Internet of Things

The world’s most successful companies set their focus on customer satisfaction. The reason being that customers leave organizations where they are not satisfied with the service. New products with unique and improved features will continue to pop up in the market. Still, the customer would rather continue doing business with companies that serviced them well over time. This is why companies have to pay apt attention to customer loyalty and advocacy. Data Science in Improving Customer Satisfaction The advent of new technologies and the utilization of data science methods on huge amounts of data makes it easier for companies to place laser focus on the factors that cement customer loyalty for their products. Companies across the world now invest time and money in data science, analytics, and statistical testing. Data scientists help businesses navigate their way through the vast ocean of data available to them in a bid to make the right, timely business decisions. How B2C & B2B Companies Use Data Differently Data analytics is a source of valuable insights that can inform how both B2c and B2B companies make decisions about products, marketing, and sales. Though they each have a unique set of challenges, B2c and B2B businesses both collect, visualize, and analyze their most valuable asset – customer data. Both B2B and B2C companies use data analytics to unlock new pathways to increase customers, more profits, and better decision-making. But they access these pathways in totally different ways. So let’s go over the differences between how B2B and B2C companies use data. Sales Data B2C businesses often have shorter sales cycles, with a large part of their revenue coming from advertisements. This implies that the customers need to be engaged for longer and the sales cycle optimized. Leveraging data on the customer’s experience in making a purchase can help point decision-makers in the right direction. B2B companies, on the other hand, have much longer sales cycles. Here, the goal is to minimize the amount of time the customer spends making a purchase. Using data science, the company can improve efficiency and shorten the sales cycle. Data scientists can analyze sales data for insight into improvements in customer experience. Customer Data Since B2C companies typically have more customers than their B2B counterparts, there is usually no shortage of data to analyze. This allows data scientists to analyze several different customer data points related to their experience with the business. Data scientists can use customer data to segment customers accurately and outline better user personas to guide product and marketing initiatives.

There has been a gradual but wide-scale shift in the business world, compounded by the movement restrictions and other impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, to a remote work model. These changes have led to the need for effective next-gen network security for businesses. As the nature of work changes, there must be a corresponding reevaluation and subsequent transformation of how organizations approach network security. Ultimate Guide to Effective Next-Gen Network Security for Organizations Moving work to the cloud via work-from-home policies eliminates the physical boundaries of cybersecurity. Moreover, this extension of the traditional bounds of network security establishes a strong basis for the greater adoption of edge security practices. Apparently, end-to-end security now seems more like edge-to-cloud security. This transformation is not just about technologies and tools, although those are critical in adapting networks and cloud environments to the new model. Rather, this transformation is, foremost, a change of outlook. Data and Network Security With the increase in the number of technological tools at work, including and especially IoT devices, more data is being collected. And the more data is collected, the more effort must be exerted in protecting the information from intruders. This supports the earlier submission that the new normal in network security is not just around transformation but more an extension. An extension of security capabilities to accommodate the revolution of attack approaches. Basically, when it comes to network security, like all other organizational processes, business leaders must think in scale. After all, cyber attackers are not backing down; instead, they devise newer and newer means of network intrusion and system destabilization. Change and Adaptation It is understandable why some leaders may first prefer to dip their toes into the water; the world has not witnessed this scale of a comprehensive upset in a long time. Yet, the greater mistake, and one that supports that form of approach, unfortunately, is that many people believe that the time and the current scale of challenges we now face would eventually pass.

Artificial intelligence is gaining more and more attention. Intelligent self-learning programs disrupt many industries, including eCommerce, manufacturing and production lines, transportation, agriculture, logistics and supply chain, and more. Moreover, such programs automate redundant processes and don’t require a high level of creativity, increasing its overall effectiveness. “It is difficult to think of an industry that AI will not transform. This includes healthcare, education, transportation, retail, communications, and agriculture. There are surprisingly clear paths for AI to make a big difference in all of these industries.” –  Andrew Ng, Founder, and CEO of Landing AI Innovative Application of AI in Recruitment These disruptive forces have started hitting the HR industry as well. And it’s not just a trend; the innovations brought by AI are going to stay. Moreover, it’s anything but a temporary phenomenon. The most recent development in HR technology is AI in recruitment. The changes brought by AI in recruitment will be significant since many recruitment aspects have redundant, time-consuming tasks that can be easily automated. Apart from that, AI can bring innovative solutions to the new-age emerging problems faced in HR and recruitment, like managing a multi-generational workforce, rising mental health issues, promotion, or inclusive culture. The entire HR industry will be going under major changes while AI makes their jobs easier, faster, and better. This article will explore the role of AI in recruitment, its possible use cases, top tools available in the market to automate recruitment processes, potential challenges attached with the adoption of AI, and its overall impact. The Role of AI in Recruitment — nine helps for recruitment Intelligent Screening According to 52% of talent acquisition leaders, the most challenging part of recruitment is screening and short-listing candidates from a large talent pool. When integrated with applicant tracking software (ATS), an AI screening software can make hiring recommendations by utilizing data like candidates’ performance, merits, experience, etc. The AI screening software can learn from existing candidates’ experience and skillsets and make recommendations accordingly.

Manual operations in manufacturing often lead to increased costs and decreased growth. Manufacturers have to resolve 4 critical challenges: operations optimization, cost savings, production quality improvement, and demand forecasting. Digitizing one or two processes can only work to an extent and only a complete digital solution could come in handy. Especially, critical challenges like demand forecasting require a robust prediction system based on operation data analysis and without this manufacturers can never plan for the future. Predictive Analytics in Manufacturing – Why it Matters and How it Works So, what would be the best possible way to address these challenges? An interesting yet best way to overcome this challenge is by automating the process with predictive maintenance solutions. Let’s get started with the applications of predictive maintenance in manufacturing across improving operations and production quality at reduced cost and forecasting demand for the future in detail in the sections below. What is predictive maintenance? “Predictive maintenance (PdM) is maintenance that monitors the performance and condition of equipment during normal operation to reduce the likelihood of failures. Also known as condition-based maintenance, predictive maintenance has been utilized in the industrial world since the 1990s. The goal of predictive maintenance is the ability to first predict when equipment failure could occur (based on certain factors), followed by preventing the failure through regularly scheduled and corrective maintenance.” (Source: Reliable Plant) Manufacturing Predictive Analytics Market Outlook 2018 to 2026 “The manufacturing predictive analytics market size was valued at $535.0 million in 2018 and is projected to reach $2.5 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 21.7% from 2019 to 2026. The advent of Industry 4.0 boosts substantive recent innovations in manufacturing.” (Source: Allied Market Research) How the entire predictive maintenance system works A predictive maintenance system comprises the Internet of Things (to collect data from any surface); Cloud (to process the data); Mobile applications (to push notifications based on data); AI/ML (to analyze and predict insights using data); web application (to share entire operations data under one roof).

The realization of the necessity of an interconnected system that leverages the Internet to make things easier revolutionizes the way we live. It led to the creation of IoT, and although the term is 16 years old – the concept dates back to the 70s. Previously known as “Embedded Internet,” the term IoT was coined in 1999 by Kevin Ashton. A Comprehensive Overview of IoT, Big Data, Cloud Computing Today, IoT is the primary source of big data collection. The analysis and processing of this gathered data have given numerous modern analytic solutions. IoT is also the main reason for innovation in the modern world, with more robust information. It has given rise to new business opportunities. Today, IoT technology has given a new meaning to the world “Smart.” By forming a relationship with other technologies like cloud computing and contributing to them in terms of information, the IoT technology helps new businesses and old ones in terms of growth. Cloud computing advances processes and data analytics For example, cloud computing has been advancing processes and data analytics in an economical and scalable manner. Such empowering capabilities are being provided to brands by the generation of Big Data through IoT. Moreover, IoT is also responsible for generating analytics solutions that, without Cloud, were costly and complicated due to a complex infrastructure or architecture and storage and processing requirements. Since the IoT was a data-driven technology, it contributed significantly to Big Data, influencing various velocity, accuracy, and reliability domains. In a nutshell, the IoT is the future of businesses and lifestyles. With the integration of Big Data and Cloud, more innovative digital solutions that consist of better, more advanced analytics and data-oriented decision-making characteristics are becoming increasingly possible. Since IoT is a vast and continuously evolving field, it is getting difficult to understand the technology and its benefits. So, in this article, we’re going to explore a comprehensive overview of What is IoT? We will explain the relationship holistically between IoT and Big Data and IoT and Cloud. We will also cover some of the advantages of using IoT integrated Big Data and Cloud computing.

The digital world has been entirely transformed with the help of technological breakthroughs, and IoT (Internet of Things) is to be credited among AI (Artificial Intelligence), ML (Machine Learning), Data Science, and more. Internet of Things has been the futuristic concept of connecting and controlling our devices and items remotely. This future idea alone has brought drastic change within many industries that have seen improved processes, increased productivity, and many other benefits. IoT for the Disabled – Breaking Barriers and Changing Lives However, one of the most significant contributions that IoT has made in assisting users with disabilities. How IoT for the disabled? We’ll get to that thought in this article. For now, let’s shed light on the concept of IoT for our readers that would like to understand the technology first. What is IoT? The Internet of Things can be explained as a network of physical objects with sensors, software, and various other technologies embedded within them to connect and exchange data with other devices, systems, or mobile apps over the internet. What could be those devices? They could range from regular household items, medical equipment, or industrial tools. Today, we have nearly 7 billion connected devices, with experts expecting the numbers to spike up to 10billion by 2020 and 22billion by 2025. How Is IoT Important? IoT is the upcoming technology of the 21st century that has allowed human connection with everyday objects like kitchen appliances, cars, house lights, and much more, enabling data sharing without any human intervention. Basically, an ordinary item can transmit data and automate tasks without any manual control, giving new waves of opportunities to contactless during the COVID times and otherwise. Not to mention, with low-cost computing, big data analytics, and mobile technologies, the Internet of Things is relatively cheap and easily accessible to the masses. Of course, IoT comes with its own challenges and trends that should be kept a close eye on, not to mention the many security challenges that IoT faces. Speaking about trends of IoT, ‘AIoT’ is also a reality that includes AI playing a big role in changing three industries in particular.

How often do you use a smart device at your home? Indeed several times, knowingly or unknowingly. Be it a smartphone, wearable, personal electronics, smart bulbs, or tablets, these devices have become an integral part of our lives. Our homes now have multiple smart devices that are considered “intelligent devices.” However,  the trend for smart spaces or cities extends far beyond our homes. We live in a time of urban transition. Increasingly people are flocking to cities, and cities are evolving rapidly. The UN predicts that 68% of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050. Accommodating more people is not only a challenge but these cities are trying to work with “quality of life and sustainability,” which are the key issues everywhere. Smart city initiatives can address these issues. What smart city looks like? A smart city concept focuses on utilizing technology to effectively manage the city’s assets and resources to improve the quality of services, and hopefully, life for its residents. The technology comprises six building blocks. It encompasses what is termed, smart people,  smart city economy, smart mobility,  smart environment. It also includes — smart living and smart governance — that together can contribute to the realization of smart city strategy by augmenting social inclusion, technological inclusion, economic development, and environmental sustainability to drive the smart economy. Smart People Smart people being at the heart and the fundamental block of the smart city system requires attributes like professional excellence, high Human Development Index, integrated education system, attracts knowledge workers, inhabitants opts for e-learning models, embraces technological changes, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and contributes towards making the city more liveable. Smart city residents have to be more involved. But how is that possible? Thanks to technology.   Let’s look at the example, wherein citizens can utilize apps that allow them to report local issues more easily or community networking platforms that allow neighbors to connect and share resources. This is just one, there are several ways in which technology can help. Therefore, developing a center for learning new technologies, and encouraging investments in technology are essential.

It seems like yesterday that Millennials were the new renters on the block, slowly taking over from Gen Xers to become the new majority. Suddenly, Gen Z is beginning to gain ground on Millennials, entering the workforce en masse and looking for somewhere to live other than their parents’ homes. By 2034, Gen Z — Americans born between 1997 and 2012 — will overtake Millennials as the largest portion of the U.S. population. Today, about 44 million Gen Zers are looking to rent (updaterdotcomblog) — 60% of the entire generation. This represents the most intense demand for rentals in decades. At first glance, it might not seem like much has to change to accommodate this influx of new renters. Millennials and Gen Zers often feel like two sides of the same coin: Both groups tend to be tech-savvy, and they both faced a recession upon graduating from college. However, there are noteworthy differences between the two generations regarding technological preferences in their homes. Gen Zers grew up along with the Internet of Things (IoT), and they connect with technology more than any other generation. Gen Zers Aren’t Just Younger Millennials While most Millennials know their way around a smartphone, being tech-literate and tech native are two completely different things. Gen Zers are tech natives who grew up with smart home devices, smartphones, voice assistants, social media, etc. They are the “all digital natives. ” In one survey, 60% of Gen Zers said they had used smartphones before they turned 14. They’ve been in the middle of it all, adopting the newest technology even as it evolved at a more rapid pace. Unlike Millennials, technology isn’t just a part of the Gen Z lifestyle — it is their lifestyle. In practical terms, this means that Gen Zers expect more from their technology than previous generations. Technology feeds their connected lifestyle — which, in turn, informs every decision, including where they live. Much like electricity or water, high-speed internet access and a smart home that can be controlled remotely will be considered necessities rather than conveniences. Though many Gen Z members have not yet bought homes, 43% say that smart home capabilities, like connected IoT devices, are a key consideration in choosing where they live.

Many of us have been cooped up inside for months in the face of the ongoing pandemic, transforming our living spaces into all-in-one offices, gyms, and schools. As a result, those lucky enough to be working remotely and earning expendable income during the “new normal” have been investing in upgrades for the home. The upgrades for the home is evident. The home’s upgrades are evident in the embrace of connected devices that transform today’s humble abodes into tomorrow’s smart hubs. We are scrambling for new gadgets that are energy efficient and have automation, convenience, affordability. We want devices that give us enhanced health and wellness. Energy efficiency shows great promise to simultaneously cut energy bills and carbon emissions in the post-pandemic world. With the world’s climate crisis at a tipping point, this moment could be the trigger that sees millions of homeowners install advanced monitoring to optimize energy use. Today’s shift towards smart energy products sets us on the right course for an evolution following COVID-19. Still, it is one that must be pursued relentlessly and backed by cybersecurity best practice. Working From Home Or Living At The Office? The world we know is vastly different from the world we knew. Offices have moved online; supply chains have been turned upside down, international routes have largely ceased. People, meanwhile, have been ordered indoors. About 30% of the global population has been put in lockdown with different levels of nation-wide quarantines, forcing many to spend more time at home than ever before. The mass uptake of working from home or living at the office all depends on your perspective. Working from home is subsequently changing how people interact with their living spaces. Without the possibility of vacations or lavish dining experiences — many homeowners are spending what disposable income they have on home upgrades. No lavish upgrades right now. However, the upgrades are not simple furnishings or decorations but rather smart devices that bring comfort and efficiency. Smart thermostats, smart lighting, smart garden sprinklers – smart everything – are becoming commonplace inside the contemporary home. The ongoing lockdowns are predicted to spur the global market for smart home devices to 18% growth this decade.

Have you ever lost 30 minutes of creative works on your computer? Or has it suddenly occurred to you that you have a great piece of data that will augment a business proposal, only to discover that the data is missing? Oh – how frustrating! Data loss occurs for various reasons 78 percent – Hardware or system malfunction 11 percent – Human error 7 percent – Software corruption or program malfunction 2 percent – Computer viruses 1 percent – Natural disasters 1 percent – Other acts. Impact of critical data loss across global enterprises Meanwhile, research reveals that global enterprises lose a whopping sum of 1.7 Trillion dollars due to data loss and downtime. And this excludes disruption of business activities, the loss of productivity, the diminished customers’ loyalty, the break of investor’s confidence, the cost of time spent on reconfiguration, and lots more. While it may be difficult to establish a precise impact of data loss and downtime on organizations, it’s obvious that it would, sure, have a radical negative effect. With a seamless increase in web adoption and constant acceptance of new technologies, both small and large scale businesses have been able to share important data as regards their products and services — using the web-as-a-service, Waas. Hackers can compromise corporate networks Meanwhile, hackers are seriously looking for ways to compromise the corporate network of several industries. As a matter of fact, the Verizon Data Breach Report reveals that 15.4 percent of reported incidents were related to malware and web application attacks. Also, many of the most fatal breaches that covered the media in the past few years were caused by web-application and software security vulnerabilities. A very good example is the Equifax breach. Simply put, “business websites possess the greatest threat to organizational security.”

To IoT’s great benefit, edge computing is about to take the spotlight. Consider that each day billions of devices connected to the Internet of Things come online. As they do, they generate mountains of information. One estimate predicts the amount of data will soar to 79.4 zettabyes within five years. Imagine storing 80 zettabytes on DVDs. All those DVDs would circle the Earth more than 100 times. In other words, a whole lot of data. Indeed, thanks to the IoT, a dramatic shift is underway. More enterprise-generated data is being created and processed outside of traditional, centralized data centers and clouds. And unless we make a course correction, the forecasts could come unglued. We must make better use of edge computing to deal more effectively with this ocean of data, Network Latency If we do this right, our infrastructure should be able to handle this data flow in a way that maximizes efficiency and security. The system would let organizations benefit from instantaneous response times. It would allow them to use the new data at their disposal to make smarter decisions and — most importantly — make them in real-time. That’s not what we have nowadays. In fact, when IoT devices ship their data back to the cloud for processing, transmissions are both slow and expensive. Too few devices are taking advantage of the edge. Traffic Jam: The Cloud Instead, many route data to the cloud. In that case, you’re going to encounter network latency measuring around 25 milliseconds. And that’s in best-case scenarios. Often, the lag time is a lot worse.  If you have to feed data through a server network and the cloud to get anything done, that’s going to take a long time and a ton of bandwidth. An IP network can’t guarantee delivery in any particular time frame. Minutes might pass before you realize that something has gone wrong. At that point, you’re at the mercy of the system.

Adding connectivity with a degree of intelligence to household appliances gives rise to the Internet of Things (IoT). Integration of these inter-connected appliances, with our daily routine, inside our personal spaces, is resulting in smart homes, and the adoption is already exponential. Here is how we are addressing security challenges in an IoT dominated world. Many industries are deploying the IoT concept, such as security and surveillance systems, home appliances, manufacturing, automotive, and recently we also experience numerous innovations in the HVAC industry (cielowigledotcom – HVAC tech). All players’ goal is to provide connectivity plus automation, resulting in comfort and even energy savings. Smart homes promise an automated living experience, with in-built convenience and an efficient style of living. As per IDC projections in 2015, there will be 50 billion connected devices by 2020, with a market worth 1.7 trillion USD. This widescale acceptance of IoT is a fascinating part of the future. It bodes well for the times to come for the smart home industry. But with all good things, there is a catch. Security of data is the most significant risk to such large scale integrations. Moreover, preventing any backdoor entries into a secure home should also be an emphasis on IoT security. Smart home devices’ mass use provides a larger pool for potential hackers and data attackers to target, resulting in a significant disruption of service, financial loss, and physical loss instead of promised convenience and energy savings. Erosion of confidence in smart home appliances through security risks is a stark reality for the IoT industry. It would consequently lead to a slowdown in the adoption of smart home products by consumers. IoT Vulnerabilities Wi-Fi connected devices create a great volume of sensitive data, creating an inherent risk of data and identity theft, device manipulation, and server/network manipulation, and providing many avenues for hackers to exploit. As per Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), IoT vulnerabilities include inherent insecurities in the web interface, mobile interface, cloud interface, network services, and firmware. The vulnerabilities also include insufficiencies in authentication/authorization and security configuration. The lack of transport encryption, privacy concerns, and poor physical security also adds up to the list of vulnerabilities. Limited memory and computational power of microcontrollers is another challenge that is unique to IoT. Both these components are essential to convert dumb appliances into intelligent connected devices. Implementation of security at the device level is a big problem for IoT solution providers. They have to keep in view the balance that needs to be maintained between the security and marketability of the end product. Often, resource constraints within the design of the product do not allow sufficient computing resources, which are necessary to implement strong security. Consequently, many devices are unable to provide advanced security features. As a case example, temperature and humidity sensors cannot handle advanced encryption protocols and various security features. Even over the air (OTA) updates are not utilized, with many IoT devices used in a “set and forget” mode. High-end manufacturers are the exception to this, though. They can provide regular FOTA updates and a robust security mechanism all the way from the cloud protocols to on-device safeguards. Other manufacturers are not so forthcoming, prioritizing low-cost development and a faster timeline for conception to sale.

Coronavirus made us all come up with new solutions. We have figured out distance learning, zoom meetings, social distancing, and not going insane while sitting at home all day. We did a pretty decent job. However, now we have to learn how to go back to life before the pandemic hit. It is not as easy as it seems, and it is hard to say whether things can go back to what they have used to be. Some aspects of our routines will definitely change, and we still have to be very careful. Covid-19 is still an issue, we do not have a vaccine yet. Businesses started to reopen, though. We can not sit at home forever. Considering everything that was said before, businesses have to develop strategies that ensure employees` safety. Otherwise, you will either shut the whole thing down after a week, or no one will agree on coming back to the office. In fact, 93% are willing to continue their remote working journey. So if you want to make them go offline, you have to convince them to do so. 5 Benefits of Reopening the Business with IoT The ones who have already reopened report using more IoT than they have ever done before. “IoT is extremely beneficial at times like this: you need fewer employees, and you don’t have to control safety measures on your own,” – PR expert from Essay Tigers explains. IoT is needed when you reopen your business. You will want IoT’s fine-tuned help implemented into your business life.

For so long, the company intranet was left unattended and somewhat neglected. Advances in the technology of the internet itself meant it was easier to look for information and resources on the world wide web rather than the company intranet. But intranet, extranet, and enterprise collaboration tools have been growing in recent years. An industry report pegged the enterprise collaboration market to grow from USD 31.0 billion in 2019 to USD 48.1 billion by 2024. This is a Compound Annual Growth Rate on 9.2% over five years. Growth factors behind enterprise collaboration tools. The growth behind enterprise collaboration tools has been driven by the emergence of AI as a driving force for the improved usability of intranets and extranets. Josh Smith, Product Manager for Google Drive comments on the success the Priority feature in Google Drive, “The intelligence that makes Priority so helpful is actually powered by your own day-to-day actions.”