IoT for small and medium-sized enterprises

IoT is one of the most recurrent concepts in the planning of IT architectures today. IoT entails the connection of devices and data to each other via the internet. Contrary to what many may think, there are many advantages of IoT for small to medium-sized enterprise (SME). It is not a technology only for large companies.

IoT will facilitate the automation of processes, reduce operating expenses and improve customer satisfaction, which are the three basic pillars to optimize and make any business profitable.

IoT is especially attractive to the industrial sector, but it also has many B2B and B2C applications in other business sectors. The provision of sensors and the machine-to-machine interconnection generates information to start intelligent installations, such as factories, offices and shops, to know how the products are used or to optimize key processes such as the logistics chain.

Examples of IoT use in SMEs

Big data and IoT are deeply interconnected. IoT sensors allow collecting and constantly generating data. Data is optimally analyzed, to automate processes in business management and to make decisions based on real situations and behaviors to increase their profitability. Companies are already using IoT for the optimization of their business.

The sensors in strategic points of a company provide information about the clients in real-time, including the number of people present, the direction of their movement or if they have the company’s app developed by top app development companies. With this data, it is possible to propose individualized offers visualized in the devices.

The management of the warehouses can also be improved thanks to the IoT. The device in a bookshelf can vibrate at the moment when there are no more products in the warehouse.

Logistics companies can have information on each of the phases of a shipment as well as the resources involved in this interconnecting of different devices located in vehicles, warehouses and pallets. The data will give the key not only to improve customer satisfaction, but to save costs by detecting the most optimal routes and the most productive personnel.

The maintenance of facilities and machines is another area where you can see the benefits of the IoT. Imagine an air conditioner in an office that only activates if it detects that people are working. The precise location of sensors can also warn that something is not working well on a computer before breaking down.

What are the benefits of IoT?

It is a truism to point out the speed at which changes are taking place in the digital world. The change accelerates exponentially to the extent that before you learn about a tool, another technology is ready to displace it.

Technology is changing from static websites to mobile and social digital environments. Connecting to the internet and managing life from a smartphone or tablet was unthinkable less than a decade ago. Top app development companies are creating top-notch apps that were never thought about before.

It is in this scenario that the concept of IoT becomes increasingly relevant, a term used to define the integration in our daily lives of technological devices that connect everyday objects to the internet that provide data for its monitoring and control.

Although it is still an incipient technology on the horizon, there are already glimpses of the revolution coming alongside the development of IoT.

Little by little, many of the everyday objects that surround us will have an internet connection, including thermostats, refrigerators and cars. These items will be able to provide a huge amount of data, giving its manufacturers valuable information about its use and customer problems. This will allow companies to know their habits and even anticipate their demands, offering customized and predictive products and services. And this will create a change in the decision-making processes within the companies. Companies can contact top app development companies to get apps that will enable easy sharing of data.

Several sectors will benefit substantially from the development of IoT. For example, IoT will have a great impact on the management of infrastructures, including  monitoring and control of traffic lights, bridges or urban and rural roads; detection of changes in structural conditions and immediate response in emergencies.

Thanks to IoT, brands can know what the problems of their consumers are at the same time as them or even before. With apps developed by top app development companies, companies can now get sufficient information from their clients, a circumstance that will not only facilitate the creation of more personalized and predictive products and services, but will also modify the business processes and work structure. Many jobs will disappear, and others will arise due to the need to have experts.

The huge proliferation of mobile devices ensures a broad database of customers, new products and services and knowing what information needs to be linked. There are presently lots of information on the internet, thanks to apps by top app development companies. But, which sectors can benefit from these innovation opportunities?

Infrastructure: Monitoring and control of traffic lights, bridges or roads , detection of changes in structural conditions, immediate response in emergencies and improvement of quality.

Environment: Optimization of resources when it comes to preventing and improving efficiency. For example, establishing quality control of air or water, atmospheric conditions or soil.

Industry and mass production: Programming repair and maintenance activities, control and centralized process management, optimization of the production chain and rapid response to product demands.

Energy: Remote monitoring of energy consumption, intelligent storage, detection and action systems and optimization of energy consumption.

Medicine and health: In this case, apps created by top app development companies can be used to provide operational data in real-time, enable emergency notification systems and remote surveillance or monitor and ensure the general welfare of the elderly or chronically ill.

Logistics and Transportation: Monitoring of transport systems that include the vehicle, driver, and infrastructure, intelligent traffic control, parking choice, implementation of electronic toll collection systems, logistics and fleet management or road assistance and security.

Entertainment: Improvement and creation of sensors in mobile devices, virtual reality technologies or consoles with motion sensors that serve to improve the user experience.

Although it seems easy, IoT requires a tremendously complex structure, in addition to special attention to the security of all stored data. However, its advantages and opportunities make it worthwhile. They add efficiency to our life, and its application is not excessively expensive. It opens up new business opportunities and improves the existing work processes.

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