Digitize, Automate, IoT

Possible applications of IoT

What is meant by the Internet of Things (IoT for short) depends very much on the area in which you are active. The use of IoT is conceivable almost everywhere.

• Medicine: bed occupancy, OR plan, wristbands, patient data
• Retail: digital labels, inventory control, employee management
• Surveillance: parking lot surveillance, supply chains, alarm systems
• Energy: Transmission of data on heating systems, for control during energy generation, for protection by switching off individual defective systems – for example water or gas pipes
• And many more

Digitalization and automation as a competitive advantage

Based on the automatic, digital collection of data using multi-layered sensors, services are created that digitize or automate processes to a greater extent. This helps to use resources more effectively, save time, increase productivity, improve service quality and ultimately also increase added value. What does this have to do with corona? Nothing! However, it is clear that companies that use IoT services are better able to deal with the current challenges than their industry peers that do not, thanks to a greater degree of digitalization and automation. If only because employees can work from home almost as efficiently as from the company. For example, you are not dependent on sending an employee on site in times of contact restrictions; your data is permanently delivered, monitored and supervised according to your specifications. You can access it at any time and take appropriate further action either manually or automatically.

Practical example: IoT in retail

An example: You operate a chain of retail stores. There is a parking lot for up to 30 vehicles in front of your main entrance. Your IoT concept envisages monitoring the parking lot with regard to utilization and evaluating the extent to which weather and shopper frequency are dependent on each other in order to be able to manage the number of employees in the stores more effectively. All price tags for your goods should be controllable across all stores at the click of a mouse. You could also link the shelf stock of your goods with the shopping cart in your ordering system at your suppliers – depending on delivery times, seasons, etc. And now imagine your employees changing the price tags manually, you would be fully staffed on all days, would have to take stock daily and reorder several times or repeatedly from your suppliers. In many areas, it is impossible to imagine working without a wide range of IOT applications.

The right network and security foundation for IoT

A stable digital platform is always a prerequisite for the operation of such applications. Both on the part of the provider of your IoT service and your own infrastructure. Only if you provide a reliable network on which the data collected by IOT applications and their sensors is transported and devices are controlled, access to different clouds is created and data traffic is orchestrated, smooth operation is ensured. Many different technologies are available for this purpose. SD WAN, Ethernet, MPLS, your own data center infrastructure or clouds, communication apps such as Teams or Centrex systems, etc. The data you collect is, like all other data, naturally vulnerable and the corresponding security components must be adapted and taken into account. For example, firewalls or DDOS protections. No matter whether you are rethinking your network solutions in Germany, Europe or worldwide. Contact us, we will plan together with you and bring the right partners on board for you.