Internet of Things – The revolution is catching on

By Chary Mudumby, Executive Vice President of HTC Global Services and Practitioner of Heartfulness Meditation

In a recent ICT seminar, the writer of this article was delivering a lecture on emerging technologies and naturally IoT figured in it. A medical professional from the audience questioned “What is IoT?  Is it Internet Operation Theatre?” Yes. Internet of Things (IoT) includes Operation Theatre too. Perhaps if there is a field or service in which IoT touches us closely, makes an impact on our lives and enables us to pass through hassle free the health situations we might face, it is in the healthcare field including hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, radiology and other labs.Tele-health and eICUs are examples of this technology.  Equipment in lab such as MRIs can be IoT or connected devices that help in reducing device down time, replenishing supplies before they run out and efficiently scheduling to serve more patients.

With the help of IoT, retailers can serve customers better by efficient replenishment, personalized promotions and packages as the shopper walks through the aisles, and of course reduce or eliminate the perennial shrinkage problem.

Connected cars can improve the driver experience while ensuring safety. For instance, the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) provide alerts using sensors and even take control of the vehicle to avoid a crash.The connected cars with sensors and smart telemetry devices gather our driving habits to price our auto insurance premium based on how much we drive, when we drive and how we drive.

Many home appliances are going to be connected devices. Connected air conditioners, coffee machines, refrigerators, cooking range, etc.,will provide best of experience, convenience, safety and energy savings at home in our daily living.

For internet of things to be truly pervasive and effective, dimensional changes are required in mobile communications technology and storageand analytics technologies. The number of IoT devices and sensors is estimated to be in the order of tens of billions in the next 5 to 8 years. These devices generate data at greater volumes and velocity. The storage servers with very high speed data transfers reaching or exceeding the current speeds of computer memory and with an ability to process or at least filter data while it is in storage coupled with Big Data technologies is perhaps an answer for the challenge IoT would throw on the storage and analytics front. 5G technology which is expected to deliver gigabit internet bandwidths allowing near unlimited devices with no signal drops will be the key in keeping all the billions of devices active and communicating all the time.

We will be  certainly witnessingthe phenomenon of IoTin the next half a dozen years or so. As we adjust ourselves to embrace it, we start wondering the impact it will have on our lives, that is, on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of our being. As we can see, IoT has the capability to transform healthcare services by helping us in preventing health issues, restoring health, and even saving lives. At the physical level, no doubt IoT offers the best help.

As far as our mental sphere is concerned, it has the ability to bring knowledge to us rather instantly and many a times create that knowledge. While this may be useful, the problem of Infobesity is going to be multi-fold.  Even now, with the internet of whatever things we have today, we get interrupted umpteen times and IoT will perhaps push the unawares to the limit of ADT or even ADD. This requires us to build safe-guards and solutions against it.

On the emotional front, it can connect people -our friends, relatives or loved ones through devices or rather things that people may wear or carry. With the current state of internet and devices, we mostly retort through cyber communication and the real heart-to-heart communication is unrecognized, absent or if it happens, it is rare.

On the spiritual front, IoT can make things of specific spiritual interest known to us as they happen anywhere in the world instantly, make interactions possible and enable us to participate in discourses. The spiritual aspect is not served by mere discourses and information while they may help to show the possibility and perhaps the way. The spiritual aspect of life gives direction to the emotional, mental and physical aspects and makes it meaningful. Spirituality aims at bringing harmony and balance within one’s own self through contemplation or meditation with a deep involvement of heart and reflecting Heartfulness in every activity we do. While IoT connects all the devices and makes them communicate with each other letting humanity reap untold benefits with all the threats as discussed earlier, spirituality holds the promise of connecting the entire humanity harmoniously, ushering universal brotherhood and hence everlasting peace and tranquillity.