, diagnostic analytics, reporting to support better decision making based on real data.

Now, the question which triggers is that, if everything is quite favourable, then why do we need edge computing. The main problem is that the whole process takes time, and the situation turns complicated when there is a need to take prompt decision based on data.

In the traditional process, the data travels the distance from the edge device back to the cloud, and a slight delay can be critical for taking a specific decision like stopping a machine tool from avoiding breaking. In fact, these IoT connected machines produce a massive amount of data and all the data travelling back and forth between edge and cloud disrupts the communication bandwidth.

The only way to achieve real-time decision making is to adopt edge computing. Edge enabled machines to collect and process data in real-time at the edge of the machine that allows them to respond promptly and effectively.

Edge Use Cases in Manufacturing:

Let’s now check the practical reasons to add edge computing as a necessary thing in manufacturing. There are many business benefits to ensure that all networks are correctly connected to the cloud while providing on-time delivery of powerful computing resources at the edge.

1) Updated equipment uptime:

The adoption of edge computing in manufacturing predicts failure in a subsystem, component or impact of running in a degraded state in real-time. It regularly refines as more data is analyzed and is used to boost operational purposes and maintenance schedule.

2) Decreased sustenance costs:

Better analysis of data for required maintenance means that maintenance can be completed on first visits by providing mechanics detailed guidance about the cause of the problem, required action, what part requires extra attention which ultimately deduces repair cost.

3) Lower spare parts inventory:

Edge analytics models are business-friendly; they can be tailored as per the need of an individual device or system. This implies reading sensors directly associated with specific components/subsystems.

Thus, the edge model describes how the system should be optimally configured to accomplish the business goal, making spare parts inventory more efficient at a minimum cost.

4) Critical failure prevention:

By collecting, analyzing and monitoring data related to components, edge analytics detect a cause for future failure before it affects actualize. This enables early problem detection and prevention.

5) Condition-based monitoring:

The convergence of I.T. and O.T. has allowed manufacturers to access machine data to know the condition of their equipment on the factory floor; either it is new or legacy equipment.

6) New business models:

This is an essential point because edge analytics helps in shaping new business models to catch opportunities. Let’s check an example; edge analytics can enhance just-in-time parts management systems using self-monitoring analysis to predict machine component failure and provides parts replacement notification throughout the value chain. This affirms for a needed maintenance schedule to reduce downtime and parts inventory and ensures an efficient model.

In the CNC machine tool, in-cycle stoppages to the tool are edge decision, whereas end-of-cycles can be a cloud decision. The reason behind this is that in-cycle stoppages require a very low, near-zero, lag time whereas end-of-cycle stoppages have a more lenient lag time. Thus in the former scenario, the machine would have to leverage edge analytics when in-cycle to adapt and shut down the machine automatically to avoid potential costly downtime and maintenance.

Edge and cloud computing

As we already know that IIoT aims to apply the latest analytics to large quantities of machine data to reduce unplanned downtime, reduction in the overall cost of machine maintenance and potentially utilizing the machine learning capabilities. The cloud has been responsible for making this kind of massive data acquisition, transfer, and analysis.

So, if data speed is high and connectivity should be stable and then adopting edge solution is the best option. Therefore it is clear that edge computing will not replace cloud computing but it will complement each other for the optimal result. Thus, integration of edge computing with cloud computing capabilities can enhance efficiency and maximize the productivity of the business.

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admin
November 12, 2020
Artificial Intelligence, IoT

How is Artificial Intelligence Contributing to the IoT Revolution?

Today businesses around the world are extracting the potential outcome by deploying IoT in their business operations. They use it to create new and optimized business possibilities. The firm growth of IoT in various industries is spectacular, whereas AI and its influence on a professional and personal level are considered undervalued. However, combining IoT with rapidly improving AI technologies can design ‘smart machines’ that stimulate intelligent behaviours to make a precise decision without any human interference. Thus, AI-IoT together minimizes chances of error and ensures efficiency along with productivity.

How does AI help in the IoT revolution?

Artificial Intelligence performs smart tasks such as language translation, decision making, voice recognition, etc. and IoT involves a series of interconnected gadgets to transport information over a network. IoT gadgets depend on web connectivity to deliver a fair amount of relevant information about users such as user behaviour, users’ preferences, personal details, etc. It is absolutely wrong to overlook them as they contribute to improving the operations and user experience. However, many organizations have no idea about saving and processing of massive amounts of data which ultimately hinders the growth and potency of IoT.

In this critical situation, AI work as saviour as it helps to store the bulk of data processed by the IoT devices. It analyses and produces a sense of it. Thus, we can conclude that AI is a chief driver which promises to contribute to the exceptional growth of IoT.

Enabling evolving profits for businesses

Earlier, the AI framework was taking care of limited categories of the task. They were not scalable and required human interference. However, advancement in technology has created a successful transformation of AI by involving it into IoT concept. The collaboration of AI with IoT has introduced smart machines which require the least human intervention. The integration of two evolving technology will bring a dramatic change in different industries. Four significant changes that will emerge in businesses after integration of AI & IoT are:

Improved revenue:

Integration of IoT with AI will be profitable for many industries and sectors in terms of generating significant revenues and returns. IoT data providers, IoT gadget, manufactures and companies offering application services based on smart sensors will also enjoy the profits gained by the togetherness of these two highly effective technologies.

Better Safety Standards:

Un-interrupted and regular monitoring allows a business to take prompt decisions to restrict any failure. Up-to-date monitoring improves overall protection and security standards while enhancing productivity. The strict monitoring over different operations even reduces the possibility of harm to lives and assets.

Decreased Expenses:

Assessing the appliances by smart detectors, the sensor installed domestic devices and smart electricity meters cut the extra operational costs in businesses or household works.

Improved user experience:

Smart sensors offer a plethora of opportunities to improve the user experience. These detectors catch the user’s preferences and provide them with options accordingly. For example, smart ac sets the temperature as per the user’s need.

Positive influence on different industries

1) Manufacturing Industry:

Manufacturing sectors like aircraft, automobiles, mining, household appliances, etc. sync smart sensors with their machinery to get future analyses and improve efficiency along with productivity. Industries are endeavouring to develop a wholly autonomous and advanced industrial unit. The installed sensors will assist enterprises in detecting the areas with looming threats, informing about the future maintenance requirement to ensure least machinery falls.

2) Smart Homes:

IoT has introduced advancement in homes too. Today, smart home concepts have taken up speed. Smart homes concept means a house where all the gadgets are connected through a shared network. Integrating IoT with AI will enable devices to interpret the owner’s instruction and make smart decisions, respectively.

A smart home consists of technologies that aim to make lives comfortable by allowing the owner to regulate the device remotely, regardless of where she/he is currently present. It even ensures better safety and security. For example, an owner can pre-plan the time at which he/she wants coffee, or when TV should turn on to watch their favourite show.

3) Body sensors:

Smart detectors have made the lives of patients and doctors easy. These smart devices sense different activities to maintain good health. Today, pharmaceutical companies are investing in medical sensors that can assist patients in keeping a track on their health. In the covid-19 situation, most of the hospitals are offering virtual consultations to their regular patients. Smart sensors are tracking the health of patients and sending health alerts to the doctors if any changes appear. This technology has allowed everyone to follow social distancing to minimize the chances of Covid spread.

For example, sensors evaluate blood pressure, blood sugar levels, etc. and send a notification if any changes occur.

4) Airlines:

Sensors have also become part of the aircraft to monitor the looming risks and errors and to assure safety before any mishap occurs. These smart sensors predict probable errors and calculate the degree of severity to decrease aircraft downtime and ensure safety. Airline companies also use sensors to detect the maintenance issues that typically cause flight delay and cancellations.

5) Oil Rigs:

Oil industries have to spend a fair amount on obtaining oil drilling machinery. Oil companies can use smart sensors to get a timely notification for servicing and reduce the operational cost. Sensors attached to the machines provide the information about the condition of devices and send the alert for maintenance or servicing before any damage happens to a machine.

Wrapping Up:

IoT and AI are technologies which seem to complete each other through one or another way. This deadly combination will change the outlook of many businesses and industries. It will even improve our personal and professional lives in a very positive way. Thus, undoubtedly this ultimate combination is highly beneficial as it will open up new opportunities for growth and innovations—the addition of AI in IoT concept can ease the business processes, improve productivity and provides enhanced user-experience.

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admin
November 5, 2020
IoT

Plan Your IoT Real-Time Data Streaming Process

IoT is the new demand, or we can say the requirement of technology. The changes, disruptions, upgrading, business demands, customers’ demand, everything queues to urge for the adoption of IoT. However, the adoption of IoT isn’t profitable until you are not stirring the best out of it. Nowadays, the most discussed topic in IoT is IoT real-time data streaming process. IoT data streaming is essential as it provides real-time decision making that is significant to many operations. An organization should have tools to accumulate data from sensors and devices then process it and transfer it to the database for analysis and real-time results.

Data streaming enhances performance and saves from the upcoming mishap as it sends alerts that prompt interference. For example, in a refrigerated truck, if a sensor reads a decrease in the required temperature, then IoT real-time data streaming and AI models will provide alert that the needed temperature is disturbed and it might cause the spoilage of the product.

Why organizations need IoT data streaming?

Well, data streaming is required to attain smooth operations and to get prepared for future challenges. It allows organizations to take prompt decisions and actions.

In short, Organizations use IoT data streaming for:

  • Detecting illegal network access
  • Recognizing upcoming machine failure before it actually occurs
  • Monitor the changes happening in a patient’s health and notify the doctor for the same before any mishap happens

Not just this, real-time data streaming also improves the organization’s competitive position. Let’s check an example of a clothing store. Today, some of the clothing stores are installing smart mirrors in their shops to provide better customer experience. Through smart mirrors, potential customers can virtually try on different dresses or items or get a specific look without any hassle of physically trying them on.

As per the market researcher MarketsandMarkets, the streaming analytics market may grow from $12.5 billion in 2020 and extent to $38.6 billion by 2025 at a compound annual growth rate of 25.2%.

IoT applications and expansion of GPS and geographic information systems that are used to monitor, trace and map events in real-time is essential pillars of data streaming process.

Do you know how the data streaming process runs?

The data streaming process involves three components: software, an operational database and an analytics engine. The operational database runs in real-time, whereas analytics engine extracts the data to provide insights.

For first-time data stream deployment, organizations gather all the three crucial components, which need awareness with the process steps and understanding of the complexities of the tools which are used in each step of the operation.

The first step involves ingesting the IoT data using some message streaming software or message brokers like Amazon Amazon Kinesis Data Streams or Apache ActiveMQ.

Once the ingestion is completed, in the next step ETL tool, i.e., extract, transform and load tool prepares the data for import into an analytics database. This type of process is typically an operational database based on a SQL platform. Organizations must create real-time analytics and machine learning models and applications to obtain useful business insights from gathered data.

It is noticed that many IT departments adopt this methodology, but with the emergence of the latest technology, there are many automated methods and platforms. There are data streaming and analytics services or platforms which simplifies the architecture and mechanics like Splice Machine SQL database and Confluent Platform or machine learning models.

What are the four best data streaming practices?

Organizations that build their process from the start and are looking for an off-the-shelf offering should check the following four best data streaming practices.

  1. Opt narrow business cases: The first practice one should follow choosing business cases which are solely dedicated to IoT data streaming that provides efficiencies, customer satisfaction, cost-saving and increased revenues. For instance, use of IoT data to detect which machines require high priority maintenance and if not provided then will fail on any assembly line, monitor network endpoints to block unauthorized access/ attacks or to trace the positions of the shipment.
  2. Simplify the design: Organizations should simplify the data streaming architecture to accelerate the time from insight to streamed data and cut-off the excess manual-coding. There are tools like Apache Kinesis Data Streams that automates the data ingestion operation, automate the ETL transportation of data into databases and removes the dependency on IT to facilitate the above function through extra coding. Splice Machine database also simplifies the operations as it automatically stores test database sandboxes. Thus, a user has to issue a single command and does not need manually set up the test database by a data analyst.
  3. Clean the data: Everything is essential in the data streaming process. Clean data is equally critical as architecture. The data cleaning process occurs at the time of data ingestion and happens in the processing/working of an ETL tool. Well, if an organization desires to automate portions of these operations, then must contact and work with their vendors and vendor’s toolsets to promise that they are capable of meeting the cleaning needs.
  4. Acknowledge the near-real-time & batch process: It is not suggested to perform every analytical function in real-time. Some data processing are periodically performed, near-real-time intervals like after every half-an-hour. In batch processing that is delivered during the day or overnight is also significant. Before the implementation of the process, organizations should find out which process need real-time and set workflows accordingly.

Well, to churn profits from IoT, it is necessary to know how to efficiently use it. IoT, along with other technologies, allows you to get a clear vision through data. The useful data enables you to take prompt decisions, and actions to stop the looming loses and mishaps. The IoT data processing is the best way to enjoy the best of IoT and make business operations smooth and efficient. Connect reliable and proficient IoT service providers to know more about IoT, get idea and services for IoT data processing. Your business needs IoT touch; don’t waste your time anymore. Connect us.

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admin
October 29, 2020
IoT, Technology

How AWS IoT Things Graph Simplifies Hardware Integration Process?

Businesses are dependent on raw material; demand in the market and last but not the least, employees. Every operation, strategy, decision making and supervision, everything requires human interference. However, the sudden intrusion of Covid-19 and its ongoing havoc has disrupted regular lives, market and businesses. Business leaders are unable to take any decision without estimating the risk pandemic can cause for workers.

Every time an employee visits the workplace to do some manual task becomes vulnerable to COVID-19. The risk of getting affected by coronavirus has urged businesses to think about software and sensors to automate tasks which were previously operated by humans.

The inclination toward having an automated business process has led to the adoption of IoT. Still, most of the time business owners forget about the most crucial and complex aspect required for the transition, i.e. hardware integration.

No, doubt hardware integration remains one of the most painful processes needed to create customized IoT solutions. In this blog, we’ll check the challenges which emerge while having hardware integration. We’ll also learn about AWS IoT Things Graph and how it helps in making hardware integration easy and painless process.

What are the challenges which emerge during Hardware Integration?

Uninterrupted communication is a critical demand during hardware integration. To get a clear view, let us take an example of an orchestra group. Suppose you own an orchestra consisting of musician belonging to different countries, and all are preparing to play Mahler’s Fifth Symphony. But the catch in this concept is there is no conductor. Absence of conductor would not stop the musicians for performing the piece, but it would not sound great and appealing. Not just this, there would be interruption by hiccups, miscommunication and argument for how the music should be performed.

Well, for mind-blowing performance musicians need alignment, ability to community with each other efficiently, and management of complex interactions between different groups within the orchestra. This implies that the orchestra needs a conductor for a significant result.

Hardware integration encounters similar problems. Your business process consists of a ton of devices that has to work collectively to perform a specific task and get a particular outcome. Furthermore, each hardware vendor speaks in different protocols, so it becomes tough to understand, and you cannot use devices out of the box directly.

Thus, it is evident that the lack of usually shared standards in the industry or business creates confusion for developers.

In the end, developers have to opt for a time-consuming solution. They waste time in repeat integration works for several devices when the devices are fundamentally the same (LED light bulb of different brands). Hardware integration is challenging and complex because you need an expert to understand the working of different parts and how all of them joins to create a big picture.

Any idea about AWS IoT Things Graph and why should you use it for hardware integration?

The best way to define AWS IoT Things Graph is a conductor which IoT space requires to show its best version. AWS IoT Things Graph is a service developed to resolve challenges occurring in hardware integration and helps in faster development of IoT applications. It enables you to connect different devices and web services in a plug-and-play way to end business difficulties.

Getting back to orchestra example, conductor in an orchestra aligns musicians, administers the interpretation and controls the pace of the music, monitors critically and sets a single vision.

The four fundamental features of AWS IoT Things Graph are:

  1. Models
  2. Visual User Interface
  3. Work at the Edge
  4. Monitoring Flows

The model represents things, i.e. devices and web services. Models are an essential feature of AWS as it cuts the time of developers spend on worrying about underlying implementation and allow them to concentrate on using the model abilities. It is often observed that developers have to spend a lot of time ensuring that the messages between various model are communicating correctly or not.

AWS IoT Things Graph simplifies the work of developers and enables comfortable working with devices and services. Additionally, models are like reusable building blocks that developers can share with each other and avoid repetitive integration efforts.

The AWS IoT Things Graph UI lets you determine interaction happening between various models through flow diagram connecting outputs & inputs. It empowers you to design how devices & services should communicate with each other and allows you to create multi-step workflows. So, this gives more time for developers to focus on business logic & functionality than repetitive integration.

In IoT, the biggest challenge is updating the legacy systems with new hardware. Earlier, your approach was limited to a specific ecosystem, but AWS provides you with the freedom to change hardware without rebuilding everything from the start. AWS provides you with flexibility and freedom to emphasis on your application promptly whenever customer demands the better resolution.

AWS IoT Things Graph permits your business to run at the edge with just a few clicks from the AWS IoT Things Graph console. The steps to take up are- define your perimeters, connect models with your real-world devices, schedule when to execute, and station applications to the cloud or AWS Green IoT Greengrass device. Thus, we can conclude that AWS IoT Things Graph charters a path which helps you moulding the concept into a product which is present in the market place.

AWS also allows you to monitor the present condition of the IoT application. This monitoring feature is highly advantageous as it informs you about where any flow or steps fail. You can fix the issue immediately without disturbing any other process. When connected with Amazon Cloudwatch, you can get access to log flow and execution time to check any disruption or steps failure. You can set the metrics which you are concerned about, and you’ll get notified when any changes occur.

Conclusion:

AWS IoT Things Graph is developed to assist application developers and help them in tackling the unique challenges that appear during hardware integration. The adoption of this service ends the long dispute existing between developers and hardware vendors on lack of the standard. It ends the repeated integration efforts and allows developers to concentrate on essential tasks like building features to overcome business issues. IoT is the most critical requirement of the time, but it is hard to implement in the business. AWS IoT Things Graph for hardware integration provides speed, simplicity and customization needed to build IoT application. The use of AWS IoT Things Graph can improve your business operations and assists you in making an idea into reality using IoT. Thus it is a smart decision to use AWS IoT Things Graph for painless hardware integration.

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admin
September 30, 2020
IoT

IoT-Enabled Smart Collar to Improve Cattle Management

The present COVID-19 situation has gripped the crowd-culture and demands for the minimalist culture, which means the least human-interaction, the more safety assurance. Corona-virus has limited the gathering at everyplace, either its an office or a shopping mall. In this situation, it has become a more challenging task for a rancher to keep a track on every cattle with least number of helpers.

Earlier, in the presence of labours, it was not easy to keep a track on a large herd because cattle management includes a lot more than you think. The day usually consists of feeding, cleaning, vaccination, health monitoring and anytime heat stress, anytime artificial insemination requirement and anytime calving. Farmers have to be all-time available to run a successful cattle farm.

Today, the Internet of Things has made many jobs easy in different sections. The need for time and the existing loopholes in cattle management has led to the innovation of IoT-enabled collars. The smart collar is the outcome of the collaboration of advanced technologies.

The IoT-based and cloud-connected collars monitor rumination, movement, activities, body temperature of the cattle. It collects the data and stores it on the cloud for analysis of pattern and behaviour.

How smart collar helps you in managing cattle remotely?

The GPS enabled cattle tracking collar provides the real-time location of your cattle. The collar sends the signal every 15 minutes at your livestock management dashboard. This process allows you to track the movement and location of your cattle at any time from anywhere. The IoT-enabled collar collects and stores the data on the cloud for future purposes. Farmers even install specific geofences and alerts to get the notification if cattle move out of a designated area.

If you own a large farm, then it would have become a more difficult task in this pandemic situation with less number of helper. Maintaining a record of each cattle becomes an arduous task. A bit of careless attitude might end up into a loss of 3,000-3,500 bucks per missed heat per animal. The sensor-enabled smart collar helps you to skip from all the undesired loss.

How IoT-enabled smart collar works?

  1. The smart wearable catches the movement and records the data. It predicts the estrus based on the change in behaviour, movement and activity pattern.
  2. The IoT-enable collar compares the daily activity of cattle and notifies if any change in pattern appears.
  3. The smart collar also compares the movement of each cow with the heard and alerts if any change shows.
  4. The IoT-enabled collar detects the patterns which only appears at the time of estrus and inform promptly.

Read More: Why is IoT Impossible Without an Open Ecosystem?

Smart collar curtails the undesired losses:

The reproduction cycle of a cow is very critical. For instance, missing the single heat stress of a cow can disturb a whole reproduction cycle and cause considerable loss. Suppose, if a farmer misses the heat stress many times or faces failure in artificial insemination, then, this situation might turn out to the worst result.

Therefore, this new data storing wearable tag eases the management work by notifying about the peak heat-stress period.

Usually, cattle management solutions include smart collars, receiver unit and antenna.

  1. It offers remote tracking of cattle and informs about its current location.
  2. It records and stores ambient temperature, rumination profile, cattle movements on the cloud.
  3. It alerts for oestrus period and animal health.
  4. It sends a timely alert for general health, lameness, oestrus, digestive health etc.

Reasons to have an IoT-enabled cattle management system:

The most straightforward reason is to minimize the loss of cattle, maintain good health and yield benefit. The other reasons are:

  • Cattle management solution can monitor ‘n’ number of cows.
  • It stores data and allows farmers to access it anytime from anywhere.
  • It reduces dependability on labour.
  • It provides a highly accurate result.
  • It alerts farmers if any cow is ill or lost.

Undeniable Advantages:

The inclusion of a cattle management solution can help farmers in all aspects. It improves farm management, increases the breeder’s efficiency and optimizes the input costs like labour, hormonal treatment, semen etc.

It lowers the dependency on human resources and assures for no human error. Farmers can access the data and can edit it as per the existing situation. The solution also helps the farmer in tracking and recovering stolen cows.

Conclusion:

The introduction of smart cattle management has solved the problem of poor breeding performance. The IoT-based cattle management solution is economical, robust and user-friendly. It has confirmed a positive impact on the growth of yield and health of cattle. It has reduced livestock theft and can count stock within a matter of minutes. The cattle management solution keeps a track on every individual cow and alerts the farmers if any change occurs. The adoption of revolutionary innovation in cattle management can change the outlook of livestock management. It contributes to saving money, efforts and time as well.ive

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admin
September 9, 2020
IoT

Why SMEs Need to Add Internet of Things?

Internet of Things, a familiar tech-solution is contributing to making a better tech-world for businesses and market. The infiltration of iot in every section has proved its versatility and frequent updates hints for the presence of unexplored potential. IoT has opened a new path to build vast networks of connected devices.

IoT integrated management systems are bliss for small and medium-sized businesses. It is often noticed that many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are struggling to stay alive while churning benefits. Today, companies incorporating advanced IoT system into their daily processes have developed a sophisticated way to make profits.

Industry 4.0 is a technical word used to address the new phase in the Industrial Revolution that includes automation, machine learning and interconnectivity. It strives to help businesses through various advanced technologies.

IoT is one of the heroes in the Industrial Revolution. It can connect physical devices to digital platforms to develop most favourable ambience for manufacturing and supply chain management. There are IoT service providing companies which can introduce IoT in your business.

What, Why and How?

IoT has added smartness in the way of thinking, it has added smartness to connecting platforms and devices, and the best thing about it is that it can be accessed by small, medium and large-sized companies. The unbiased nature and potential results drawn by IoT makes it different and most compatible.

IoT solutions consist of sensors and smart devices which can sense and communicate with each other over the cloud. The IoT integrated sensors and devices detect the change occurring in the environment or collect the data from the designated target for the software to process and then performs the automated response like notifying the responsible parties if any issue occurs.

IoT connected devices provide data which can be used to improve existing business practices and support machine-to-machine communication. No doubt, different industries suffer different challenges, but IoT is the standard solution in different ways.

How is IOT helping different types of business?

A) IoT in Logistics:

Logistics is one of a broad sector which is dependent on proper management of distribution and transportation operations. An error can turn the whole process upside down. The need for prompt and appropriate transportation along with the expectation of consumers has left no chance to plan for a series of pick-ups and sit with crossed fingers.

Earlier, experienced transport managers used to plan an efficient route. But today, regulatory laws like GDPR affect everything, from driver’s hour to how IoT and telematics data are utilized in fleet operations.

Following the regulation as well as last-minute requirements makes delivery and transport route complex than it was earlier. The complexities turn to be worst by the massive amount of information which has to be shared to coordinate different branches of a business. Well, IoT helps in this situation and untangle complexities by enabling enhanced data flow by developing a network of devices that connects and shares data.

In addition, IoT-enabled fleet management systems can cut excessive fuel consumption, time consumption, ensure driver’s safety through continuous vehicle monitoring.

Read More: Why is IoT Impossible Without an Open Ecosystem?

B) IoT in Manufacturing:

The one most crucial aspect in the manufacturing industry is effective resource management because SMEs have limited resources, and they cannot afford any kind of loses. Well, in reality, coordinating the manufacturing of goods becomes tiresome without the right tools.

IoT technology empowers businesses to manage their manufacturing processes precisely to curtail upcoming issues and improve existing procedures. More than 58% of manufactures have accepted the fact that IoT technology helped them in transforming their businesses.

IoT can be used to establish efficient asset usage, improve equipment service life and to get optimal ROI on assets. It is estimated that the global usage of IoT in the manufacturing sector would reach USD 45 billion by 2022.

C) IoT enhances productivity:

SMEs always tries to settle themselves into the successful list with maximum benefit and best customer experience. They follow the same basic principle, i.e. to increase productivity and in result, revenue will automatically increase.

The addition of IoT in SMEs helps in achieving the motive. The highly advanced IoT-integrated devices facilitate access to accurate and actionable data which improves decision-making processes and assist them in taking quick actions to important events and emergencies.

IoT systems help by enhancing collaboration between departments, monitoring fleet operation, reducing operational costs, tracking the transportation movement etc. Data collected by IoT devices can be used by companies to deliver product faster, meet the target quotas and enhance the supply chain.

D) IoT ensures proper maintenance:

Maintenance of assets in a company is crucial and complicated. Breakdown of an asset or vehicle can cause a massive loss to SMEs, so they need to maintain the health of every machine and ensure servicing on time. IoT-enabled car trackers diagnose and transmit malfunctions before they turn into some serious issues. The device connected through the OBD-II port allows access to engine error codes and diagnostic reports.

OBD-II is an onboard computer used to keep a check on vehicle data like speed, mileage, emissions etc. It can be accessed through a 16-pin usually placed under the driver’s side dash. Thes diagnostic reports identify and inform about which vehicle needs servicing and when to schedule preventive maintenance. IoT-enabled preventive maintenance solutions can cut diagnostic time up to 70% and causes a 25% reduction in repair time. It improves the operational efficiency of assets.

Read More: Six Inevitable Steps to Bring Digital Transformation in Your Business

E) IoT promises Consumer Satisfaction:

Today, customers demand are massive as they are aware of the latest technologies. They are expecting rich experience, and only IoT can provide that. SMEs can provide real-time information of product to their customers through IoT. On-time delivery is necessary to build loyal customers. When the delivery time exceeds the expected time, customers get frustrated. Sometimes late deliveries cause spoilage of the perishable product.

So, we can conclude that on-time shipment is an unavoidable requirement. IoT enabled devices integrated with sensors that are capable of diagnosing small changes in the condition of cargo or vehicle. It even maintains the required temperature to keep the product at a good state. It informs the company about the shipment-status which they further share with the customers to gain trust. By updating the shipment-status increases ROI by retaining their existing customers as well as attracts new customers with their top-quality services. IoT helps in boosting sales, lowers customer costs and enhances customer satisfaction.

F) IoT improves Security and Safety:

IoT solutions are not only meant for the benefit of the company, but they also offer advantages for the safety and security of a company’s workforce, property and goods, trucks & cargo. IoT solutions automate security processes and detect the flaws existing within the system, notifying the administration to eliminate any casualties.

Nevertheless, employees who feel safe and protected turns out to be more productive. IoT-enabled fleet management solutions monitor and manage the fleet remotely while providing real-time access to the location. It offers prompt alerts in case of an accident or any other emergencies which ultimately promises the safety of the driver and ensures quick actions in case of any mishap.

IoT is the next big thing in Tech-world.

Internet of things has changed the outlook of SMEs. It has added smartness in the operations and supply chains. In the coming years, businesses will be more dependent on the latest technologies. To say it straight, more on IoT.

Internet of Things has not just chartered a smooth path for complex operations, but it has also reduced operational cost, fuel cost and time consumption. IoT connected device provides data which can be analyzed to develop the demand-based products. It even helps companies to meet the expectation of the customers. From early detection of machinery breakdown to on-time delivery of a product, IoT is everywhere. If you still not a part of IoT-world then you might be losing a lot more than your imagination.

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admin
August 24, 2020
IoT

Why is IoT Impossible Without an Open Ecosystem?

IoT, i.e. Internet of Things has submerged itself in almost every sector, either its agriculture or smart home. IoT is the new need of the market and is looking for maximum growth. IoT has all the power to turn an idea into a reality, but it is dependent on the ecosystem.

Have you ever thought why IoT needs an open system? Assume, the internet had been a closed ecosystem controlled by a small set of organizations. It would have been a very different experience from the present. Today, we are entirely dependent on the internet, and if would have a closed ecosystem, then it would have a pay-per-use model along with a lack of tools and services. The open internet provides a space for growth, change and an opportunity for the innovation of new technologies.

Here is why IoT is impossible without an open ecosystem?

Gartner expects a boom in Iot growth by 2021. It states that 25 billion connected things will be part of global use through smart homes, factories, smart cities, vehicles etc. As IoT devices are making their way online, edge computing becomes a vital part to consider. Edge computing allows data processing and analysis in real-time for business-centred uses such as safety, security, industrial automation and many other purposes.

The need for infrastructure for IoT and edge is the same as for the internet; both need an open and consistent foundation for potential growth and services. However, the challenges in the development of IoT are different and requires attention to get immediate solutions before it becomes a significant problem for industries.

Where we are today with IoT?

Before we know about IoT, let’s have a quick look at the journey of the internet. In the 1990s, America allowed access to the internet to the masses through the use of CD. With the time-lapse, users became smart and realized they could connect to the internet using ISPs and enjoy more powerful and advanced search capabilities like Google. Again with the introduction of advancement, people started using the internet through their medium of choice, and this led to the acceleration in innovation and gave birth to the internet and ecosystem we are enjoying today.

To describe the present stage, we are on “AOL stage” of IoT, which means a phase of getting the device connected at scale and working through the balance of open approaches vs. proprietary. Internet of Things is complex and diverse in nature, which means it is made up of different technologies and domain-specific use cases.

Till now, the market has created an exclusive IoT platform to connect people and operations, each having different methods for data collection, management and security. Well, we can say that it is similar to a situation of having multiples “AOLs” that are continually striving to connect devices to the internet, ultimately causing avoidable complications.

Read More: Six Inevitable Steps to Bring Digital Transformation in Your Business

Today, companies switching to IoT journey are dependent and bound to their vendors and will have to provide extra costs or integration issues whenever they wish to scale deployments and take on new cases. Hence, we can conclude that IoT’s diversity has become an obstacle to its progress.

However, the only way to end all these unnecessary chaos and hassle, we must develop an open ecosystem for IoT and edge computing to scale the commercialization of offerings and services while focusing on ROI.

Closed ecosystem Vs Open ecosystem:

Any idea about how an open ecosystem looks like? Well, while creating an ecosystem, there are many approaches, from closed to open philosophies.

Generally, a closed ecosystem is part of strictly governed relationships, proprietary designs and sometimes exclusive APIs. Close guarding and control over closed ecosystem are often referred to as “walled gardens”; it provides marvellous customer experience but with the high cost and fewer choices. Open approaches provide a plethora of APIs and tools option which can be openly programmed. Open standard, like Android’s operating system, provides developers with an opportunity for more innovation and bolters a network effect.

Let’s compare the differences between open and closed ecosystem by taking Apple’s iOS and Android.

Apple’s iOS provides the most organized experience, whereas Android device makers have less control over the overall experience through hardware/software integration and thus need to search for other differentiators.

However, openness provides choice and scale and thus, Android holds over 70 per cent of global mobile OS market share. Companies like Samsung create market share by developing innovation and investing in a broader ecosystem.

IoT will bloom in an open ecosystem:

The progress and growth of IoT are not possible through hundreds of siloed and closed ecosystems governed by vendors. The future of IoT is dependent on us, and it could be improved by the development of an open ecosystem.

Development of commercial offering which has an open foundation provides more scalability, choice, transparency and flexibility. Thus open-source collaboration is an excellent starting for an open foundation.

IoT is more like a demand of time, and if you are not aware of its potential, then you need to check yourself and business too. Add IoT in your business and give us a chance to show you the most amazing looks of an IoT through our services.

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admin
August 10, 2020
IoT

Why does Dairy Need to Adopt IoT Enabled Cattle Management Solutions?

The current pandemic situation, economic disturbance and job issues, people have realized that it’s time to get back to the origin. Agriculture would be the new preference, and people would certainly look for the solutions which would keep a track on their business just like a mother does on her child.

IoT has changed the outlook of businesses, either its manufacturing or by making smart city or automating cars. The time needed for the most reliable solution is met by IoT to a certain level. Nevertheless, IoT development companies are still investigating to get the most fitted, unambiguous and dependable version of Iot.

Taking the dairy industry as an example, let’s check how IoT can improve the working in the dairy sector.

Cattle management is one of the most challenging tasks in dairy farming, having experience in taking care of cattle might help you to a certain level, but if you are a layman, then you need to really work hard. Cattle management includes looking after the balanced diet of cattle, vaccination and heat stress along with insemination at peak time.

The addition of IoT in dairy technology has added advancement in the monitoring system of cattle which helps farmers in achieving better performance. It provides a way through which dairy farmers can optimize their livestock health using remote monitoring and allow them to make data-driven decisions. There are IoT service providing companies which are providing customized and optimal solutions to improve dairy farming.

Let us see how IoT can assist farmers through latest technologies:

A) Monitoring health of cattle:

The most essential and crucial part of cattle management is monitoring the health of the livestock and preventing them from illness through early diagnosis. IoT solutions which include wearables are capable of streaming data to the cloud. The smart collars capture data and notify farmers about several factors like a respiratory rate, heart rate, digestion level, blood pressure and other vitals. This information helps dairy producers to take prompt decisions for better health of cattle. In fact, tracking these factors also contributes to significant control over the livestock feeding issues.

Read More: Six Inevitable Steps to Bring Digital Transformation in Your Business

B) Tracking the reproductive cycle:

Missing a heat stress period of a cow can cause a considerable loss, and it also disturbs the reproductive cycle. It has been a tough task since ages, but now the addition of Iot for monitoring purposes of cattle has smoothened the task. The IoT enabled device monitors and informs the farmer about the heat stress of cows. A cow can stay in heat for around eight hours, the connected device can tell about the exact peak period, and farmers can use this period for artificial insemination. A.I, at the right time, ensures successful pregnancy of cattle along with good health. Not just this, It even notifies farmers when the cow goes into labour, thus making the calving process easy and safe. We can conclude that IoT has reduced the need for manual supervision for knowing heat stress and the calving process.

C) Location tracking:

Sometimes cattle get separated from the herd, and it becomes a tough and time-consuming task to find them. Well, the cattle management devices help you in this situation as well. Through smart wearable, you can track the movement of cattle. The IoT enabled device tracks the movement, locate them and help farmers in optimizing their grazing patterns.

In addition to this, sensors also inform the farmers about the changing behaviour appearing in cattle.

Read More: How will IoT Transform Transportation in the Coming Years?

D) Monitoring the behaviour:

It is tough to interpret the behaviour of cattle, specifically if you have a large herd. It is actually a tough task to know which cattle need attention in terms of diet or medicines or health. Iot enabled devices to watch the activity and movement patterns and share them with a farmer. Farmers easily know when to milk the cattle or when they need extra attention. The IoT enabled device even measures the milking amount and speed. It tracks the number of steps cattle walked and the amount of food it consumed. Thus, the precise supervision of cattle and the data collected allows a farmer to make actionable decisions to improve the health and yield.

Key Benefits of using IoT-enabled cattle management:

  • The ToT-enabled device monitors the health and vitals of cattle in real-time, allowing farmers to take prompt decisions and treat the animals on time to restrain the spread of disease.
  • It tracks the location of grazing animals and identifies the grazing pattern.
  • It collects and analyzes the historical data to diagnose cattle health or to track the spread of disease.
  • It gives real-time information for the calving process to avoid any loss and optimize breeding practices.

Conclusion:

The adoption of IoT enabled solutions for cattle management has ended the dependency on manual supervision. It also affirms for minimum error. The IoT-enabled solution provides real-time data with key insights. It assists farmers in taking the most favourable decision which can provide maximum efficiency while diluting the wastage.

Today, growth in IoT and its adoption in every sector has generated expectation as well as hope for better tomorrow. The adoption of IoT in livestock management has improved the yield and health of cattle. As per Statista, in 2017, the market value of monitoring and management amounted to about 2.52 billion U.S. dollars, and it is expected to grow 4.84 billion dollars by 2021.

If you have a dairy firm and managing a cattle has been a challenge for you then consider contacting us. Prompt Softech offers a wide range of Iot solutions for cattle management and agriculture. Contact our Iot experts and get the consultation to improve your dairy farming.

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admin
July 13, 2020
IoT

How Can IoT Improve Supply Chain During COVID-19?

The spread of COVID-19 has restrained the speed of businesses and interrupted the functioning of logistics and transportations. The current dilemma is how to sustain in the situation and to stop the economic meltdown while staying healthy.

Many companies and manufacturing industries are struggling to supply the goods to the customer or market. Recent studies conducted by Adobe stated that online purchase of hand sanitizer, masks, gloves and anti-bacterial sprays was raised by 817 per cent in February 2020. The sudden shift from window shopping to online has created a new challenge as well as an opportunity for all the businesses. Most of the businesses are opening an online platform for shopping, but without good and reliable logistics and transport, nothing is worth doing.

To stay economically healthy in the business, retailers need to assure that they are providing an excellent quality customer experience. Retailers need to inform about the shipment status and its expected delivery date of the product to the customer.

From packaging to delivery, proactive communication about the status of a product can only be achieved by the involvement of IoT and sensors.

Adopting sensors integrated with IoT devices can help retailers in keeping a track on the shipment to know its status and to inform the same to the customer. But before we understand how holistically Iot will aid in supply chains, let’s check what are the challenges in supply chain management.

Challenges in supply chain management:

Today, the supply chain has become the heart of any business, if it is not available, then forget about the profit and fulfilment of demands. However, with the globalization, lack of technology adoption and rise in eCommerce, supply chain complexities are increased.

Here are a few challenges which are disrupting in smooth supply chain flow:

  1. Lack of coordination and communication between people at different places involved in supply chains like producers, brokers, transporters, processors, retailers, wholesalers and consumers.
  2. Lack of fast last-mile delivery and compliance to meet the operational needs required for direct-to-customer fulfilment.
  3. Improper manual and slow data reconciliation process.
  4. Lack of transparency and improper record maintenance across the supply chain.
  5. Poor stock management and no record maintenance of stolen, lost, shortage of products and inability to maintain minimum stock level etc.
  6. Lack of visibility in supply chain inventory and security across all the channels in the supply chain.
  7. Unsatisfied customers because of late deliveries without information.

Well, COVID-19 has proved the need for improvement in the logistics and adoption of the latest technologies for getting the best results. IoT offers a lot to the logistics to overcome challenges, improve transparency and ensure on-time delivery. Let us check how IoT can add advancement, proactive communication and transparency in logistics:

Precise Location Tracking:

Today, when the virus is spreading everywhere, the shipment has become more significant as people are staying home to stay healthy. The expectation of the customers to get the delivery on time has raised to a much higher level. By switching to the Internet of things enabled devices, companies can have insights into shipment and its status, which they can share with the customers. Companies can share the location of the consignment and the estimated delivery date of the packages.

Read More: How COVID-19 Explains The Need for IoT Based World?

Not just this, data received by IoT devices also helps retailers in scheduling optimized shipment routes for faster delivery, improved functioning and providing the best customer experience.

IoT enabled devices even helps in identifying warehouse delays and assists in addressing weak links while pushing overall efficiencies. Today in this virus affected the world, such data can be proved as lifesaving. Suppliers can trace the routes where shipments are facing snag and causing late delivery. They can avoid the road in future and opt for another way to make sure the delivery of essential products on time to customers.

Shipment Conditions Monitoring:

Apart from tracking consignment, delivering product in good condition is also essential. By acquiring, computing and providing updates on the environment state of a shipment can add confidence that the package is at a good state. This part is particularly important for providers of fragile or perishable products, as containers depart from supplier to seller to customer.

For clear vision, let us take an example of shipment containing food/dairy packages. A food/dairy shipment requires proper temperature throughout the journey to maintain quality; otherwise, it would just not spoil the reputation of the brand but would lead to serious health issues.

Through IoT-enabled sensors, a retailer can keep a check on container conditions to make sure no compromise with quality. In fact, if some issues appear, the retailer can take immediate steps to resolve the problems.

Global Connectivity:

Tracking and monitoring consignment is possible through Iot devices that are connected to a global network and can provide insights to retailers and customers to stay aware of products’ status.

Companies should switch to a 0G network to provide them with global connectivity. A 0G network is an exclusive low-bandwidth wireless network designed to connect simple, low-cost and less power consuming IoT devices to the internet. It is used to transfer a small amount of data across long ranges. It is different from others as it can transmit data such as location or temperature at a lower cost without compromising with quality.

On the other hand, due to less consumption of power, battery life is longer and lasts till the shipment journey ends. Thus it provides real-time data of the package location.

Excellent visibility provided by IoT across the supply chain offers an opportunity for enterprises to adopt the path to operational efficiency, aids in providing better customer experiences and a healthy bottom line.

Though COVID-19 has interrupted in the growth and development, it has given an opportunity to explore and adopt the most beneficial technology for improving efficiency and increasing benefits. Most of the companies are embracing IoT to churn profits. IoT provides insights to adjust the changes caused by a virus while offering excellent services at less price.

If you are looking for an IoT development company, then your search is ended. Contact Prompt Softech to get the most advanced and reliable IoT services.

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