The Internet of Things (IoT) is on a fast track to change pretty much how the entire world operates. The IoT market is seeing a boom by improving the supply chain management to defining the concept of a so-called smart home and everything else in between. Estimates point to an enterprise IoT expenditure of over $520 billion by 2021. It is more than double what it was in 2017.

Also, over a third of all companies are seeing an added 1,000 "shadow IoT" devices attached to their networks. Shadow IoT means that employees are bringing their smart devices to work. Statistics also show that nearly half of businesses already use digital assistants (Amazon Alexa, Google Home, etc.) and smart TVs in the workplace.

The financial, healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics sectors are seeing the most use of IoT integrations. Nevertheless, IT departments across all spheres of business are implementing it into their systems.

Predictive Maintenance

Even though predictive maintenance is usually associated with manufacturing, you can also use it in the data center, such as for hard drive read-write heads. Similarly, machine learning can predict if one or more servers are about to go down. It means that its workload can be relocated in time, while the server is taken offline, repaired or replaced, so there will be no operation interruptions or the risk of data loss.

Reducing Costs

The IoT also benefits businesses by improving their overall energy efficiency. Several years ago, Google began making use of information collected in its data centers to improve energy consumption. It managed to reduce its cooling costs by 40%. Also, expect further improvements as these systems, aided by machine learning, will become even more efficient with additional data. Many other companies, in different industries, can follow in Google's footsteps and use machine learning to lower their energy consumption costs.

Virtual Assistants

Many IoT devices and smart virtual assistants are becoming ubiquitous in the office. And aside from them streamlining how employees navigate the digital environment, they are also helping with the physical one as well. These devices can predict when employees need something, even before they ask. If, for instance, staff members have to pass through an access control mechanism, a wearable smart device could automatically open the door when they walk up to it. These also help improve security.

For some healthcare organizations, for instance, the Weka Smart Fridge will come in handy. This portable IoT-enabled fridge will automate vaccine storage and dosage dispensing. It also includes remote monitoring, ensuring that the vaccines are at the right temperature, as well as inventory tracking.

Improving Conference Rooms

Another means by which IoT helps businesses optimize their processes in the modern workplace is to indicate which conference rooms are available and ready to use. Even if a reservation-style system exists in many organizations, it doesn't guarantee that each of them is in use. So, instead of having employees run around the building looking for a vacant room for an impromptu meeting, IoT devices can recognize which rooms are unoccupied.

Some technologies can measure phone signals or use infrared tools to detect if or how many people are in any area. By using radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology, companies can also tell who the individual occupants are. Depending on the size of the business or the industry they are in, this implementation could prove quite useful.

Takeaway

While these are only a few examples of how IoT is benefiting businesses in the 21st century, the limitations are set only by one's needs and imagination. If you want to learn more or are looking to leverage these technologies, contact one of our trained specialists. Managed Solution is at your service!