What is the Internet of Things (IoT)? How Does It Work?

In the last 10-15 years, the internet has made its impact felt in every field, from economy to daily life. Technological devices such as computers, smartphones and tablets play an important role in internet accessibility. However, when we consider that internet connection is not limited to just these devices, the concept of the internet of things (IoT) emerges.

What is the Internet of Things?

Internet of things (IoT) is an acronym consisting of the initials of the English phrase “Internet of Things”. This technology allows the items we use in daily life to exchange data with each other over the internet. IoT transfers data using sensors and various network technologies (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth). It is becoming increasingly common in both industry and personal use.

Internet of Things

IoT (Internet of Things) is a technology that enables objects used in daily life to exchange data over the internet. These objects collect data through sensors and coordinate by transmitting this data to other devices over the network.

What are the Components of Internet of Things Systems?

Internet of things components refer to the elements required to establish such structures. The five key components of IoT systems are:

Smart Devices and Sensors: Data exchange within the system is carried out thanks to the sensors found in the devices. These parts enable the collection or detection of surrounding data.

Getaway (Gateway): In order for the data in question to reach other devices, there must be a network established. Gateways make this communication possible, regulate network availability and create the necessary security environment for the transaction with encryption methods.

Cloud: The size of the data exchanged within the system can grow enormously after a point. In such cases, cloud technology comes into play and makes it possible to use the data. While data is uploaded to the cloud in real time, it is also pulled from the cloud by other devices. Cloud technology is of great importance for the Internet of Things as it acts as a kind of communication center. Because in this way, data transfer becomes more reliable and faster.

Analysis: This component ensures that the entire system or a single device can detect potential problems in advance. In this way, the necessary precautions can be taken more practically. Errors and related malfunctions and costs are reduced to a minimum.

Advanced User Interface: The fact that devices have easy-to-use interfaces is one of the factors that helps the Internet of Things become widespread. Because, thanks to devices controlled via simple and touch-sensitive interfaces, the most important operations can be carried out in a short time with minimal effort. This means saving money on many things.

IoT Components

The five key components of IoT systems are: smart devices and sensors, gateway, cloud technology, analytics and advanced user interface. These components ensure that the system operates efficiently and safely.

What are the Features and Importance of Internet of Things Technology?

The Internet of Things is a technology whose importance comes from its features. In other words, this system has become very important today, thanks to its useful qualities. Because of this, IoT systems have reached a very wide range of uses, from industrial engineering to logistics. Thus, the way has been paved for many developments in these fields and the phenomenon of digital transformation in general. The features of the internet of things can be listed as follows:

Connectivity that ensures coordinated operation of devices and systems

Thanks to this system, objects that make our lives easier in many ways

Data that is of great importance for decision making

Communication that prepares the environment for data transfer

Information resulting from the transferred data

Action arising from knowledge

Ecosystem that creates a rich and complex information network among countless units

Importance of IoT

IoT is a technology that makes our lives easier and industrial processes more efficient by ensuring the coordinated operation of devices and systems. It plays an important role in digital transformation with its features such as connectivity, data transfer and automation.

How Does the Internet of Things (IoT) Work?

The internet of things needs the components listed above to work. The first step of the working process is that the devices collect data from their surroundings with the help of sensors. The collected data is then transmitted to the cloud via the network. Software already present in the cloud can process the data and decide to take any action as a result. Here lies the basis of the advantage provided by internet of things applications. Because these systems can perform the necessary operations without the need for any human intervention, thanks to their qualifications, hardware and software. At this point, the human factor’s responsibility is to make various arrangements and adjustments to ensure that the system performs the required operations smoothly. These adjustments can be easily carried out via the practical panels and interfaces of such devices.

Where are Internet of Things Applications Used?

Internet of things usage areas have spread over a wide range. So much so that, just as there are industrial types of Internet of Things, this technology can also be used in daily life for purely individual purposes. Now let’s take a detailed look at where this technology is used.

IoT Applications

IoT is used in many areas in daily life, such as smart thermostats, smart home systems, and vehicle tracking adapters. In industrial applications, it increases efficiency in many areas such as production management, logistics, energy sector and marketing.

Internet of Things in Daily Life

Even though we are not aware of it, our daily lives are full of examples of the Internet of Things. To clarify, smart thermostats, which keep the temperature of homes at the ideal level, use this technology. Smart home applications, which are becoming increasingly common, are also based on such applications. Similarly, smart cities and the internet of things are two concepts that are in contact with each other. Because waste management systems, which are an important part of smart city systems, are an extension of the internet of things technology. With this application, the full amount of garbage cans can be easily monitored. Of course, the use of the Internet of Things in daily life is not limited to these. Vehicle tracking adapters, health monitors, sensor security systems, and even game consoles benefit from this technology to different extents.

Internet of Things in Manufacturing

The clearest example of the Internet of Things in production is found in the management of facilities where such processes are carried out. Many steps in management processes can be automated thanks to this technology. This not only enables machines to work more efficiently, but also helps consume less energy and therefore reduce costs.

This technology significantly increases the quality of the final product as it can monitor and analyze every moment of the production process in detail. Because in this way, any problems experienced during the process can be easily detected; Necessary edits and corrections are made as soon as possible.

Internet of Things in Logistics and Transportation

The internet of things also makes logistics management processes much more efficient. With such systems installed, the entire supply chain can be tracked and managed much more easily. Because in this way, it is possible to monitor where and what condition the vehicle containing any goods is at that time. It is also possible to take action to prevent possible problems when necessary. In other words, the Internet of Things is a very useful technology in terms of logistics.

The same goes for warehouse management. With automation systems built on this technology, many details such as the current occupancy rate of warehouses can be easily kept under surveillance. When we approach the subject from a transportation perspective, it can be said that the Internet of Things is extremely effective in tracking company fleets.

Internet of Things in the Energy Sector

The energy sector can be divided into two parts: generation and distribution. In addition to making production processes more effective and efficient, the Internet of Things also makes it possible to shape distribution processes according to need. Thus, it ensures that the energy produced is used more economically on a macro scale.

Internet of Things in Marketing

Internet of things and marketing are two topics that can be considered together. Because this technology is very functional for establishing structures called marketing automation. Thanks to this system, it is possible to track where, when, how and to whom a company sells its products. In the light of the data provided by this monitoring, people in managerial positions have the opportunity to make more effective decisions about marketing activities. This generally increases the success level of the company. Additionally, these systems, also called marketing 5.0, make it possible to carry out automatic after-sales processes. In this way, the transformation process of a potential customer into a loyal customer is controlled from the first point to the last moment.

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using the Internet of Things?

This technology brings many benefits. The advantages of the internet of things can be listed as follows:

It increases the efficiency of resources and assets.

It reduces the workload on people.

It enables more effective management of all types of operations.

It offers a lot of data to use in business development processes.

It allocates the necessary conditions and information to carry out marketing and customer relationship management in a more complete manner.

It increases the possibility of evaluating possible commercial opportunities.

Advantages and Disadvantages of IoT

Advantages: Increases resource efficiency, reduces workload, manages operations effectively, provides data, improves customer relations. Disadvantages: Lack of standardization may create incompatibility, security vulnerabilities may arise, complex structures may cause confusion.

Finally, let’s approach the issue from a negative side. The disadvantages of the internet of things are:

In cases where there is no standardization in the equipment used, incompatibility problems may arise.

Systems that are not well encrypted can create security vulnerabilities.

When such complex structures are not designed in detail, there is always a risk of confusion in the execution processes.