The Internet of Things is a trending topic and it has-rapidly found relevance in various sectors. The IoT is truly a revolutionary concept and when we consider the different ways in which mobile apps are leveraging IoT, the picture becomes clearer. In this post, we’ll consider how mobile apps are benefiting from the technological advancement in this area, but first, let’s understand how it works.
The Concept of the Internet of Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of physical devices, digital machines, and objects which utilize software, sensors and other forms of connectivity for the sharing of information. A “thing” in the Internet of Things is basically a natural or man-made object that has been assigned a unique IP address and is able to exchange data according to certain pre-determined rules.
IoT solutions are found in healthcare, agriculture, retail, vehicles and so on. We cannot appreciate IoT until we begin to put the IoT market potential in perspective. It was projected that the IoT will consist of about 30 billion objects in 2020, with a market value of over $7 trillion.
Why Should You Leverage IoT Solutions in Your Mobile Apps?
The best tool which can be used to properly harness the benefits of IoT solutions is the mobile phone. There are currently over 2.6 billion smartphone users in the world and the market analysis shows that the smartphone users will increase considerably in the years to come.
In addition, accessing IoT solutions via mobile apps is logical because mobile apps development is inexpensive. This makes them even more accessible. Also, they offer a more flexible platform for transmitting data compared to web apps.
IoT development in mobile apps facilitates the remote control of other smart gadgets using a single mobile device. Remember that all the devices have been assigned their unique IP addresses and they are all connected to the internet.
Related Article: Impact of IOT on Mobile App Development
How are Mobile Apps Leveraging the IoT?
Smartphones have immensely simplified our lives. However, with IoT, it is possible to interlink a myriad of gadgets and exchange information, further simplifying our lives.Some of the ways through which mobile apps are leveraging on the Internet of Things are discussed below.
Wearables are an integral part of IoT solutions. By using connections like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, it is possible to connect wearables like wristwatches, eyeglasses and even bands to your smartphones. This way, any form of data can be exchanged between the two devices.
For example, a basketball app called ShotTracker consist of a wristband that is connected to your mobile device. A sensor is attached to the wristband that gets data about the shots made by a player. This data obtained is then simulated in the mobile app and can be used to track performance.
Home-based medical devices are becoming more popular in recent years, thanks to leveraging the power of the IoT application development. Medical devices are connected to sensors which obtain health data from the patient which is transferred to the mobile app. This data can be transferred remotely to the doctor or family members in case of emergency. This way, the need to visit the hospital for minor issues is substantially reduced.
Some IoT solutions based on health care include; management of chronic diseases, monitoring of clinical conditions, assisted living, wellness monitoring and preventive care.According to marketresearch.com, the health IoT application development is expected to reach $117 billion by 2020.
With the power of IoT developments, home automation has been taken to a whole new level. Home appliances like bulbs, heating/cooling systems, locks and others can be controlled remotely using a mobile device.
The widespread use of mobile devices makes them the best option for home automation. Not only will these ensure safety and security, IoT application development will drastically reduce energy consumption.
The world’s population is projected to hit 9 billion by 2050. The need for improved agriculture to meet up with the ever-growing food demand is a necessity. IoT-based sensible farming is employed to watch field crop with sensors (light, temperature, humidity, soil wetness so on). With these sensors, farmers can remotely monitor the conditions of their farmland remotely using their mobile devices. This way, efficient farming can be realized.
Other IoT developments being applied in agriculture includes; precision farming, agricultural drones, livestock monitoring and smart greenhouse.
In retail, “things” can consist of RFID inventory tracking chips, infrared foot-traffic counters, Wi-Fi tracking systems, digital signage. These sensors obtain relevant data that are transferred to mobile apps. This enables us to respond proactively to a customer’s need depending on the context of time and place.
Other applications of IoT developments in retailing includes; predictive maintenance equipment, smart transportation, demand-based warehouses, connected customers, and smart-stores.
Other Ways in Which Mobile Apps Leverage IoT Solutions
Mobile apps are also leveraging in IoT application development in areas such as; smart cities, vehicles, smart grid, enterprise and lots more.
Benefits of IoT App Development
Mobile devices are popular and well used because they are cheap. Integrating them with IoT developments can dramatically improve personal satisfaction. We can get rid of unnecessary physical work and improve the quality life considerably.
Challenges Facing the Proposed Growth of IoT Development
The major challenge with IoT application development is security integrity. With interconnection between devices, hackers can cause more harm if the system is breached. This is possible because the hacker gets access to other devices connected to that system. Hence, attention must be paid to developing high integrity security systems.
Furthermore, complexity might arise as more and more devices are connected. Needless to say, it will dramatically increase our reliance on technology.
News about the burgeoning IoT application development market calls for celebration. Mobile devices carry a great promise and can be used to access IoT solutions on a grand scale. If IoT companies are able to get it right, the future of mobile apps will definitely engender even better solutions.