Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet of things has been discussed for many years. Slowly but surely it is becoming part of our business and private lives
Internet of Things
The Internet of Things is bringing massive change to the way we live and work. This means the way you do business is also going to change, in ways that you can’t imagine, and this change will happen fast. It’s already well underway. If you want your firm to remain competitive into the future, take some time now to understand the implications of the Internet of Things.
What is the Internet of Things?
The Internet of Things is all around us. It is everything that is connected to the internet. Not just smartphones, smartwatches and televisions, but our household appliances, items on supermarket shelves, our roads and even our bodies.
It’s been happening for a while. Systems that monitor road traffic and help us avoid getting stuck in jams are a practical example that benefits businesses by saving time. This information is captured by sensors on the road network and is available to anyone, online.
You might think of the Internet of Things as being billions of sensors, all capturing data that’s collected and converted into useful information.
How companies are using the Internet of Things
This web-enabled interconnectivity of ‘stuff’ is already changing the way we live, work and play, and forward-thinking firms are finding ways to turn this to their commercial advantage. From click and collect services and drones to self-driving cars, the IoT is gathering pace. Gartner has predicted that within the next 5 years, there will be at least 25 Billion connected ‘things’ in the world.
Internet of Things Article
Commercial issues that companies need to start considering now
All this connected technology will bring a massive boost to productivity, allowing us to do more in less time. But the Internet of Things is also introducing a host of new issues that businesses, and their professional advisors, need to consider.
These include:
- Potential job losses
- Commercial risk
- Data privacy and security
- Growing cybercrime
Smart automation means less people are required to get the job done, even in sectors with large numbers of knowledge workers, such as accountancy and law. A paper from the University of Oxford predicts that up to half the jobs in these areas will be at risk, as smart, integrated technology takes over.
Risk, always important to business, takes on a new dimension with the Internet of Things. All this technology may be great when it works, but who is to blame when something goes wrong? Firms that don’t prepare for these eventualities could find themselves at the wrong end of an expensive judgement.
In a world of sensors, cameras and instant global communication, data privacy and security is going to become an even hotter topic than it is right now. Businesses of all sizes can’t afford to ignore the preferences and concerns of their staff and customers.
The threat from cybercrime is growing. Whether it’s malicious vandalism of data or systems by a disgruntled employee, or a targeted attack by thieves looking for cash, goods or data, firms need to be raising their awareness of the dangers.
You can benefit from the Internet of Things today
Our remote monitoring of our clients’ IT infrastructure and devices is a great example of the Internet of Things in action. Our tools spot potential problems before they occur, allowing us to apply a fix before the customer’s work is disrupted by a hardware or software failure.
Through our mobile device management service, our clients remain in control of all their smartphones, tablets and laptops, wherever they are. A lost phone can be locked down remotely and any misuse of a device can be reported on.
If you want to know more about how the Internet of Things can benefit your organisation today, give us a call on 0345 051 0600 or email enquiries@itsupport365.co.uk. We’d be pleased to have a no-obligation conversation with you.
ServiceDesk365
IT Support 365’s ServiceDesk365 is a proactive service for managing your complete IT system – the infrastructure, network, servers and desktop PCs. It’s a preventative approach to IT systems management, using a series of ‘best practices’ developed over years of experience.