Things vs Data
The term Internet Of Things (IoT) is a commonly used term. In practice, IoT mainly refers to connecting a data-generating device to the internet. This data is then stored in the cloud.
The stored data is analyzed and presented again via a mobile application or a web page.
What you should be aware of is that collecting data should not be an end in itself. To indeed switch to IoT, you need to have a sound business case.
The data and its processing must have added value for you, your company and your customers. Examples of this added value could be;
Presented data makes sense to a customer
Data can be used for signaling, timely maintenance or replacement of parts
Data can be used for marketing purposes
Data can be used to make business processes run more efficiently
Data can be used to control applications remotely
Praktical example
A good example to illustrate this is a product that Betronic has developed to measure the process of curing concrete.
The product measures the actual temperature of the concrete. In combination with the information from the mix of the concrete, the hardness of the concrete is calculated in the back office and displayed in a web application. This web application can then be used to read when the concrete has hardened sufficiently.
The business case of this application is that no unnecessary waiting time is lost during the hardening of the concrete. As soon as the concrete is hard enough, it can be poured through with, for example, another floor.
But this product is also used in prefab production. As soon as the concrete is hard enough, the prefab product can be removed from the table and a new prefab can be poured. This saves a lot of time and increases production capacity.
This product is used on construction sites worldwide. It is important that a so-called SIM solution is used with worldwide coverage. That is why an LTE CAT-1 modem has been chosen which can guarantee this world coverage. Betronic has also arranged the certifications for its customer so that the modem can be used at almost any location.