Internet of things (IoT) has been dominating almost every industry for the last few years. The technology helps users bridge the gap between the physical and the digital world through wireless connectivity. Whether it is connecting devices to Bluetooth/WiFi, setting up smart voice assistants at home, or connecting a region through wireless networks, IoT is here and is only going to get more advanced in the days to come.
Here are some of the most important and relevant technologies used in IoT:
Cellular Technologies
Cellular technologies are arguably the most popular and widely used IoT technologies across the world. Everyone is familiar with the 2G/3G/4G services availed of by cellular customers for improved communication and connectivity.
These technologies work seamlessly in connected cars, fleet management, and other on-the-go services. They have found applications in use cases such as in-car entertainment, advanced driver assistant systems, traffic routing, and tracking services.
After 4G services, 5G is touted to be the next big revelation of cellular technology with better connectivity and a range of advanced features.
Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs)
LPWAN is a relatively newer IoT technology that is used for providing effective long-distance communication on smaller and cheaper batteries that often last for a period of years. This technology is developed to help large-scale IoT networks that spread over a large industrial or commercial region.
LPWANs can be used for connecting a variety of IoT sensors to facilitate applications such as environmental monitoring, asset tracking, facility management, occupancy detection, and many more.
However, it is important to note that these networks can only send small data blocks at a lower rate, making them suitable for use cases that do not require high bandwidth and are not time-sensitive.
Zigbee
Zigbee is a low-power, short-range, wireless IoT standard (IEEE 802.15.4) that is deployed commonly in the mesh topology for extending the coverage by relaying sensor data over different sensor nodes. As compared to LPWANs, Zigbee provides you with higher data rates. However, the mesh configuration makes it low on power efficiency.
Owing to their physical short-range capacities (less than 100 meters), Zigbee is ideal for medium-range IoT applications having an even distribution of nodes in close proximity. This technology is often a great complement to Wi-Fi in the case of home automation, such as security and energy management, smart lighting, HVAC controls, etc.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is again a highly relevant and widely used IoT technology with an array of applications for improved connectivity. As an important Wireless Personal Area Network, Bluetooth is a short-range communication technology that was originally developed for point-to-point or point-to-multipoint transfer of data.
Later, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) was developed for addressing small-scale IoT applications and devices. Devices enabled with BLE are often used in conjunction with suitable electronic devices, especially smartphones. Also, BLE has been lately integrated into a number of medical and fitness wearables as well as smart home appliances, where data can be conveniently synced and produced on smartphones on a real-time basis.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
RFID is an IoT technology that is used for transmitting smaller datasets from an RFID tag to a reader located at a short distance using radio waves. This technology has found suitable applications in the retail and logistics industries.
Users can attach an RFID tag to different products for tracking their inventory in real-time leading to improved supply chain management. On the other hand, the retail sector uses the technology for implementing smart shelves, smart mirrors, and smart check-out systems.
With many more applications in an array of industrial sectors, IoT consulting services has been transforming communication and connectivity in a highly effective manner.