Copyright TechTarget - All rights reserved https://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html Techtarget Feed Generator en Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:40:53 GMT https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda editor@techtarget.com <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/5G">5G</a> cellular represents a significant improvement over 4G for IoT applications because it provides a foundational network that can handle the unique and demanding requirements of a truly massive-scale, real-time connected world.</p> <p>While 4G and its IoT-specific variants, such as long-term evolution for machines (LTE-M) and narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), have been successful in connecting millions of devices for simpler use cases, 5G's core design principles address and surpass the limitations of 4G, opening the door for new and more intricate capabilities and applications.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Top benefits of 5G for IoT"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Top benefits of 5G for IoT</h2> <p>The improvements to IoT primarily relate to latency, device density, energy efficiency and coverage, as well as network and ecosystem flexibility.</p> <p>Here's a breakdown.</p> <h3>Low latency</h3> <p>The most critical improvement is extremely low latency, which is the near-instantaneous speed at which data travels between devices on the network. 4G networks have a typical latency of around 50-100 milliseconds (ms), which is fine for streaming video or browsing the web but unacceptable for applications that require immediate feedback. 5G can reduce latency to as low as 1 ms, a transformative leap that enables time-sensitive use cases such as industrial automation and smart infrastructure. This low latency is essential for creating a genuinely responsive and automated IoT ecosystem.</p> <h3>Device density</h3> <p>Beyond speed, 5G's architecture is designed to support a vastly greater number of devices. Where 4G can support around 100,000 devices per square kilometer, 5G is engineered to handle up to 1 million devices in the same area. This massive IoT capability is crucial for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/smart-city">smart city</a> deployments, where countless sensors for traffic management, utility meters and environmental monitoring need to coexist on the same network without causing congestion.</p> <p>The combination of low latency and massive device density enables real-time data transfer and analysis, which is crucial for applications such as industrial automation, remote control of assets and real-time video monitoring.</p> <h3>Network slicing</h3> <p>5G also introduces <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/network-slicing">network slicing</a>, which allows mobile operators to create dedicated, virtual networks on a single physical infrastructure. This means an IoT application, such as a smart grid, can have its own customized slice of the network optimized for its specific needs, such as high reliability and low latency, without being affected by traffic from other applications. This flexibility ensures guaranteed quality of service for critical IoT uses.</p> <h3>IoT network support</h3> <p>5G cellular support of low-power wide area network (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/LPWAN-low-power-wide-area-network">LPWAN</a>) standards, including NB-IoT and LTE-M, delivers improvements over 4G by providing significantly better energy efficiency and deeper indoor and subterranean coverage, which are crucial for low-data, long-lifecycle IoT devices.</p> <p>NB-IoT is a cellular-based LPWAN and a key component of 5G's massive machine type communications (mMTC) capabilities. It's designed for low-bandwidth, low-power IoT applications like smart meters, sensors and asset trackers.</p> <p>LTE-M, which is also under the 5G mMTC umbrella, offers slightly higher bandwidth and supports mobility, making it suitable for things like fleet management and wearables. 5G networks deliver improved outcomes for LTE-M, not by replacing it but by enhancing its capabilities and integrating it into a more powerful and flexible ecosystem. Both NB-IoT and LTE-M operate on <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/answer/Whats-the-difference-between-licensed-and-unlicensed-wireless">licensed cellular spectrum</a>, which means governments have allocated specific frequencies to them to guard against interference and ensure performance and reliability.</p> <h3>Enhanced reliability</h3> <p>5G provides a more stable and robust connection, ensuring that mission-critical IoT devices, such as those in healthcare or manufacturing, can operate with consistent, uninterrupted service.</p> <h3>High-speed data</h3> <p>With speeds up to 100 times faster than 4G, 5G enables rapid data transfer for bandwidth-intensive IoT applications like high-definition video applications and real-time data analysis.</p> <h3>Improved energy efficiency</h3> <p>5G networks offer improved energy efficiency, a key benefit for IoT devices that often rely on batteries. By using technologies such as LPWAN and advanced sleep modes, 5G can extend the battery life of IoT devices like sensors and smart meters, making long-term deployments more practical.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/iota-data_rates_and uses_iot_connectivity-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/iota-data_rates_and uses_iot_connectivity-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/iota-data_rates_and uses_iot_connectivity-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/iota-data_rates_and uses_iot_connectivity-f.png 1280w" alt="Graphic comparing data rates of IoT network standards" height="294" width="560"> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="5G powering IoT improvements"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>5G powering IoT improvements</h2> <p>5G's mMTC capabilities are what enable it to support a significantly higher density of devices than 4G. They are essential for large-scale deployments such as smart cities and factories, where countless sensors and devices must communicate simultaneously without network congestion.</p> <p>In addition, 5G's network slicing feature enables operators to create virtual, isolated networks tailored to the specific needs of an IoT application, ensuring guaranteed performance, security and bandwidth for specialized tasks, which is a significant step up from the one-size-fits-all approach of previous generations.</p> <p>Here are the IoT use cases and applications that have gained substantially from 5G's capabilities:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Autonomous vehicles.</b> The ultra-low latency and high-bandwidth capabilities of 5G enable <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/driverless-car">autonomous vehicles</a> to communicate in real time with other vehicles (vehicle-to-vehicle, or V2V) and with infrastructure (V2I) and the cloud (V2C), allowing for instantaneous data exchange crucial for critical functions such as collision avoidance, cooperative maneuvering and dynamic route optimization.</li> <li><b>Manufacturing.</b> 5G -- especially <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/private-5G">private 5G</a> -- enhances manufacturing operations by enabling rapid rearrangement of factory floors, improving worker safety and product quality, and facilitating reliable, real-time collaboration.</li> <li><b>Mining, oil and gas.</b> 5G networks enhance mining by enabling real-time remote control of heavy machinery, facilitating widespread deployment of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/Internet-of-Things-IoT">IoT</a> sensors for environmental and equipment monitoring, and improving worker safety through low-latency communication for autonomous vehicles and real-time location tracking.</li> <li><b>Healthcare.</b> 5G has transformed healthcare by enabling remote robotic surgeries, facilitating real-time patient monitoring through connected medical devices, and powering secure, high-definition telehealth consultations -- all of which expand access to specialized care, particularly in rural or underserved areas.</li> <li><b>Robotics.</b> IoT-enabled robotics benefit significantly from 5G connectivity due to its high bandwidth and low latency, which are essential for real-time data exchange. This enables robots to make instant, coordinated decisions and perform complex tasks such as autonomous navigation with greater precision and reliability.</li> </ul> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Boa8srjKzCI?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="New opportunities and applications 5G brings to IoT"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>New opportunities and applications 5G brings to IoT</h2> <p>Bolstered by 5G connectivity, IoT is set for significant growth over the next three to five years as the integration of AI and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/edge-computing">edge computing</a> fuels innovations across an expanding array of industries, including the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Smart cities.</b> 5G can enable smart cities to deploy vast networks of interconnected IoT sensors and devices with more flexibility and intelligence, thereby augmenting real-time data collection and analysis to optimize traffic flow, manage energy grids, improve public safety and streamline waste management.</li> <li><b>Energy and utilities.</b> The energy sector benefits from a smarter, more resilient grid through real-time monitoring and control, which allows for rapid detection and isolation of faults, efficient integration of renewable energy sources and dynamic demand-response programs that optimize energy use.</li> <li><b>Private 5G networks.</b> Private 5G networks can enable a new wave of IoT applications by providing dedicated, intelligent, highly secure and ultra-low-latency networks that are essential for mission-critical operations and real-time automation in industries such as manufacturing, logistics and healthcare.</li> <li><b>Satellite coverage.</b> The continued build-out of 5G networks, including low-band and satellite integration, can bring reliable IoT connectivity to remote and rural areas, unlocking new applications such as precision agriculture, environmental monitoring and asset tracking.</li> <li><b>Precision agriculture.</b> 5G allows for automated monitoring and management of crops and widespread use of drones that rely on instantaneous communication for safe operation.</li> </ul> <p>Thanks to its many advantages over 4G -- especially its massive device density, along with extremely low latency that enables near-instantaneous communication -- 5G marks a fundamental leap forward for IoT to support a truly large-scale, real-time connected world.</p> <p><i>Ron Westfall is vice president and practice leader for infrastructure and networking at HyperFRAME Research, where he covers topics such as hybrid cloud, AI, security, edge computing, wired and wireless networking, 5G and IoT.</i></p> </section> 5G's low latency, massive device density, energy efficiency and flexibility are tailor-made for the networking demands of a future IoT-connected world. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/iot_g1176495633.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/5G-driving-IoT-innovation-Key-use-cases-and-applications Wed, 12 Nov 2025 12:04:00 GMT <p>An intelligent agent is a program that can perceive its environment, make decisions, take action and perform services based on its environment, user input and previous experiences. Examples of such experiences include prior training and user feedback. An intelligent agent can be used to autonomously gather information on a regular schedule or when a user prompts it in real time. These agents are also referred to as a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/bot-robot">bot</a>, which is short for <i>robot</i>.</p> <p>Typically, an agent program <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/tip/The-role-of-AI-parameters-in-the-enterprise">uses parameters the user provides</a> and searches a trusted knowledge base, such as the internet or internal business data sources. It gathers information relevant to the user, processes data to perform analytics and make decisions or recommendations, and presents the results to users on a periodic or on-demand basis. Data intelligent agents can extract and categorize specific information, such as keywords or publication dates.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What are agents in artificial intelligence?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What are agents in artificial intelligence?</h2> <p>Agents that use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning can gather data through <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/sensor">sensors</a>, such as microphones and cameras, to perceive the real-world environment. Their decisions can drive actuators, such as speakers and displays, to deliver output to the user. Output can be in the form of text-to-speech where users hear audible output. The practice of having an agent bring information to a user is called <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/push-notification">push notification</a> technology.</p> <p>A common characteristic of intelligent agents is adaptation through learning and optimization. This is based on experience, real-time problem-solving, analysis of error or success rates, and the use of memory-based storage and retrieval.</p> <p>Enterprises often use intelligent agents in data science applications, such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/definition/data-mining">data mining</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/definition/data-analytics">data analytics</a>, as well as for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/definition/customer-service-and-support">customer service and support</a>. Intelligent agents are a vital part of AI-driven business workflow automation. Consumers use them to compare the prices of similar products, receive purchase recommendations and get notifications when relevant events occur, such as a website update.</p> <p>Intelligent agents are similar to software agents, which are autonomous computer programs.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/how_an_intelligent_agent_works-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/how_an_intelligent_agent_works-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/how_an_intelligent_agent_works-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/how_an_intelligent_agent_works-f.png 1280w" alt="Diagram of how an intelligent agent works and interacts with its environment " height="252" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>An intelligent agent interacts with its environment through sensors and actuators. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Why intelligent agents matter for enterprises"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Why intelligent agents matter for enterprises</h2> <p>Intelligent agents have become vital for the enterprise, providing a range of benefits. Cloudera's <i>The Future of Enterprise AI Agents</i> 2025 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cloudera.com/about/news-and-blogs/press-releases/2025-04-16-96-percent-of-enterprises-are-expanding-use-of-ai-agents-according-to-latest-data-from-cloudera.html" rel="noopener">report</a> found that 96% of the 1,500 enterprise IT leaders it surveyed plan to expand the use of AI agents in the next 12 months. Specifically, they are aiming to develop performance optimization bots (66%), security monitoring capabilities (63%) and development assistants (62%).</p> <p>Intelligent agents can help in the following areas:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Automate complex tasks.</b> Business workflows are cumbersome and complex. Intelligent agents can automate many of these tasks. They provide faster outcomes with fewer errors, while maintaining data security, meeting compliance demands and establishing consistency that's <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/tip/Artificial-intelligence-vs-human-intelligence-How-are-they-different">difficult to maintain with human processes</a>.</li> <li><b>Improve efficiency.</b> Intelligent agents can operate around the clock, ensuring service anytime it's needed. By <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/tip/Generative-AI-capabilities-increase-data-analytics-value">tackling mundane tasks</a>, it also frees human employees to operate at a more strategic level and focus on new opportunities that add business value.</li> <li><b>Drive business decision-making.</b> Traditional businesses rarely are able to make decisions based on all available data. Intelligent agents collect and analyze enormous amounts of data to make predictions, suggest new opportunities and guide business decisions in real-time. They can also respond quickly in dynamic and fast-moving business conditions.</li> <li><b>Enhance user experience.</b> Intelligent agents are effective analytical platforms able to assess and predict with startling accuracy. They're ideal for customer-facing tasks, such as product recommendations, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/personalization-engine">personalization engines</a> and personalized assistants. These capabilities improve user experience, drive revenue and build brand loyalty.</li> <li><b>Connect siloed data sources.</b> Businesses possess vast volumes of seemingly unrelated data that's often overlooked or ignored in everyday decision-making. By accessing and processing all this data, intelligent agents eliminate <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/definition/data-silo">data silos</a> and identify information and trends that human analysts might overlook.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How intelligent agents work"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How intelligent agents work</h2> <p>Intelligent AI agents use a recursive process of perception, planning, action and learning in the following ways:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Perception.</b> This is the process of gathering information obtained from many sources, including user input, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/knowledge-base">knowledge bases</a>, internet content, business data sources, and internet-of-things, and real-world devices, such as cameras or microphones. Perception also can include preprocessing of input data, such as breaking down a user prompt into <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/token">tokens</a> or analyzing a camera image to identify an object</li> <li><b>Planning.</b> Also called <i>reasoning</i>, planning is the use of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/algorithm">algorithms</a> and analytics to process collected data. The agent considers the user's intended goal and then plans a course of action to achieve it. This can involve finding answers to a user's question or determining a series of steps affecting devices in the real world, such as steering an <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/driverless-car">autonomous vehicle</a>. To do this, the agent often will break a process into numerous subtasks.</li> <li><b>Action. </b>This forms the execution phase of the agent's behavior where the planned steps are carried out. Actions include interfacing with data sources, collaborating with other agents, using application performance interfaces and interacting with systems or devices to complete each step. Errors or unforeseen results from a step must be <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/Real-world-agentic-AI-examples-and-use-cases">clarified or reinforced by a human</a>. The action phase is finished when the agent renders a decision, yields requested data or completes a real-world action.</li> <li><b>Learning.</b> The agent determines the difference between the intended or requested outcome and the actual outcome. Ideally, the intended and actual outcomes are identical, and the agent yields an optimal result. However, there can be unexpected or suboptimal outcomes. By measuring the difference and understanding the underlying reasons, the agent learns and optimizes its performance for future iterations. In some cases, the difference is measured objectively. In other cases, human operators provide feedback on the results.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Types of intelligent agents"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Types of intelligent agents</h2> <p>Intelligent agents are defined by their functions, capabilities and intelligence as follows:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Simple reflex agents. </b>These agents function in a current state, ignoring past history. Responses are based on the event-condition-action or ECA rule, where a user initiates an event and the agent refers to a list of preset rules and preprogrammed outcomes. Simple reflex agents are often the basis of straightforward <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/definition/chatbot">chatbots</a>.</li> <li><b>Model-based reflex agents.</b> These agents work in the same way as reflex agents, but they have a more comprehensive view of their environments. A model of the world is programmed into the internal system that incorporates the agent's history. The agents typically have access to more comprehensive data and previous experience. They're used in more sophisticated AI environments, such as autonomous vehicles.</li> <li><b>Goal-based agents.</b> These agents, also referred to as <i>rational agents</i>, expand on the information that model-based agents store by including goal information or information about desirable situations. This lets them formulate the steps or courses of action needed to accomplish a goal. They're frequently used in analytical AI, such as chess AI, business automation and optimization systems.</li> <li><strong>Utility-based agents.</strong> These agents are similar to goal-based ones, but they provide an extra utility measurement that rates each possible scenario on its desired result and then chooses the action that maximizes the outcome. Rating criteria includes the probability of success and the resources required. These agents are typically used in vertical AI platforms, such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/tip/Use-cases-for-generative-AI-in-finance">financial trading</a> or <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/AI-in-medical-diagnostics-and-decision-making">healthcare diagnostics</a>.</li> <li><b>Learning agents.</b> These agents can gradually improve and become more knowledgeable about an environment over time through a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/machine-learning-algorithm">learning algorithm</a>. The learning element utilizes feedback on performance measures to determine how performance elements should be adjusted to gradually improve the agent's performance. This concept describes how an AI system should operate. Most intelligent agents have some learning capabilities, but learning agents are tailored to optimize future behaviors to achieve better and more efficient outcomes.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Examples of intelligent agents"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Examples of intelligent agents</h2> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/definition/virtual-assistant-AI-assistant">AI assistants</a> such as Alexa and Siri are examples of intelligent AI agents that use sensors to perceive a user request and automatically collect data from the internet without the user's help. They can gather information about their observable environments, such as weather and time.</p> <p>Google Assistant is another example of an intelligent AI agent. It uses machine learning and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/natural-language-processing-NLP">natural language processing</a> technology to answer users' questions and perform tasks, such as calling contacts stated in voice commands.</p> <p>Autonomous vehicles can also be considered intelligent robotic agents. They use sensors, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/Global-Positioning-System">Global Positioning System</a> navigation, weather and traffic conditions, and cameras for reactive decision-making in the real world to maneuver through traffic.</p> <p>Tech vendors are developing <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/autonomous-artificial-intelligence-autonomous-AI">autonomous AI</a> agents that require less human intervention and oversight, as OpenAI's release of GPT-4 and GPT-5 demonstrated. A fully autonomous agent would be considered <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/artificial-general-intelligence-AGI">artificial general intelligence</a>, where the AI agents are sentient and don't require guidance from human agents at all, but it's a theoretical concept and not yet in use.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Enterprise use cases"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Enterprise use cases</h2> <p>There are countless uses for intelligent agents across various industries and operations. A cross-section of uses for intelligent agents includes the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Customer experience (CX).</b> Intelligent agents can provide a foundation for many types of automated services, such as IT service requests, ticketing, password resets and account access. Human agents use intelligent agents to speed access to customer data and prior interactions that can enhance <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/definition/customer-experience-CX">CX</a> with current requests.</li> <li><b>Human resources (HR).</b> Intelligent agents can streamline routine HR processes, such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchhrsoftware/definition/employee-onboarding-and-offboarding">employee onboarding or offboarding</a>. Agents can also automate the collection and processing of HR forms, help employees access HR policies and procedures, such as the vacation scheduling process, and answer questions about benefits.</li> <li><b>Finance.</b> Intelligent agents can process and analyze vast amounts of data to assist with financial tasks, such as fraud detection and financial compliance. Agents can assist with completing and filing tax and other business documents, aid employees in expense submissions and reconcile invoices.</li> <li><b>Procurement.</b> Intelligent agents can enhance routine procurement processes, managing vendor agreements, contracts and licenses. Agents can help with logistics and supply chain management tasks as well.</li> <li><b>Sales and Marketing.</b> Intelligent agents can help sales staff schedule calls and manage lead and account information through <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/definition/CRM-customer-relationship-management">customer relationship management</a> platforms to ensure that sales staff can access leads quickly and accurately. Agents also use account histories and purchasing patterns to create targeted sales campaigns and perform customer satisfaction analytics.</li> <li><b>Operations.</b> Intelligent agents can help with different backend tasks, such as generating documents and reports, and analyzing data to provide business insights. They can identify potential risks, automate complex business workflows, flag suspicious network and system activities, and provide <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/Predictive-maintenance-Definition-benefits-example-strategy">predictive maintenance</a> for manufacturing equipment or vehicle fleets.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Benefits and challenges of intelligent agents"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Benefits and challenges of intelligent agents</h2> <p>Intelligent agents are powerful and complex AI entities capable of providing value to the enterprise. However, there are technical and business issues to consider before building and deploying agents. Some major benefits of intelligent agents can include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Better efficiency.</b> Intelligent agents automate routine or repetitive tasks, speeding business processes that are faster and more accurate, compliant and consistent. This also lets human employees focus on more creative or strategic tasks.</li> <li><b>Fewer errors.</b> The consistency provided by intelligent agents can reduce the oversights and errors encountered with human interaction. This is important with complex, error-prone tasks that can have a significant effect on the business.</li> <li><b>Data-driven decisions.</b> Business leaders want help making the best decisions, but it's easy to overlook, forget or dismiss data. Intelligent agents incorporate vast amounts of seemingly unrelated data to provide insights that humans might not recognize. This can yield faster and more accurate <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/tip/Key-steps-form-a-data-driven-decision-making-framework">business decision-making</a>.</li> <li><b>More availability.</b> Agents can operate 24/7, enabling continuous operation for some tasks, such as customer service, on a global scale.</li> <li><b>Cost savings.</b> The efficiencies and capabilities intelligent agents provide can reduce business expenses, as well as reduce the costs associated with human oversights and mistakes.</li> </ul> <p>Despite the benefits, intelligent agents can pose several formidable challenges that must be considered. The following are some of the challenges involved with intelligent agents:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Design complexity.</b> Intelligent agents can be complex and costly to build and deploy. The design complexity and the nuances involved in their training add a level of uncertainty to their performance and reliability that can trouble business leaders.</li> <li><b>Integration complexity.</b> Intelligent agents must be able to access an assortment of data sources, applications and systems. It can be difficult to design an agent with the necessary integrations and update the agent as new integrations are needed. This can result in inefficient or problematic data flows.</li> <li><b>Potential bias.</b> Intelligent agents are built from algorithms and trained on sample data. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/machine-learning-bias-algorithm-bias-or-AI-bias">Machine learning bias</a> in algorithms and poor-quality data, such as insufficient, incomplete or inaccurate data, can yield outcomes that are discriminatory or sub-optimal for some user groups. Bias mitigation and accuracy are critical for reliable AI operation, as well as appropriate <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/corporate-governance">business governance</a>.</li> <li><b>Ethics and explainability.</b> Organizations must ensure that intelligent agents are employed ethically -- accessing business data for acceptable business purposes -- and take concrete steps to prevent intelligent agents from being used improperly or illegally. Further, business governance often requires <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/tip/How-to-audit-AI-systems-for-transparency-and-compliance">transparency into the agent's algorithms and training data</a>, ensuring that intelligent agents perform and make decisions in ways that are predictable, repeatable and well-understood by business leaders and regulators.</li> <li><b>Security and data privacy.</b> Intelligent agents can access and process enormous volumes of sensitive or <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/personally-identifiable-information-PII">personally identifiable information</a>. This raises the risk of data breaches because the agents can provide attackers with new and unproven vectors of attack. Similarly, the ways that agents process, store and render data also carries data privacy risks that can violate compliance regulations.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The future of intelligent agents"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The future of intelligent agents</h2> <p>Intelligent agents are evolving fast. They will become more autonomous and able to handle tasks faster and better. They will also get better at collaborating, integrating and learning. Some future developments to watch are expected to include:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Greater autonomy.</b> Automation isn't a new idea, and automated agents, such as chatbots, have been available for years. However, these older platforms relied on rules and guardrails, and often require constant human oversight. Future intelligent agents will be capable of startling autonomy and will learn, adapt and operate with greater levels of independence.</li> <li><b>Task complexity.</b> Intelligent agents can parse tasks into smaller executable actions or steps. This trend will continue to enable agents to perform ever larger and more complex tasks without the need for specific programming or modifications. This, in turn, will further facilitate greater agent autonomy.</li> <li><b>Better collaboration.</b> Agents are rarely ubiquitous and are often task specific. This requires multiple agents operating together to collaborate and share data to execute desirable actions. This capability will accelerate and offer highly specific and capable agents that are composed as needed to handle large, complex tasks.</li> <li><b>Better integration.</b> Agents require access to data, networks and systems through varied integration mechanisms. But integration can limit the data, applications and systems that an agent can interact with. Integrations will improve, possibly giving rise to new AI agent integration standards. This will enable more data and systems to interoperate and support more complex problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.</li> <li><b>Enhanced learning.</b> Intelligent agents can learn from their outcomes to identify errors and optimize results. This ability will also become refined over time, giving agents more seamless abilities to gauge outcomes and adjust behaviors with great autonomy.</li> </ul> <p><i><u>Stephen J. Bigelow, senior technology editor at TechTarget, has more than 30 years of technical writing experience in the PC and technology industry.</u></i></p> </section> An intelligent agent is a program that can perceive its environment, make decisions, take action and perform services based on its environment, user input and previous experiences. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/2.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/agent-intelligent-agent Tue, 04 Nov 2025 09:00:00 GMT <p>To understand the benefits and challenges of using <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/Ultimate-IoT-implementation-guide-for-businesses">IoT</a> in construction, consider the environmental sensors designed to monitor temperature and humidity. These sensors, which can be installed at job sites in a compact puck form, aim to improve worker safety by detecting conditions that might lead to heat exhaustion and other weather-related health issues. They also identify situations that could lead to equipment malfunction.</p> <p>But the small, portable sensors also have a knack for disappearing when attached to a stud or a pillar. Tim Gaylord, corporate director of innovation at DPR Construction, based in Redwood City, Calif., said construction workers might seal off environmental pucks in walls as construction progresses.</p> <p>"If it's not part of their scope, and they don't realize what it's for, and they need to close that wall up; it's getting closed up," he said. "It happens all the time."</p> <p>IoT, however, has found a home in the construction industry in applications ranging from worker safety to asset management -- despite the rigors of an active job site.</p> <p>The technology gives builders more visibility over job sites and a mechanism for tracking the machinery and vehicles of the trade. The data collected through IoT sensors, once analyzed, offers insights that can improve efficiency and scheduling, as well as enable preventive maintenance.</p> <p>Such benefits are driving demand among construction companies. Grand View Research pegged the global market for IoT in construction at $11.46 billion in 2023 and forecast a 16.2% annual growth rate through 2030. That's a significant <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/How-businesses-are-using-AI-in-the-construction-industry">investment from an industry</a> that has not traditionally been an early adopter of technology.</p> <p>IoT adopters, however, face the aforementioned job site issues and must also learn to manage large-scale deployments effectively.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4FxU-xpuCww?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Types of IoT in the construction industry"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Types of IoT in the construction industry</h2> <p>The construction industry uses several categories of IoT technology, such as the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Wearable technology.</b> Health monitors such as wrist bands and armbands keep track of body temperature, heart rate, hydration and other factors.</li> <li><b>Environmental sensors.</b> Devices installed at job sites monitor temperature, humidity and particulate matter.</li> <li><b>Material monitors.</b> Sensors embedded in concrete or other materials can keep tabs on curing and identify structures that need repair.</li> <li><b>Asset trackers.</b> Equipment outfitted with <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/Global-Positioning-System">GPS</a> and sensor devices helps organizations keep tabs on the location of construction tools and machinery.</li> <li><b>Fleet management technology. </b>IoT devices can track construction vehicles, monitor fuel consumption and <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366627978/AI-driven-predictive-maintenance-gaining-traction">support predictive maintenance</a>.</li> <li><b>Site monitoring systems.</b> Cameras and drones are used for site surveillance and progress tracking.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What are the leading use cases for IoT in the construction industry?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What are the leading use cases for IoT in the construction industry?</h2> <p>There are four major use cases of IoT in construction.</p> <h3>Environmental monitoring</h3> <p>Gaylord called environmental sensing a "no-brainer" IoT use case. His team tests emerging technologies and identifies those with the potential for scaling at the builder. This use case has proven out, he noted, adding that it's recommended for deployment at job sites.</p> <p>Environmental sensors, which monitor temperature, humidity and dust, help keep workers safe and protect machinery from weather extremes and airborne particles that can lead to equipment failure.</p> <h3>Worker health and safety</h3> <p>Worker health and safety is also among the top use cases for IoT in construction, according to industry executives.</p> <p>"Site safety is probably our biggest driver right now," said Dimitris Bountolos, chief information and innovation officer at Ferrovial, an infrastructure management and construction company based in Spain.</p> <p>Ferrovial has developed pedestrian detection systems that use 3D vision and machine learning (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/machine-learning-ML">ML</a>) to identify people in real time. Bountolos said the application has proven a game-changer for preventing collisions between heavy machinery and workers on construction sites.</p> <p>Bountolos said the construction company also uses <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/wearable-technology">wearable devices</a> to monitor worker location, fatigue levels and exposure to hazards. The wearables-based system can trigger alerts if unsafe site conditions are developing.</p> <p>Gaylord said the safety use case is a major focus for his team, particularly given the heat stress in markets such as Arizona, Southern California and the Southeast. DPR is testing sensors and wearables to prevent dehydration and heat exhaustion on job sites.</p> <p>"Heat-related illnesses are a major problem, not just for DPR but the industry," Gaylord said.</p> <h3>Operational efficiency: Asset and fleet management</h3> <p>IoT use cases that promote higher job site efficiency are also popular in construction. The industry is tightly linked to macroeconomic and geopolitical trends across regions, noted Ajithkumar Nandakumar, vice president, global strategic delivery initiatives for Hitachi Digital Services' IoT practice. He said engineering, procurement and construction firms use technology to help manage economic booms and downcycles.</p> <p>"The top priority is on operational efficiency, and this is where technology and, in particular, IoT play a key role," Nandakumar said.</p> <p>Within that broad use case, Gaylord cited tool asset management as an important IoT focus. Large sites have loads of tools, power buggies and scissor lifts that can easily go missing or become underutilized. Identifying idle rental equipment results in cost savings.</p> <p>"When we first deployed [tool asset management] on one of our large mega data centers, we quickly realized that several large pieces of machinery, which were pretty costly month to month, were sitting," Gaylord said.</p> <p>Unused equipment can be sent back to the supplier before the rental renewal or redeployed at the construction site.</p> <p>Bountolos, meanwhile, cited fleet management as a solid use case for construction IoT. He said Ferrovial focuses on equipment performance, fuel monitoring, usage analytics and predictive maintenance to manage heavy-equipment operations. The company has also begun using ML for demand forecasting and equipment utilization patterns, he added.</p> <p>Nandakumar also cited fleet monitoring as an efficiency use case, along with asset maintenance, worker safety and energy management.</p> <h3>Road monitoring</h3> <p>The road monitoring use case combines GPS, LiDAR remote sensing and AI to create infrastructure heatmaps and risk maps, which Bountolos described as "centimeter-accurate." He added that Ferrovial's system detects and issues alerts on hazards, including potholes, debris and damaged guardrails.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Benefits of using IoT technology in construction"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Benefits of using IoT technology in construction</h2> <p>Construction companies that invest in IoT can anticipate advantages that tend to cluster around a few areas.</p> <h3>Improved visibility and management</h3> <p>Smart badges and wearables, coupled with IoT-enabled access control, offer improved resource oversight at job sites featuring numerous trades such as carpenters, masons, electricians, drywall installers and machine operators.</p> <p>The technology lets construction companies track resources once they badge in, said Ankoor Amin, innovation and sustainability leader at OES Equipment, part of the DPR family of companies. Sensors provide insight into head count for a given trade and a given location at the site, as well as whether those numbers match the construction schedule, he noted.</p> <p>"That gives us a superpower these days in construction, if you can sense all of that without having to go out and send an army of supervisors to manage your trades," he said.</p> <h3>Data-driven decision-making</h3> <p>IoT captures and analyzes real-time data, providing actionable insights across the construction lifecycle, Bountolos said. This lets project managers "make much more informed decisions based on what's happening on-site, rather than relying on assumptions or delayed reports."</p> <h3>Reduced downtime</h3> <p>Real-time equipment monitoring and automation reduce manual intervention and minimize downtime, Bountolos said. In addition, predictive maintenance and resource optimization, which stem from continuous data collection and analysis from connected devices, provide project timeline and cost benefits, he added.</p> <h3>Improved risk mitigation</h3> <p>Better job site visibility, real-time data for decision-making and the ability to predict maintenance issues all contribute to managing risk and boosting safety.</p> <p>"IoT performs extremely well on the safety front," Bountolos said. "Instead of reacting to incidents after they happen, we can actually prevent them."</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Challenges of implementing IoT in construction"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Challenges of implementing IoT in construction</h2> <p>Construction firms can expect to encounter several obstacles as they deploy IoT. Here are a few potential pitfalls:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>User adoption. </b>Companies deploying IoT must show workers how it will benefit them without adding complexity. Training and change management programs can help introduce a new technology.</li> <li><b>Harsh conditions. </b>IoT devices must have sufficient ruggedization to function in a difficult environment. Battery life and on-site recharging options are also important issues.</li> <li><b>Infrastructure. </b>IoT devices require on-site connectivity, such as dependable internet access. Some IoT deployments require gateway units that collect data and transmit it for processing locally or in the cloud.</li> <li><b>Data management and analysis. </b>IoT devices stream massive amounts of data. Technology adopters need to consider their ability to manage and analyze data effectively to get the most out of their investment.</li> <li><b>Data privacy. </b>Construction companies must consider <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/data-privacy-information-privacy">data privacy</a> issues when sharing worker data in the cloud, for example.</li> <li><b>Ergonomics. </b>Technology adopters must ensure wearables are light, comfortable and don't interfere with work.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Best practices for implementing IoT in construction"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Best practices for implementing IoT in construction</h2> <p>Against the backdrop of expected benefits and challenges, here are a few approaches to consider when deploying IoT.</p> <h3>Select and pilot an appropriate IoT use case</h3> <p>Choosing the right use case for deployment should be based on a comprehensive business value analysis rather than its perceived "coolness," Nandakumar stated.</p> <p>He also recommended a fail-fast-to-scale-faster approach as critical for the construction industry, given the rugged conditions in which workers and assets operate. That means running pilots in field conditions to select the appropriate technology and devices for the selected IoT use case, he noted.</p> <h3>Dedicate personnel to manage IoT sensor deployment</h3> <p>"The biggest fail point with these IoT sensors is the management of the system," Gaylord said. "It's like a full-time job to make sure all the sensors are active, they are in the right spot and folks aren't moving them."</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> The biggest fail point with these IoT sensors is the management of the system. </figure> <figcaption> <strong>Tim Gaylord</strong>Corporate director of innovation, DPR Construction </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>Wearables also require oversight, especially on large projects with 1,000 or more people.</p> <p>"How do you make sure that everyone on your site has one?" Gaylord said.</p> <h3>Dedicate personnel to infrastructure management</h3> <p>Amin emphasized the importance of a construction team's commitment to maintaining the infrastructure that an IoT implementation requires. That task includes making sure networking and connectivity expand as construction progresses. Gateways must be installed on additional floors as a building rises, for example.</p> <p>"Somebody better be in charge of expanding the network, making sure the infrastructure scales as we build," Amin said.</p> <p>He recommended assigning a resource, or resources, to maintain infrastructure. The challenge here is that managing IoT isn't a typical job function on a construction site: "You are adding something to somebody's plate," he said.</p> <h3>Focus on cybersecurity</h3> <p>Bountolos recommended investing in a strong <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/The-ultimate-guide-to-cybersecurity-planning-for-businesses">cybersecurity</a> architecture from the outset to prevent breaches.</p> <p>"Construction sites are already vulnerable environments -- you can't afford to add digital vulnerabilities on top of physical ones."</p> <div class="imagecaption alignLeft"> <a href="https://www.constructiondive.com/link/6395/?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=TTG-SearchCIOarticle29042025"><img src="https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/want_more_construction_tech_news-h.jpg" alt="Constructive Dive image."></a>Click the image above for more information on the construction industry. </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is the future of IoT in the construction industry?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is the future of IoT in the construction industry?</h2> <p>Industry executives see IoT evolving to incorporate AI. Nandakumar pointed to autonomous operations through <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/cognitive-computing">cognitive computing</a> and human-in-the-loop approaches as the way forward in the construction industry. He said the trend is already taking shape, amid the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Industry-50-What-is-it-and-what-does-its-future-hold">transition to Industry 5.0</a> and the arrival of generative AI models.</p> <p>The "agentification" of processes will also rapidly proliferate into all aspects of construction, he added. AI agents will result in safer and better operations, as well as a sustainable way of working.</p> <p>Amin, meanwhile, added robotics to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/AI-and-IoT-How-do-the-internet-of-things-and-AI-work-together">AI and IoT</a> in the emerging technology mix, noting that they enable each other. He noted that AI helps generate more insight from cameras and other data-capture devices, while IoT lends location and contextual awareness to robotics.</p> <p>"That evolution is happening in parallel," Amin said.</p> <p><i>John Moore is a writer for Informa TechTarget covering the CIO role, economic trends and the IT services industry.</i></p> </section> The use of IoT in the construction industry aims to improve safety, efficiency and decision-making. However, construction companies should carefully manage deployments. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/iot_g1157534820.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/IoT-in-construction-Use-cases-benefits-and-challenges Fri, 01 Aug 2025 13:32:00 GMT <p>A smart home is a residence that uses internet-connected devices to enable the remote monitoring and management of appliances and systems, such as lighting and heating.</p> <p>Smart home technology -- also often referred to as <em>home automation</em> or <i>domotics </i>from the Latin word "domus<i>,</i>"<i> </i>meaning home -- provides homeowners security, comfort, convenience and energy efficiency by letting them control smart devices, often using a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/smart-home-app-home-automation-app">smart home app</a> on their smartphone or another networked device.</p> <p>A part of the internet of things (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/Internet-of-Things-IoT">IoT</a>), smart home systems and devices often operate together, sharing consumer usage data among themselves and automating actions based on the homeowners' preferences.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IC0mkHh7MaA?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How does smart home technology work?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How does smart home technology work?</h2> <p>A smart home isn't a collection of disparate smart devices and appliances, but rather ones that work together to create a remotely controllable network.</p> <p>All devices -- such as lights, thermostats, security systems and appliances -- are controlled by a primary home automation controller, often called a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/smart-home-hub-home-automation-hub">smart home hub</a>. This hub is a hardware device that acts as the central point of the smart home system and can sense, process data and communicate wirelessly. It combines all the disparate apps into a single smart home app that homeowners can control remotely.</p> <p>Examples of smart home hubs include Amazon Echo, Google Home and Wink Hub. While many smart home products use <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/Wi-Fi">Wi-Fi</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/Bluetooth">Bluetooth</a> to connect to the smart home network, others depend on wireless protocols such as Zigbee or <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/Z-Wave">Z-Wave</a>.</p> <p>The figure below presents a basic smart home, using either a smart home gateway or a wireless base system, to link devices together and to the Internet.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/configuring_a_smart_home-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/configuring_a_smart_home-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/configuring_a_smart_home-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/configuring_a_smart_home-f.png 1280w" alt="Basic smart home configuration diagram." height="324" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Basic smart home configuration. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Smart home devices can be programmed to follow specific schedules or commands or set to respond to voice commands through home assistants such as Amazon Alexa or <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Google-Assistant">Google Assistant</a>. For example, a smart thermostat can learn the homeowner's habits and automatically adjust the temperature based on their specific schedule.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Examples of smart home technologies"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Examples of smart home technologies</h2> <p>Nearly every aspect of life where technology has entered the domestic space -- including lightbulbs, dishwashers and other appliances -- has seen the introduction of a smart home alternative. The next figure depicts the many types of activities that can be addressed by a smart home system. This section will look at smart home systems and devices:</p> <h3>Smart home devices</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Smart TVs.</b> These TVs connect to the internet to access content through applications, such as on-demand video and music. Some smart TVs also include voice or gesture recognition.</li> <li><b>Smart thermostats.</b> Smart thermostats, such as Google Nest, come with integrated Wi-Fi, letting users schedule, monitor and remotely control home temperatures. These devices also learn homeowners' behaviors and automatically modify settings to provide them with maximum comfort and efficiency. Smart thermostats can also report energy use and remind users to change filters.</li> <li><b>Smart door locks and garage door openers.</b> Homeowners can use smart locks and garage-door openers to grant or deny access to visitors. Smart locks can also detect when residents are near and unlock the doors for them.</li> <li><b>Smart kitchen appliances.</b> Brands such as LG, GE and Samsung offer smart kitchen appliances of all sorts. These appliances include smart coffee makers that can brew a fresh cup automatically at a programmed time; smart refrigerators that keep track of expiration dates, make shopping lists or even create recipes based on ingredients currently on hand; slow cookers and toasters; and, in the laundry room, washing machines and dryers</li> <li><b>Smart plugs.</b> These connect to wall sockets to transform simple home devices, such as lamps and ceiling fans, into remote-controlled devices that can be controlled using mobile apps and voice assistants such as Alexa.</li> </ul> <h3>Smart home systems</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Smart lighting systems.</b> In addition to being able to be controlled remotely and customized, smart lighting systems can detect when occupants are in the room and adjust lighting as needed. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/smart-bulb-smart-light-bulb">Smart lightbulbs</a> can also regulate themselves based on daylight availability.</li> <li><b>Smart security cameras and systems.</b> With smart security cameras and doorbells, such as Ring, residents can monitor their homes when they're away. Smart motion sensors can identify the difference between residents, visitors, pets and burglars and can send notifications to authorities if suspicious behavior is detected.</li> <li><b>Smart pet and lawn care.</b> Pet care can be automated with connected feeders. Houseplants and lawns can be watered using connected timers.</li> <li><b>Smart household monitors.</b> Household system monitors can, for example, sense a power surge and turn off appliances, sense water failures or freezing pipes and turn off the water so the home doesn't flood.</li> <li><b>Amazon Echo, Google Home and Wink Hub.</b> As noted earlier, these systems provide a foundation for a smart home. They also link with smart assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant</li> </ul> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/iota-smart_home.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/iota-smart_home_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/iota-smart_home_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/iota-smart_home.jpg 1280w" alt="Components of a smart home." height="364" width="520"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>A multitude of devices and appliances can be seamlessly integrated into a smart home system. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Smart home pros and cons"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Smart home pros and cons</h2> <p>Smart technology offers numerous advantages, ranging from the convenience of running household appliances such as the washing machine while at work to the comfort of remotely adjusting the thermostat on a chilly winter day.</p> <h3>Pros of a smart home</h3> <p>Advantages of smart home technology are many, and the technology has been proven over many years. The following are some key benefits:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Provides assurance.</b> Homeowners can monitor their homes remotely, countering dangers such as a coffee maker left on or a front door left unlocked.</li> <li><b>Accommodates user preferences for convenience.</b> For example, users can program their garage door to open, the lights to go on, the fireplace to turn on and their favorite music to play once they arrive home.</li> <li><b>Offers peace of mind.</b> IoT devices enable family members or caregivers to remotely monitor the health and well-being of seniors, allowing them to safely remain at home without moving to an assisted residence.</li> <li><b>Improves efficiency. </b>Instead of leaving the air conditioning on all day, a smart home system can learn homeowner behaviors to ensure the house is cooled down by the time they return home.</li> <li><b>Saves resources and money.</b> With a smart irrigation system, the lawn is watered only when needed and with the exact amount of water necessary. With home automation devices and a smart system setup, energy, water and other resources are used more efficiently, which helps save both natural resources and money for the consumer.</li> <li><b>Manages tasks.</b> Smart <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/definition/virtual-assistant-AI-assistant">virtual assistants</a>, such as Google Home or Amazon Echo, can accomplish tasks through <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/tip/3-use-cases-highlight-AI-and-speech-recognition-evolution">speech recognition and voice commands</a>. For example, homeowners can use voice commands to turn on music, search the web and control their household smart devices.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Cons of a smart home"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Cons of a smart home</h2> <p>However, home automation systems have struggled to become mainstream, in part due to their technical nature. Common drawbacks of a smart home include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Requires a reliable internet connection.</b> An unreliable internet connection or a network going down in the event of an outage can leave the devices and gadgets connected to a smart home inoperable.</li> <li><b>Perceived complexity.</b> Some people have difficulties or a lack of patience with technology. Smart home manufacturers and alliances are working on reducing complexity and improving the user experience to make it enjoyable and beneficial for users of all technical levels.</li> <li><b>Lack of standards.</b> For home automation systems to be truly effective, devices must be interoperable regardless of manufacturer and use the same protocol or, at least, complementary ones. As it's a relatively new market, there's no gold standard for home automation yet. However, standard alliances are partnering with manufacturers and protocols to ensure interoperability and a seamless user experience.</li> <li><b>Questionable security.</b> <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/Internet-of-Things-IOT-Seven-enterprise-risks-to-consider">IoT devices introduce security&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/Internet-of-Things-IOT-Seven-enterprise-risks-to-consider" target="_blank" rel="noopener">challenges</a> because most of them lack built-in encryption. In addition, they can serve as access points for the broader network's sensitive data, increasing the attack surface. If hackers can infiltrate a smart device, they could potentially turn off the lights and alarms and unlock the doors, leaving a home defenseless to a break-in.</li> <li><b>Lack of data privacy.</b> Many smart homeowners also worry about data privacy. There is a growing concern regarding the security of their personal data collected and transmitted by smart home systems and devices.</li> <li><b>Unauthorized access to systems and devices.</b> Likewise, smart homeowners are just as concerned about the potential unauthorized access or control of smart devices without their permission. While smart home device and platform manufacturers collect consumer data to better tailor their products or offer new and improved services to customers, trust and transparency are critical to manufacturers looking to gain new customers.</li> <li><b>Expense.</b> Even though prices are coming down, many smart home devices are still expensive, and an entire house makeover could cost thousands of dollars.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How to set up a smart home"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How to set up a smart home</h2> <p>Newly built homes are often constructed with a smart home infrastructure in place. Older homes, on the other hand, can be retrofitted with smart technologies.</p> <p>Zigbee and Z-Wave are two of the most common smart home communications protocols in use today. Both use <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/mesh-network-topology-mesh-network">mesh network</a> technologies and short-range, low-power radio signals to connect smart home systems. Though both target the same smart home applications, Z-Wave has a range of 30 meters versus Zigbee's 10 meters, with Zigbee often perceived as the more complex of the two. Zigbee chips are available from multiple companies, while Z-Wave chips are only available from Sigma Designs.</p> <p>Also, Matter, a smart home standard that launched in 2022, continues to gain momentum. Developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance -- previously the Zigbee Alliance -- Matter is supported by major smart home manufacturers including Amazon, Apple and Google. This <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/definition/Internet-Protocol">IP</a>-based protocol is specifically designed to solve the compatibility challenges of smart homes, providing a framework that facilitates seamless communication across devices, apps and cloud services.</p> <p>Thread is another interoperability standard for smart homes. Developed in 2014, it is similar to Zigbee, operating as a low-power mesh network in the 2.4 GHz band with a service range of 20-30 meters. It is internet addressable, using the IPv6 and TCP protocols, as well as self-healing.</p> <p>Some smart home systems can be created from scratch, for example, using a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Raspberry-Pi-35-computer">Raspberry Pi</a> or other prototyping board. Other systems can be purchased as a bundled <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/smart-home-kit-home-automation-kit">smart home kit</a> (e.g., Apple's HomeKit) -- also known as a smart home platform -- that contains the pieces needed to start a home automation project.</p> <p>While setting up a smart home can sometimes be complex, homeowners should consider the following general steps:</p> <ol class="default-list"> <li><b>Invest in a strong, reliable internet connection. </b>Because smart home connectivity relies heavily on an internet connection, it's important to ensure the homeowner has reliable and fast internet service.</li> <li><b>Select the hub.</b> It's important to decide which hub to use for a smart home. For example, if the homeowner wants a fully automated smart home, a hub that can centrally control every device is most likely required. However, in other cases, a virtual assistant that can link to other devices on the same network could suffice. Most average hubs might not include extra capabilities such as built-in voice control, even if they're compatible with a wide range of devices. On the other hand, smart speaker hubs, such as Amazon Echo, let users provide voice commands and accomplish various tasks, such as inquiring about the weather or requesting a grocery list.</li> <li><b>Start with the basics.</b> Start with basic items such as smart plugs, smart bulbs and switches for the smart home, as they're quick to set up and can easily automate many different things around the house. For example, smart plugs can automate fans, lights, lamps, slow cookers, curling irons and space heaters.</li> <li>Secure the devices. Because most IoT and smart home devices don't have built-in security or encryption, it's important to set up <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/Top-5-password-hygiene-tips-and-best-practices">strong passwords and multifactor authentication</a> to prevent unauthorized access to these devices.</li> <li><b>Add more devices.</b> As the homeowner becomes more comfortable with creating a smart home, they can add more devices, such as security systems, cameras and video doorbells, to the mix.</li> </ol> <p>In simple smart home scenarios, events can be timed or triggered. Timed events are based on a clock, for example, lowering the blinds at 6 p.m., while triggered events depend on actions in the automated system; for example, when the owner's smartphone approaches the door, the smart lock unlocks and the smart lights go on.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/machine-learning-ML">Machine learning</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/AI-Artificial-Intelligence">AI</a> are becoming increasingly popular in smart home systems, enabling home automation applications to adapt to their environments. For example, voice-activated systems, such as Amazon Echo or Google Home, contain virtual assistants that learn and personalize the smart home to the residents' preferences and patterns.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Smart buildings"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Smart buildings</h2> <p>Enterprise, commercial, industrial and residential buildings of all shapes and sizes -- including offices, skyscrapers, apartment buildings and multi-tenant offices and residences -- are deploying IoT technologies to improve building efficiency, reduce energy costs and environmental damage, ensure security and improve occupant satisfaction. The image below depicts a smart building architecture.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iota-smart_building_architect.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iota-smart_building_architect_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iota-smart_building_architect_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iota-smart_building_architect.png 1280w" alt="Smart building framework" height="387" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>AI and machine learning are increasingly being used to set up smart home systems and buildings. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Many of the same smart technologies used in the smart home are also deployed in smart building technology, including lighting, energy, heating and air conditioning, and security and building access systems.</p> <p>For example, a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/post/Transforming-buildings-to-be-smart-and-sustainable">smart building can reduce energy costs</a> using sensors that detect how many occupants are in a room. The temperature can automatically adjust, turning on cool air if sensors detect a full conference room, or turning the heat down if everyone in the office has gone home for the day. Such systems can also use light and heat sensors to raise or lower sunshades in sun-facing rooms, especially conference rooms where many people can gather.</p> <p>Smart buildings can also connect to the smart grid. Here, smart building components and the electric grid can <i>talk</i> and <i>listen</i> to each other. This technology can manage energy distribution more efficiently, handle maintenance proactively and power outages can be responded to more quickly.</p> <p>Beyond these benefits, smart buildings can provide building owners and managers with predictive maintenance. Janitors, for example, can refill restroom supplies when usage sensors monitoring the soap or paper towel dispensers indicate they are low. Maintenance and failures can also be predicted in building refrigeration, elevators and lighting systems.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The origins of the smart home"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The origins of the smart home</h2> <p>Smart home technology has come a long way in the past few decades. The following timeline shows significant events in the history of smart home technology:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>1975.</b> With the release of X10, a communication protocol for home automation, the smart home, once a pipe dream a la <i>The Jetsons</i>, came to life. X10 sends 120 kHz <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/radio-frequency">radio frequency</a> bursts of digital information onto a home's existing electric wiring to programmable outlets or switches. These signals convey commands to corresponding devices, controlling how and when the devices operate. A transmitter could, for example, send a signal along the house's electric wiring, telling a device to turn on at a specific time. However, because electrical wiring isn't designed to be free from radio-band <i>noise</i>, X10 wasn't always fully reliable. Signals would be lost and, in some cases, signals wouldn't cross circuits that were wired on different polarities, created when 220-volt service is split into a pair of 100-volt feeds, as is common in the U.S. Additionally, X10 was initially a one-way technology, so while smart devices can take commands, they can't send data back to a central network. Later, however, two-way X10 devices became available, albeit at a higher cost.</li> <li><b>1984.</b> The American Association of Home Builders coined the term <i>smart house</i> to promote the concept of technology in home design.</li> <li><b>2005.</b> Home automation company Insteon introduced technology that combined electric wiring with wireless signals. Other protocols, including Zigbee and Z-Wave, have since emerged to counter the problems associated with X10.</li> <li><b>2007.</b> The first smart TVs were released. They offered integrated internet-connected services, such as streaming and access to user-generated content.</li> <li><b>2011.</b> Newly founded <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/Nest-Labs">Nest Labs</a> released its first smart product, the Nest Learning Thermostat. The company also created smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and security cameras. After being acquired by Google in 2015, Nest became a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.</li> <li><b>2012.</b> SmartThings Inc. launched a Kickstarter campaign, raising $1.2 million to fund its smart home system. Following additional funding, the company entered the market in August 2013 and was acquired by Samsung in 2014.</li> <li><b>2014.</b> Amazon Echo, Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit were introduced, making a giant leap in voice-enabled smart devices.</li> <li><b>2016-2018.</b> The arrival of smart speakers, such as Google Home, Google Nest, Apple HomePod and Sonos, signaled a significant shift in how users interacted with smart home devices.</li> <li><b>Today.</b> Home automation trends continue to evolve, with more connectivity options and features.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The future of smart homes"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The future of smart homes</h2> <p>Future developments in smart device technology will combine language models and virtual assistants, such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/ChatGPT">ChatGPT</a>. Some companies are already using this technology to build their own personal assistants, while Amazon is currently working on a large language model (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/large-language-model-LLM">LLM</a>) to improve Alexa.</p> <p>Further developments in smart home technology in the coming years are expected to include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Use of AI will personalize the smart home experience by learning homeowner routines, automating various functions, and keeping devices operating properly through predictive analytics to optimize energy, facilitate maintenance and protect the environment</li> <li>Look-ahead security capabilities will analyze a variety of metrics, such as physical movements, locking and unlocking the home, driving into and out of a garage, and internal and external surveillance data to ensure that the home is secure</li> <li>Systems will improve livability through monitoring air quality, stress and sleep activities; kitchens might even recommend specific dietary changes to improve health.</li> <li>Future infrastructures will be able to connect virtually any device, regardless of the vendor, using advanced protocols like Matter and Thread.</li> <li>Aging populations might benefit from homes that monitor their health, mobility and dietary needs.</li> </ul> <p>Smart home ecosystems of the future will be able to adapt to just about any requirement a homeowner needs while protecting privacy and the environment.</p> <p><i>When selecting the appropriate IoT communication protocol, it's important to recognize that not all protocols fit every device or deployment. Explore </i><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/Top-12-most-commonly-used-IoT-protocols-and-standards"><i>top IoT protocols and standards</i></a><i> to find the best one for your needs.</i></p> </section> A smart home is a residence that uses internet-connected devices to enable the remote monitoring and management of appliances and systems, such as lighting and heating. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/4.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/smart-home-or-building Thu, 31 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT <p>The use of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/Internet-of-Things-IoT">IoT</a> technologies in healthcare has grown significantly over the past decade and is expected to keep growing in the years ahead.</p> <p>One report from The Business Research Company put the healthcare IoT market at $231.71 billion in 2024 and predicted it will hit $282.23 billion in 2025 and then $616.29 billion in 2029. That's a compound annual growth rate of 21.6%.</p> <p>The transformative power of IoT in healthcare, the demonstrative benefits IoT offers to patients and the overall digital transformation happening in the medical industry all contribute to significant growth.</p> <p>IoT in the healthcare sector, also called the internet of medical things (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/IoMT-Internet-of-Medical-Things">IoMT</a>), includes various technologies: sensors that collect patient biometric data, networks that transmit data and computers that process the data.</p> <p>When those technologies come together in an IoT environment, they enable patients and their healthcare providers to analyze and respond to data in near real time. This offers a level of accuracy and speed that was impossible without that technology.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Top applications of IoT in healthcare"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Top applications of IoT in healthcare</h2> <p>Healthcare entities use IoMT in myriad ways to improve clinical operations, patient experiences and patient outcomes. Here are nine use cases of IoT in healthcare.</p> <h3>1. Remote patient monitoring</h3> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/virtualhealthcare/feature/Common-remote-patient-monitoring-tools">RPM is among the most common</a> and visible examples of IoT in healthcare. Patients use devices to measure or monitor one or more vital signs -- i.e., heart rate, blood pressure, glucose levels and temperature.</p> <p>The device can send the metrics to a care team's computer systems for review and analysis at regular intervals, or the metrics can only be sent outside of preset parameters, which could indicate medical issues requiring attention.</p> <p>For example, IoT-enabled monitoring can be set up to alert clinicians if a smart thermometer detects a fever in a patient recovering from surgery at home, as a rise in temperature could signal an infection. Patients and their healthcare teams can also analyze collected data to help diagnose conditions or gain insights into existing ones.</p> <p>All these uses aim to help keep patients as healthy as possible and ensure timely treatment of acute issues if they occur.</p> <h3>2. Telehealth enablement</h3> <p>IoMT is also essential for many virtual medical visits and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/How-AI-has-cemented-its-role-in-telemedicine">telehealth capabilities</a>. Using connected medical devices -- from consumer-grade wearable health trackers to connected imaging systems -- for monitoring, collecting and transmitting patient data in real time enables more effective virtual consultations and telehealth care.</p> <p>This speeds up the delivery of care and treatment to homebound and rural patients and reduces costly hospital visits.</p> <h3>3. Medication management and adherence</h3> <p>Connected medical dispensers, such as inhalers, insulin pens and pill containers, can be programmed to remind patients when to take their medicine and to dispense the proper dosage at the right time. Moreover, these connected dispensers can <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/pharmalifesciences/feature/Formulating-a-specialty-drug-management-playbook-using-expert-insights">track whether patients took their medication</a> and send reports to the care team.</p> <p>This real-world data is more accurate than self-reporting from patients, and it helps both patients and clinical teams manage even complex medication schedules, ensure adherence to treatment plans and prevent errors -- all of which improve patient outcomes.</p> <h3>4. Ingestible sensors</h3> <p>These are small IoMT-enabled devices that patients swallow. The devices enter and pass through the gastrointestinal tract, where they measure temperature, pH levels and other health indicators using biosensors.</p> <p>They are typically powered by microbatteries, biofuel cells or energy harvested from the body's environment. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/answer/Telemetry-vs-SNMP-Is-one-better-for-network-management">Wireless telemetry transmits data</a> clinicians can use to diagnose conditions without performing more invasive procedures, such as endoscopy.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/top_9_applications_of_iot_in_healthcare-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/top_9_applications_of_iot_in_healthcare-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/top_9_applications_of_iot_in_healthcare-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/top_9_applications_of_iot_in_healthcare-f.png 1280w" alt="Visual list of key IoT applications in healthcare" height="403" width="560"> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <h3>5. Mood monitoring</h3> <p>Healthcare providers also use connected devices for mood monitoring and management, finding that IoMT can provide accurate, real-time information about a patient's feelings.</p> <p>The use of IoMT here involves wearable devices, biosensors, mobile apps and AI programs designed to recognize emotions and physiological signals indicating certain moods.</p> <p>IoMT for mood monitoring and management can detect subtle changes in mental health, alert patients and caregivers of those changes and help determine whether and what interventions are needed -- ideally before patients experience a crisis.</p> <h3>6. Enforcing safety policies and best practices, including hand hygiene monitoring</h3> <p>IoMT is also used to ensure that personnel follow safety protocols, policies and best practices. For example, a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/virtualhealthcare/feature/5-elements-of-smart-hospital-rooms">hospital can use RFID tags</a>, wearable badges and sensors to track staff movements to confirm they adhere to infectious disease control measures or mandated hand hygiene procedures.</p> <p>A doctor's office can use environmental sensors to monitor temperature and humidity to ensure proper medication storage. In such cases, medical institutions can use wireless communication technology, such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), to transmit data from endpoints to central compute resources like the cloud, where systems analyze data and produce reports on compliance levels.</p> <h3>7. Equipment and asset tracking, monitoring and maintenance</h3> <p>The healthcare industry uses IoT technologies to monitor equipment and assets, too, mirroring the use of IoT in other sectors such as manufacturing and logistics.</p> <p>Healthcare institutions can attach <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/smart-sensor">smart sensors</a>, RFID tags or BLE beacons to medical equipment, such as portable X-ray machines or wheelchairs, enabling real-time location tracking from centralized dashboards. This use of IoT reduces equipment loss and optimizes inventory management.</p> <h3>8. Predictive maintenance</h3> <p>Like many others, the healthcare industry also uses IoT technologies to enable a proactive approach to maintaining its equipment and assets.</p> <p>Sensors on medical equipment and other assets gather data about the usage and condition of the machines. The sensors then send this data to computers, which combine it with information from different sources -- such as those provided by the machine manufacturers -- to determine the precise timing for maintenance.</p> <p>This enables healthcare institutions to <a href="https://www.gehealthcare.com/insights/article/beyond-downtime-redefining-predictive-medical-equipment-maintenance?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">optimize</a> maintenance schedules, keep equipment operating at peak performance and prevent breakdowns that could affect patient care.</p> <h3>9. Robotic surgery</h3> <p>Surgeons are harnessing the power of IoMT to perform operations more efficiently and effectively. For example, they use monitoring devices and analytics programs for advanced real-time monitoring during surgeries.</p> <p>They also use connected surgical devices with AI-enabled computer vision and robotic capabilities for improved visualization and precision. These technologies automatically adjust to changing conditions, increasing the chances for positive patient outcomes.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Future of IoT in healthcare"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Future of IoT in healthcare</h2> <p>The healthcare industry is at the early stages of using IoT to transform its care delivery, with researchers and healthcare leaders reporting that advances in connected systems, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechanalytics/feature/Top-12-ways-artificial-intelligence-will-impact-healthcare">AI and robotics are poised to revolutionize the sector</a>.</p> <p>These technologies could help lower costs while further improving patient engagement, the patient experience, the clinician experience and -- most importantly -- patient outcomes.</p> <p><i>Mary K. Pratt is an award-winning freelance journalist with a focus on covering enterprise IT and cybersecurity management.</i></p> </section> IoT in healthcare powers remote monitoring, telehealth, smart medication, mood tracking, safety compliance, robotic surgery and predictive maintenance for better care. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/health_g1202231901.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/Top-9-applications-of-IoT-in-healthcare Mon, 28 Jul 2025 15:17:00 GMT <p>Manufacturers are adopting various technologies to transform their operations, with the collection of technologies that make up the internet of things being some of the most crucial digital components driving their transformations.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/Internet-of-Things-IoT">IoT</a> enables organizations to collect and analyze data for more accurate, faster and automated decision-making; often, the goal is to have that decision-making occur in near real time without human intervention.</p> <p>IoT comprises the following key technologies:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Sensors and other endpoint devices that collect data, such as temperature and vibration readings.</li> <li>Networks that transmit data from those endpoints to computing resources that can analyze, act on and store that data for further analysis.</li> <li>Compute power, including on-premises servers, cloud computing and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/edge-device">edge devices</a>, which are specifically designed to process data close to the endpoints.</li> </ul> <p>IoT is often referred to as <i>industrial IoT</i> (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/Industrial-Internet-of-Things-IIoT">IIoT</a>) when used in manufacturing.</p> <p>The "2025 Smart Manufacturing and Operations Survey" from professional services firm Deloitte, which surveyed 600 executives from large manufacturing companies with headquarters or operations in the U.S, found that 46% of respondents use IIoT.</p> <p>Many more, however, plan to adopt IIoT: A survey report titled "Expanding Industrial IoT Systems in 2025" from tech company HiveMQ, in collaboration with IIoT World, found that 70% of organizations were actively developing or deploying IIoT strategies.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Examples and use cases of IoT in manufacturing"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Examples and use cases of IoT in manufacturing</h2> <p>Here are 10 top <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/Top-8-IoT-applications-and-examples-in-business">IoT use cases</a> in manufacturing, with examples of how manufacturers use IoT to transform their operations.</p> <h3>1. Predictive maintenance of assets</h3> <p>This is one of the oldest and most common uses of IoT in the industrial sector, including manufacturing.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/How-IoT-data-collection-works">Sensors on equipment collect data</a> about machine usage and health and send that data to computing resources, which then analyze the data along with other information -- such as data provided by the machine manufacturers -- to accurately determine when the machines need servicing before problems or breakdowns occur.</p> <p>This use of IoT helps manufacturers schedule maintenance at optimal times.</p> <h3>2. Remote control of production processes</h3> <p>Similarly, manufacturers can remotely monitor operations by analyzing data taken from sensors on machinery. Manufacturers then can use that analysis not only to make adjustments as operations are happening but to do so remotely, too.</p> <p>For example, when the analysis indicates a problem with a specific machine, the manufacturer can use the interconnected devices to shift work away from that machine and distribute it to others instead. This capability helps manufacturers prevent or <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/post/5-ways-IoT-can-improve-manufacturing-downtime">limit production downtime</a>.</p> <h3>3. Operational efficiency through automation</h3> <p>Manufacturers can add automation to their IIoT environment by programming devices to take action when specific predetermined measurements and/or preset thresholds are hit.</p> <p>For example, manufacturers can program machines to automatically shut down if video sensors detect an object or human getting too close to them or if a connected temperature gauge hits a certain reading indicating dangerously high heat.</p> <h3>4. Safety enforcement and improvements</h3> <p>The automation examples show how IIoT also improves safety in manufacturing facilities. Manufacturers can use sensors to measure and monitor the environment in numerous ways, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/tip/Data-center-temperature-and-humidity-guidelines">gathering data on temperatures</a>, air quality, humidity and noise volume.</p> <p>Analytics programs can then determine whether that data indicates a potential safety problem and, if automated, trigger remediations, alarms or shutdowns -- and it can typically do all that in mere fractions of a second.</p> <h3>5. Inventory management improvements</h3> <p>RFID tags and other endpoint devices can help track inventory as it moves from receiving to storage and into production, giving a manufacturer real-time visibility into current inventory levels as well as what inventory is where and in what stages of production.</p> <p>Such data can then be combined with data from other endpoints in the manufacturing facility, such as data indicating production line capacity, as well as with data from corporate management systems, such as order management systems, to more effectively <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/tip/Best-practices-for-inventory-management">manage inventory levels</a>.</p> <p>IIoT also helps with loss and theft prevention by giving manufacturers accurate, real-time visibility into their inventory.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/10_top_iot_use_cases_in_manufacturing-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/10_top_iot_use_cases_in_manufacturing-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/10_top_iot_use_cases_in_manufacturing-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/10_top_iot_use_cases_in_manufacturing-f.png 1280w" alt="Chart of 10 top IoT use cases in manufacturing." height="347" width="560"> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <h3>6. Supply chain optimization</h3> <p>Manufacturers use real-time inventory tracking, IoT-enabled production line monitoring and data from demand forecasting systems to optimize their supply chains.</p> <p>This lets them more accurately determine what supplies will be needed when, preventing overordering or excess inventory, as well as ordering too little or too late to meet demand -- all of which can be costly mistakes.</p> <h3>7. Asset tracking, including fleet management</h3> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/tip/RFID-vs-IoT-What-are-the-differences">RFID tags and sensors can track more</a> than inventory: They can also track various assets, including fleets of vehicles, and provide real-time visibility into their locations, use patterns and conditions.</p> <p>This data enables manufacturers to manage their assets more effectively and efficiently.</p> <h3>8. Improved energy management and sustainability</h3> <p>Endpoint devices can measure various resources, including energy, water and waste. Analyzing data from these devices also offers a detailed view of consumption patterns, such as whether one machine uses more energy than another of the same type, so that adjustments can be made to improve energy efficiency.</p> <p>Manufacturers use data gathered from the various points in their connected environment to identify inefficiencies, determine the reasons for those inefficiencies and implement remediations to cut waste and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/feature/How-IoT-helps-support-sustainable-manufacturing">improve their sustainability</a>.</p> <h3>9. Quality control</h3> <p>Sensors that measure a product's dimensions and technologies, such as computer vision systems, can gather data for analytics and machine learning programs to identify defects in real time as part of automated inspection systems.</p> <p>These systems can work at a scale, speed and accuracy level that humans can't match, giving manufacturers a huge boost in their quality control capabilities.</p> <h3>10. Digital twin enablement</h3> <p>A <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/definition/digital-twin">digital twin</a> is a virtual representation of a real entity, such as a manufacturing production environment or the actual physical product the manufacturer makes. Organizations use digital twins to monitor, control and optimize systems; run simulations that show how changes in one part of the environment can affect other areas; innovate; and more.</p> <p>According to the 2024 article "Digital twins: The next frontier of factory optimization" from McKinsey &amp; Company, a global management consulting firm, "In fast-paced, continuous operations, factory digital twins -- real-time virtual representations of the factory -- provide manufacturers with the ability to support faster, smarter and more cost-effective decision making. They can deepen manufacturers' understanding of complex physical systems and production operations, optimize production scheduling, or simulate 'what-if' scenarios to understand the impact of new product introductions, for example."</p> <p>To create and use digital twins, organizations need vast amounts of data from their environments and a connected real-world environment to implement the changes tested in them -- which is <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/feature/IoT-and-digital-twins-How-they-work-together-with-examples">why IIoT is integral for digital twin enablement</a>.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Future of IoT in manufacturing"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Future of IoT in manufacturing</h2> <p>At its core, IIoT gives manufacturers increased visibility into their environments -- no matter how large or dispersed they might be -- and enables them to make real-time, often automated decisions. Those decisions enable more efficient, more sustainable and safer operations as well as higher-quality output.</p> <p>According to the "2024 State of IoT Adoption Report" from IoT services provider Eseye, manufacturers identified the top benefits of their IIoT investments as increased revenue, support in achieving sustainability goals and a competitive advantage.</p> <p>Now manufacturers are <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/AI-and-IoT-How-do-the-internet-of-things-and-AI-work-together">incorporating AI into more of their operations</a> and IIoT environments, creating smart factories that are expected to become increasingly more efficient and effective.</p> <p>As Deloitte noted in its "2025 Smart Manufacturing and Operations Survey," manufacturers are showing "widespread and growing confidence that smart manufacturing and operations will be an indispensable factor in productivity and enterprise growth." The survey found that 92% of respondents "believe smart manufacturing will be the main driver for competitiveness over the next three years."</p> <p><i>Mary K. Pratt is an award-winning freelance journalist with a focus on covering enterprise IT and cybersecurity management.</i></p> </section> Industrial IoT enables real-time automated decision-making in manufacturing, transforming operations using predictive maintenance and digital twins for greater efficiency. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/toolGearArrow_g1159416182.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/Examples-and-use-cases-of-IoT-in-manufacturing Thu, 24 Jul 2025 15:37:00 GMT <p>IoT consists of a vast and rapidly growing array of devices in the environment. IoT sensors measure or record physical properties of phenomena, such as temperature, air pressure and electrical charge. IoT actuators modify the environment, for example, by turning on heat or air conditioning. IoT cameras capture pictures and videos, while IoT microphones pick up sounds. IoT GPS endpoints enable the pinpointing of a device's location. These connected devices are central to systems like smart factories or smart cities.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/IoT-device">IoT devices</a> can generate enormous amounts of data. Interpreting the data just by looking at columns of numbers in a spreadsheet can be slow and difficult. So, as with big data, people mainly interact with it through visualizations. People must be able to visualize IoT data to make informed decisions. Visualizing data helps humans identify patterns, such as a trucking company tracking trends in freezer trailer temperatures over time.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="IoT data visualization: A process, not an action"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>IoT data visualization: A process, not an action</h2> <p>Some practical knowledge can be gained from IoT networks through a one-time analysis of the data available. For instance, a tire manufacturer might learn a lot by analyzing tire temperature and pressure data for a specific plane's landing gear from the hours before a catastrophic tire failure.</p> <p>However, it's typical for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/What-is-IoT-data-analytics">IoT data analysis</a> to be ongoing, either continuous or cyclical. As long as a device isn't destroyed or taken offline, sensors and actuators will keep returning data, so analysis needs to be constant. For example, that tire maker might monitor a tire's status daily or after each flight. Therefore, IoT data visualization should be managed as an ongoing process, not a one-time task.</p> <p>A data visualization process should be integrated with the organization's overall IoT architecture and data lifecycle management. The architecture should -- among other things -- define all the different data sources that can feed IoT analytics and visualization, as well as how they can communicate the data they collect. The data lifecycle should specify the characteristics of the database or data lake from which IoT data points can be pulled.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is the process of data visualization in IoT?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is the process of data visualization in IoT?</h2> <p>The five phases of the IoT data visualization process are capture, preparation, modeling, visualization and interpretation.</p> <ol class="default-list"> <li><b>Capture.</b> Sensors and actuators gather data on what they observe or report on their state. The data can be cached on the device until tapped by the network or collected in a controller within an edge data center, primary data center or cloud platform.</li> <li><b>Preparation.</b> <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/How-IoT-data-collection-works">Data is aggregated from multiple devices</a>, normalized as needed -- which might include adding metadata or synthetic data derived from the captured information -- and stored in a database or data lake.</li> <li><b>Modeling.</b> Analysts decide which data to pull together and how to structure it for visualization. This includes determining which data points to incorporate into the visualized data set.</li> <li><b>Visualization.</b> Depending on the model, different visualizations are prepared. This can be as simple as a scatterplot or as complex as a set of interrelated 3D projections of a complex 4D surface.</li> <li><b>Interpretation.</b> Interpretation uses visualization to extract valuable knowledge from the data.</li> </ol> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Key IoT data visualization best practices"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Key IoT data visualization best practices</h2> <p>Besides connecting a visualization process to a solid IoT architecture and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/data-life-cycle-management">data management lifecycle</a>, some best practices to remember include the following:</p> <h3>Know the data</h3> <p>Analysts should understand the source of the data and its limitations when developing visualizations for IoT data sets. They should avoid making assumptions about its accuracy that aren't supported by the realities of the devices providing it.</p> <p>For example, tire manufacturer analysts shouldn't create visualizations showing tire pressures to the ten-thousandth of a pascal if the sensors are only accurate to the hundredth. That could lead to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/feature/8-types-of-bias-in-data-analysis-and-how-to-avoid-them">interpretations based on no real data</a>.</p> <h3>Know the audience</h3> <p>This is important for the clarity of the output. Audiences comfortable with tabular data might see a series of tables and simple graphs -- one for each passing second -- while audiences not familiar with tabular data might prefer an animation with a more complex, color-coded graphic that morphs over time.</p> <h3>Select the data to be visualized</h3> <p>This is about knowing the data, understanding the audience and grasping the broader context of the organization. Where possible, analysts should focus on key captured and interpolated synthetic data analyzed in a way that <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/tip/Evaluating-data-quality-requires-clear-and-measurable-KPIs">addresses defined KPIs</a> and organizational objectives for reporting to executives and managers or for exploring important operational factors by technical audiences such as engineers, researchers or designers.</p> <p>In the tire maker example, executives might want to see durability and failure data in a way that illustrates its effect on revenue and profits. In contrast, materials scientists and tire designers might want to examine other factors related to improving designs or formulations. Either group might wish to view such data with different filters: by tire type, tire age, plane type, airline or region.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/pitfalls_to_avoid_with_iot_data_visualization-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/pitfalls_to_avoid_with_iot_data_visualization-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/pitfalls_to_avoid_with_iot_data_visualization-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/pitfalls_to_avoid_with_iot_data_visualization-f.png 1280w" alt="List of IoT data visualization challenges" height="266" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>IoT visualization faces five critical hurdles: overwhelming data volumes, oversimplification, human cognitive limits, inconsistent data quality and scarce specialized talent. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Pitfalls and challenges of IoT data visualization"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Pitfalls and challenges of IoT data visualization</h2> <p>Of course, visualization teams also encounter many common problems, such as the following.</p> <h3>Data volume and velocity</h3> <p>Many IoT deployments involve enormous amounts of data, and the data changes rapidly. For example, sensors on a jet engine might report on thousands of variables every millisecond, resulting in terabytes of data per flight.</p> <p>Visualization processes can be challenged by the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchapparchitecture/tip/Key-considerations-for-data-intensive-architectures">need to cycle through vast volumes of data</a> in a valuable amount of time -- e.g., to process each day's data before it's time to process the next day's. The most challenging problem is meeting a need for data visualization in real time, displaying the visual representation of analyzed data within milliseconds of that data arriving.</p> <h3>Data oversimplification</h3> <p>The more complex the data sets are, the more difficult it becomes for analysts to create clear and engaging visualizations. As a result, they must prune variables whenever possible, but it's easy to cut too much and leave out important information.</p> <h3>Data overload</h3> <p>If analysts prune too little, the effect can be just as damaging. It's challenging for humans to associate more than a handful of variable values with a single data point on a chart.</p> <p>Once the six easiest ones are used -- position, shape, color, brightness, surface pattern and size -- it gets harder to encode more information into the visual representation. That <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/tip/steps-to-improve-data-visualization-literacy">doesn't stop analysts from trying</a> and pushing more information into the output than humans can make sense of.</p> <h3>Data source inconsistencies</h3> <p>It's common for data quality from a specific sensor, type of sensor or location to vary in reliability. Analysis and visualization processes can mask this variation if analysts don't carefully preserve and reflect it in the output, which increases the risk of making incorrect conclusions from the data.</p> <h3>Workforce skill gaps</h3> <p>All these problems highlight a major underlying issue: the challenge of finding, creating and retaining a team of analysts with the technical skills and talent for making visualizations.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Popular tools for IoT data visualization"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Popular tools for IoT data visualization</h2> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/tip/Evaluate-Grafana-vs-Kibana-for-IT-data-visualization">Major visualization tools</a> for working with IoT data run the gamut from the ubiquitous analytics workhorse of many organizations, the spreadsheet -- be it Excel, Google Sheets or something else -- to cloud-based big data analytics platforms explicitly designed to create powerful visualizations from large data sets.</p> <p>Common platforms include Tableau and open source Grafana, as well as visualization components in IoT management platforms from providers like Oracle or AWS.</p> <p><i>John Burke is CTO and a research analyst at Nemertes Research. Burke joined Nemertes in 2005 with nearly two decades of technology experience. He has worked at all levels of IT, including as an end-user support specialist, programmer, system administrator, database specialist, network administrator, network architect and systems architect.</i></p> </section> IoT data visualization can help organizations turn raw sensor data into business intelligence that drives innovation, but the process comes with its challenges and pitfalls. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/check_g496816315.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/IoT-data-visualization-Tips-and-challenges Thu, 24 Jul 2025 15:13:00 GMT <p>When it comes to dealing with the data generated by IoT systems, it's not just a matter of slapping some extra hard drives in the data center or attaching a few more <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchaws/definition/AWS-bucket">S3 buckets</a> and being good to go. IoT data storage has specific needs, and IT professionals must carefully plan where and how they'll meet those needs.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is IoT data storage?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is IoT data storage?</h2> <p>IoT data storage is the systematic collection, organization and maintenance of data generated by connected devices across various storage systems, from edge facilities to central databases and data lakes. It ensures appropriate retention, security and accessibility throughout the data lifecycle.</p> <p>The IoT data lifecycle mirrors the general transactional data lifecycle in some respects, with a strong focus on how data storage at various stages reflects its intended use. Data is stored one way during acquisition and another way for archival retention -- if it isn't going to be purged. Further, data is stored differently for immediate, high-intensity use and differently again for medium-term, less intense use.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/Top-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-IoT-in-business">IoT adds its own challenges</a> because it's as much about where as how. At each stage of the broader IoT data lifecycle, from collection to deletion or archiving, IT must consider where data will be stored just as carefully as how it will be kept while there.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iota-iot_system.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iota-iot_system_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iota-iot_system_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iota-iot_system.png 1280w" alt="IoT ecosystem diagram" height="374" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>An IoT system collects data from sensors installed in IoT devices and transfers that data through an IoT gateway so it can be analyzed by an application or back-end system. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Types of IoT data storage"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Types of IoT data storage</h2> <p>There are four types of IoT data storage: on a device, at an edge facility, in a data center or in the cloud.</p> <h3>Device</h3> <p>Because IoT systems revolve around connected devices, whether it's an implanted medical sensor or a shipping container, the first location where IoT data is stored is on the device itself. Storage might be limited to a single data point, such as a 4-bit temperature reading or a multi-megapixel image from a satellite-mounted camera. IT often has little control over this part of the storage process, although if the device has available capacity, the IoT platform might permit IT to manage data retention on it.</p> <h3>Edge</h3> <p>Many IoT systems are built to send data to either a controller or an aggregation unit located in an edge data center. At the edge, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/definition/data-preprocessing">data can be preprocessed</a> in various ways and then sent -- raw, condensed or otherwise modified -- onward to a cloud or data center for use. Edge data centers have limited space available but can store large volumes of data.</p> <h3>Data center</h3> <p>If IoT data is stored on-premises, it typically flows into a primary data center for analysis and use, both for short-term, high-intensity activities such as transaction processing or real-time process control and for medium-term, lower-intensity tasks like analyzing historical trends. Long-term archival storage of data might also be kept in the data center, but it's more commonly housed off-site, in another facility or in the cloud.</p> <h3>Cloud</h3> <p>A lot of IoT data flows from devices or edge aggregators <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/tip/Top-public-cloud-providers-A-brief-comparison">directly into cloud platforms</a>, whether under the control of the enterprise or under the control of an IoT service provider.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Technologies for IoT data storage"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Technologies for IoT data storage</h2> <p>Any type of storage could be suitable, depending on the IoT system's needs regarding data velocity, volume and variety, as well as the phase in the data lifecycle when the storage is used.</p> <h3>Block</h3> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/tip/Compare-block-vs-file-vs-object-storage-differences-uses">Block storage is the lowest-level access</a> to storage space and is best where the highest-speed access to data is required, such as in real-time transaction processing or real-time device control. A relational database usually manages data in block storage, with access via direct storage device addressing.</p> <h3>Object</h3> <p>Object storage is higher in the data hierarchy, offering space to store files (objects), along with their metadata. It doesn't use directories or names; instead, objects are identified by a unique number. Although not as fast as block storage, object storage is very IoT-friendly, especially for handling unstructured data. Access is through an API using the object ID.</p> <h3>File</h3> <p>File storage has more structure than object storage. It enables hierarchical folder structures containing named files and other ways of organizing information. File storage also allows metadata to be associated with files, with <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchapparchitecture/tip/What-are-the-types-of-APIs-and-their-differences">access via APIs</a> or system utilities, using file names or file IDs.</p> <p>Any storage technology might be used in an edge or central data center, or in a cloud, though object storage tends to dominate in cloud platforms.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Technologies for IoT data management"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Technologies for IoT data management</h2> <p>Holding data is only one part of data storage; managing that data is another. IoT systems use all the major data management technologies available, including the following:</p> <ul type="disc" class="default-list"> <li><b>Time series databases. </b>These excel at holding a series of data points generated by the same device at different times -- for example, a series of temperatures from a thermostat or a series of spectral fingerprints generated by a gas chromatograph. Each data point is structured identically and is distinguished from others by value and by timestamp or sequence number. These databases are ideal for use cases like trending analysis and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/anomaly-detection">anomaly detection</a>.</li> <li><b>Streaming databases.</b> Like time-series databases, streaming databases are intended to capture a continuous flow of data, but there's no expectation that the data is structured. These are often used to capture streams of images, videos or sounds.</li> <li><b>Relational databases.</b> Most often used in the middle portion of an IoT lifecycle, where structured data derived from unstructured feeds is analyzed for non-real-time purposes, relational databases store highly structured data.</li> <li><b>NoSQL databases.</b> These are for structured, semistructured and unstructured data, and their growth can be unbounded -- that is, you can keep adding more data to them. However, NoSQL databases don't make the same kinds of promises that relational databases do regarding data operations -- the so-called "ACID constraints" of atomicity, consistency, isolation and durability.</li> <li><b>Data lakes.</b> Like NoSQL databases, data lakes are designed to hold structured, semistructured and unstructured data alike. However, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/feature/Data-lake-vs-data-warehouse-Key-differences-explained">data lakes aren't databases in the strict sense</a>, nor are they engines for analysis. Rather, they serve as repositories where raw data can be collected in a way that makes it easy to access data from multiple sources in one location. Data is then analyzed and queried using other tools, with the data lake acting as a powerful front end for object storage.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Challenges and key considerations for IoT data storage"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Challenges and key considerations for IoT data storage</h2> <p>IoT data challenges are often the same fundamental challenges of any big data problem because so many IoT systems generate big data.</p> <h3>Volume</h3> <p>Having data storage in each part of the infrastructure -- from devices to the edge, data center and cloud -- that can manage the volume of data generated can be difficult. Space limitations at the device and edge levels make handling large data volumes challenging, often leading to the practice of storing as little as possible locally and relying on centralized storage. Even when capacity is sufficient, the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/tip/How-to-prepare-a-data-storage-budget-with-free-template">expense of providing that capacity</a> can become a secondary issue.</p> <h3>Velocity</h3> <p>IoT systems not only generate large amounts of data but can do so very quickly. For example, a well-instrumented airplane tire might produce gigabytes of data during a single flight, whereas an engine on the same flight could produce gigabytes every second. Therefore, storage systems must be capable of ingesting data at the same speed as devices supply it, which poses a challenge for both the storage systems and the networks connecting them to IoT devices and controllers. Additionally, they must support analytics using the stored data at whatever speed the use case demands, ranging from near-real-time analysis to immediate response from, for example, industrial robots.</p> <h3>Variety</h3> <p>IoT storage systems and data management systems need to handle a variety of data types being generated. At the edge, this is usually not a problem because each device typically communicates only with its own controllers or aggregators. In data centers and the cloud, however, data from multiple systems can be combined with non-IoT data for analysis.</p> <p>Because it combines all the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/tip/Top-10-data-storage-issues-and-how-to-overcome-them">challenges of other enterprise data storage</a> and management with some complications of its own, IoT data storage and management requires careful consideration each time a new IoT project is launched.</p> <p><i>John Burke is CTO and a research analyst at Nemertes Research. Burke joined Nemertes in 2005 with nearly two decades of technology experience. He has worked at all levels of IT, including as an end-user support specialist, programmer, system administrator, database specialist, network administrator, network architect and systems architect.</i></p> </section> IoT data storage spans devices, edge facilities, data centers and cloud, using block, object and file technologies to manage high-volume, high-velocity data throughout its lifecycle. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/storage_g539954410.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/IoT-data-storage-Top-technologies-and-challenges-explained Wed, 23 Jul 2025 15:35:00 GMT <p>An IoT environment consists of a distributed network of sensors, actuators, controllers and computational and storage devices that work together to capture data about an environment for analysis. In many cases, this data is used to act on the environment. From an enterprise perspective, the analytics tools that extract valuable insights from IoT data streams are essential to the overall IoT ecosystem.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is an IoT platform?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is an IoT platform?</h2> <p>An IoT platform is middleware that manages <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/smart-sensor">sensors</a> and other <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/IoT-device">devices</a> and connects devices, controllers, storage systems and analytics platforms.</p> <p>It's possible to deploy and operate IoT environments gradually, with each part acquired or developed separately and integrated later by the enterprise. IT and the business line stakeholders in the IoT system are responsible for managing all aspects of it and expanding and updating it as needs and use cases change.</p> <p>Sometimes, a manufacturer will produce all the sensors, actuators, controllers, servers, storage, management and analytics tools needed to run a complete IoT environment -- but its controllers and management tools won't work with devices from other manufacturers. Each IoT system operates in a silo, and IT and stakeholders have very little ability to modify them, with limited options for integrating each siloed environment with others.</p> <p>It's becoming more common for enterprises to adopt a vendor-neutral IoT platform to mitigate the risks and limitations of siloed IoT management and the cost of in-house development.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Key functions of an IoT platform"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Key functions of an IoT platform</h2> <p>Key functions of IoT platforms include the device manager, messaging hub, integration hub, analytics engine and security overlay.</p> <h3>Device manager</h3> <p>An IoT platform should help <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/internet-of-things-device-management-IoT-device-management">manage devices</a> distributed throughout the enterprise environment -- or deployed on enterprise assets out in the world, e.g., a package, shipping container or rail car -- from initial installation and deployment through retirement and disposal. It encompasses device configuration and registration, asset inventory management, monitoring devices in the field and updating software and firmware as needed.</p> <p>A relatively new and increasingly common feature is providing a logical twin for each deployed device, also known as <i>device shadowing</i>. This amounts to maintaining a persistent digital copy of the device embodying its last known state. It's compute- and storage-intensive but useful for troubleshooting and what-if configuration change analysis.</p> <h3>Messaging hub</h3> <p>The IoT platform is a central hub for communication among devices, controllers and data consumers such as aggregators and analytics nodes. This is essentially message brokering or queuing, and it supports publish/subscribe models and push models.</p> <p>Some platforms might refer to this as <i>event brokering</i> or <i>event streaming</i>. Still, the essential functions are the same: receiving data from some nodes, optionally transforming it in some way -- for example, by converting it from one format to another -- and then getting it to or making it available to other nodes.</p> <p>Platforms will support multiple <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/Top-12-most-commonly-used-IoT-protocols-and-standards">generic messaging protocols</a>, such as XMPP, and will usually also support vendor- or industry-specific protocols.</p> <h3>Integration hub</h3> <p>Beyond sending data from sensors to controllers or aggregators, IoT platforms also connect different systems -- most often by providing REST APIs for their functions, such as messaging and inventory management.</p> <p>They might also provide API access to the IoT devices they manage through layers of abstraction. In this capacity, they might help send data to external analytics platforms or the analytics components of the IoT platform.</p> <h3>Analytics engine</h3> <p>An IoT platform might simply serve as an aggregator, preprocessor and integration point for a broader analytics platform or provide its own analytics capabilities.</p> <p>If a platform provides analytics, it should include time series analysis, flexible correlation analysis, and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/tip/6-top-predictive-analytics-tools">trending and predictive analytics</a>. A platform that performs its own analytics might or might not have a built-in visualization engine; if it doesn't, it should integrate with external ones.</p> <h3>Security overlay</h3> <p>Although an IoT platform doesn't secure the network segment that each device is on, it is responsible for ensuring that its communications with all devices and other integrated systems are encrypted and comply with current security standards, which might include using quantum-resistant encryption technologies in some cases.</p> <p>It is also responsible for authenticating and authorizing all messaging and API-mediated device access. Additionally, as the tracker of device configurations, it plays a key role in IoT security by helping keep all managed devices updated on security patches.</p> <p>Lastly, in a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/feature/How-to-implement-zero-trust-security-from-people-who-did-it">well-architected zero-trust environment</a>, it provides current inventory and device identity information to the environment's policy engine to adjust access decisions in real time.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iota-iot_system.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iota-iot_system_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iota-iot_system_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iota-iot_system.png 1280w" alt="IoT ecosystem diagram." height="374" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>An IoT system collects data from sensors installed in IoT devices and transfers it through an IoT gateway so an application or back-end system can analyze it. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Types of IoT platforms"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Types of IoT platforms</h2> <p>The main types of platforms are general, function-specific and vertical-specific:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>General IoT platforms.</b> These include most or all of the functions outlined earlier.</li> <li><b>Function-specific IoT platforms.</b> These specialize in just one or two functional areas; one might focus on asset and device management, while another might focus on message brokering for IoT environments.</li> <li><b>Vertical-specific IoT platforms.</b> These are built for the needs of specific verticals, such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/Industrial-Internet-of-Things-IIoT">industrial IoT</a>, medical IoT and logistics IoT.</li> </ul> <p>Every platform of any kind should implement strong security measures for all the functions it offers.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How to choose the right IoT platform"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How to choose the right IoT platform</h2> <p>As with all platform selections, IT should first connect with stakeholders to understand where the IoT systems to be managed fit into the current line of business or corporate strategy and the extent to which the enterprise will be able to dictate platforms.</p> <p>Then, while working with stakeholders, IT should define a set of minimum requirements for the platform and its desired characteristics to adapt to future needs. This could include the following features, among others:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Protocols that the platform must support to work with current and future IoT systems.</li> <li>Processing and storage capacities that the platform must meet or exceed to serve current and projected use cases.</li> <li>External analytics or other packages that the platform must integrate with immediately.</li> </ul> <p>IT should incorporate standard requirements or preferences from the overall IT and security architecture. For example, it might be a requirement that the platform provides an on-premises version to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/Data-sovereignty-compliance-challenges-and-best-practices">meet data sovereignty needs</a>, or that its device-facing communications use only encryption technologies that can be exported widely.</p> <p>After clearly distinguishing "must-haves" from the "nice-to-haves" and thoroughly documenting everything to the best of IT's ability, the selection team should quickly scan the environment for potential platforms. They should triage as they go, focusing on swiftly eliminating options that don't meet their requirements. Then, using a balanced scorecard method, they should evaluate the remaining vendors to conduct a proof of concept with at least two before choosing a platform to pilot.</p> <p>All this can be overridden if senior management presents IT with a <i>fait accompli</i>: "We are strategically invested in this vendor, so use its platforms." However, even a strong senior-level influence shouldn't outweigh actual use-case-driven needs. If the preferred vendor can't meet the requirements of the use case -- either directly or with a minor addition of another platform to fill a gap -- and if the use case can't wait for the preferred vendor to catch up, IT must seek alternatives.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Popular IoT platforms to consider"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Popular IoT platforms to consider</h2> <p>There are hundreds of function-specific IoT packages out there. There are far fewer general-purpose ones. Among those, some of the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/feature/7-IoT-SaaS-platform-providers-help-streamline-adoption">most important ones are cloud services</a>:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>AWS IoT Core.</b> Adds a rules engine controlling integrations with other AWS services to the core functions in device management, messaging, etc., and implements logical twins (as device shadowing).</li> <li><b>Azure IoT Central.</b> Implements all the key functions outlined above and facilitates using other Azure services for storage, analytics and visualization.</li> <li><b>ThingWorx.</b> Emphasizes model-driven, rapid development of IoT applications to use the underlying middleware functions.</li> </ul> <p>Some major cloud players, such as Google, Salesforce and IBM, have retired IoT-centered platforms with no direct replacement. However, with DIY integrations or a third-party partner, one can typically recreate much of what they did using other functionality in their portfolios.</p> <p>Also worth mentioning is Kaa, a microservices-based platform that supports self-hosting in IaaS, on-premises or edge data centers or as a hybrid spanning multiple sourcing options.</p> <p><i>John Burke is CTO and a research analyst at Nemertes Research. Burke joined Nemertes in 2005 with nearly two decades of technology experience. He has worked at all levels of IT, including as an end-user support specialist, programmer, system administrator, database specialist, network administrator, network architect and systems architect.</i></p> </section> When selecting an IoT platform, thoroughly evaluate its key functions, including the device manager, messaging hub, integration hub, analytics engine and security overlay. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/folder-files13.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/How-to-choose-the-right-IoT-platform-for-your-business Tue, 22 Jul 2025 14:07:00 GMT <p>Data management is necessary when there is a large amount of data, when data will be shared or when data needs special handling, high levels of reliability or continuous availability.</p> <p>The large amount of data produced by IoT systems can come from frequent <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/smart-sensor">sensor</a> sampling, for example. The sensor might only send a few bytes of data each time it's checked, but it generates a lot of data because it's sampled every microsecond. That large volume of data can also result from having many sensors or from capturing high-definition video.</p> <p>Even if an IoT data project isn't generating a lot of data, it might be generating operationally crucial data, sensitive data or data important to business performance evaluation, resource planning, environmental management and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/tip/IoT-compliance-standards-and-how-to-comply">compliance efforts</a>. It might be generating data that other systems need to perform their work or that the organization must make available to partners, suppliers or customers.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is IoT data management?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is IoT data management?</h2> <p>IoT data management is the application of good information stewardship practices to the data associated with IoT systems. Information stewardship derives from the idea that every byte of information entering an organization will be stored, managed and protected throughout its life according to set policy and standardized practices. It comprises several data management disciplines: data quality management, information lifecycle management, information protection, information resilience and compliance management.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iot_data_pipeline-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iot_data_pipeline-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iot_data_pipeline-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iot_data_pipeline-f.png 1280w" alt="Illustration of the IoT data pipeline process." height="308" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>An IoT data pipeline starts with endpoint device data, which moves through processing and storage, and is ultimately analyzed to glean valuable business insights. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <h3>Key features of IoT data management</h3> <p>In an IoT context, all the major aspects of information stewardship are relevant:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Governance.</b> This underpins a coherent system of IoT data management rather than a haphazard collection of possibly adequate practices. Without a solid framework of policy guiding activities such as data quality evaluation, data retention and disaster recovery planning, organizations have trouble ensuring that IoT data will be available and trustworthy when needed and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/Explore-the-relationship-between-IoT-governance-and-privacy">visible only to those who need to see it</a>.</li> <li><b>Data quality management.</b> This includes both the core IoT system design -- for example, making sure a sensor can produce data with the required accuracy at the needed frequency -- and interactions between the IoT devices and the rest of the infrastructure. In an IoT context, data quality management often involves ensuring that data is stored and transmitted without losing accuracy or data points, and at whatever volume the overall system requires. This might involve adding extra error correction and ensuring lossless data transmissions, building large-scale parallel storage systems capable of handling very high data acquisition rates or preventing the use of lossy compression on some data streams.</li> <li><b>Information lifecycle management.</b> This addresses all aspects of data acquisition, storage and ultimate disposition. In an IoT context, this means knowing where data streams will be coming from and at what volume, guiding each stream of data to where it will be stored for however long it's to be retained and then making sure it's archived or deleted when it should be. Data might <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/How-to-select-the-right-IoT-database-architecture">come to a central database</a> directly from sensors, aggregated in storage in edge facilities first or using some intermediate controllers. Data can persist for minutes, hours, days or years in databases and might be published to data lakes for analytics or integrations with other systems.</li> <li><b>Information protection.</b> This requires everything from properly encrypting data in motion -- e.g., from sensors to controllers or controllers to databases -- to properly securing access to data in back-end systems. It requires clear policies defining which data needs to be protected and how, and specifying which people, roles or systems are to have access to that data and at what points in its lifecycle.</li> <li><b>Information resilience.</b> This covers all aspects of guaranteeing both short-term and long-term availability of IoT data in the event of service disruptions and disasters. So, it encompasses activities ranging from redundant storage of data in an edge facility prior to its consolidation into a central database or data lake to ensuring up-to-the-minute backups of key data to external facilities to create air-gapped archives for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Long-term-data-backup-options">data that must be kept available long term</a>, e.g., for compliance reasons.</li> <li><b>Compliance management.</b> This can overlap with other areas because it involves ensuring and verifiably auditing that IoT data is managed according to policy, regulation and law. It includes aspects such as data quality management, or making sure data is captured where and how it should be and not where or how it shouldn't be; information lifecycle management, which ensures data is stored or disposed of as required; information protection, which protects data according to policies and restricts access to authorized people or systems; and resilience, which guarantees data availability as dictated by policy.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Benefits of IoT data management"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Benefits of IoT data management</h2> <p>The main benefit of IoT data management, like all data stewardship, is that the organization has the data it needs, when it needs it, and can trust that data because it has been properly controlled and protected. Additionally, effective IoT data management helps ensure that the organization's customers, partners and suppliers can trust that the organization is handling their data and any data shared with them responsibly and appropriately. It also enables the organization to demonstrate that it's a good steward of the data if needed.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Challenges of IoT data management"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Challenges of IoT data management</h2> <p>The main challenge of effective IoT data management is coordinating many people and systems. IoT data management involves not just teams within different parts of IT but also groups from other areas of the organization, located in various places and even in different countries, and possibly in other organizations altogether.</p> <p>At a minimum, IoT data management involves or affects the work of the following roles:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Whoever owns the IoT systems in question. The primary stakeholders are usually outside IT and might be part of the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/operational-technology">operational technology</a> team in a line of business.</li> <li>Data managers.</li> <li>Storage management teams.</li> <li>Network and cybersecurity teams.</li> <li>Edge, data center and cloud infrastructure teams.</li> <li>Disaster planners.</li> <li>Risk and compliance managers.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Best practices for IoT data management"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Best practices for IoT data management</h2> <p>Not many of these best practices are specific to IoT situations; instead, they are broader best practices that organizations must understand and apply to IoT, too:</p> <ol class="default-list"> <li>Understand the anticipated volume, velocity and variety of data streams stemming from IoT projects and systems.</li> <li>Ensure excess capacity in all the key components of the data management system, from end to end, whether for processing, encryption, transmission or storage of data.</li> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/feature/How-to-implement-zero-trust-security-from-people-who-did-it">Apply zero-trust principles</a> to IoT data; allow access only to those entities requiring it and authenticate every request for access.</li> <li>Secure IoT endpoints to protect data at the point of capture or creation, again following zero-trust principles, and encrypt data in motion and at rest.</li> <li>Understand the compliance and privacy requirements that might apply to any IoT data so that an appropriate management policy can be written.</li> <li>Understand when data can be removed from active systems and how it should be archived or removed.</li> <li>Audit for compliance with data management policies, including access controls in particular.</li> <li>Regularly conduct tabletop "war game" exercises or red-team probes to stress-test systems, policies and people's understandings of their roles and responsibilities.</li> </ol> <p><i>John Burke is CTO and a research analyst at Nemertes Research. Burke joined Nemertes in 2005 with nearly two decades of technology experience. He has worked at all levels of IT, including as an end-user support specialist, programmer, system administrator, database specialist, network administrator, network architect and systems architect.</i></p> </section> IoT data management applies stewardship practices to handle large volumes of sensor data, ensuring security and compliance while coordinating across teams for reliable data access. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/code_g1195673150.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/Best-practices-for-IoT-data-management Thu, 17 Jul 2025 13:47:00 GMT <p>Internet of things (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/Internet-of-Things-IoT">IoT</a>) data analytics is a comprehensive method of collecting, storing, processing, analyzing and, ultimately, presenting the vast amounts of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/definition/data">data</a> culled from <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/IoT-device">IoT devices</a>. Its application considers past, present and future real-world use cases or activities -- or some combination of the three.</p> <p>Regardless of the mix, all IoT analytics jobs share the same underlying goal: to help business and technology leaders spot opportunities for operational improvement and make better-informed decisions. Measurable IoT analytics benefits include cost reduction, product quality improvement, more efficient use of time and materials and faster responses to market changes and opportunities.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Types of IoT analytics"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Types of IoT analytics</h2> <p>There are four principal types of, or approaches to, IoT data analytics:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Historical, or descriptive, analytics.</li> <li>Real-time, or diagnostic, analytics.</li> <li>Predictive analytics.</li> <li>Prescriptive analysis.</li> </ul> <p>Here's a closer look at their use cases -- some unique and others interrelated.</p> <h3>Historical analytics</h3> <p>Historical analytics, or <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/descriptive-analytics">descriptive analytics</a>, examines IoT data gathered over time to spot trends and find patterns. A business then evaluates behaviors in systems or environments to make objective determinations about their accuracy, efficiency or appropriate use. Historical analytics identifies valuable -- and often overlooked or undetected -- data patterns and relationships.</p> <p>For example, a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/smart-city">smart city</a> collects data about traffic patterns and road conditions to understand the durability and performance of its transportation infrastructure. Such data helps determine road and bridge longevity, leading to improved repair and upgraded strategies.</p> <h3>Real-time analytics</h3> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/definition/real-time-analytics">Real-time analytics</a>, or diagnostic analytics, immediately identifies anomalies or deviations from the norm, improving business response to unforeseen events or conditions. Real-time data combines with <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/historical-data">historical data</a> to produce a more comprehensive <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/data-set">data set</a> for analysis.</p> <p>For example, a manufacturing company uses <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/smart-sensor">smart sensors</a> on its factory floor to measure each machine's physical activities. These IoT devices recognize malfunctions that disrupt manufacturing workflows or pinpoint mechanical anomalies that create product quality problems.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iot_data_pipeline-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iot_data_pipeline-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iot_data_pipeline-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iot_data_pipeline-f.png 1280w" alt="Diagram of an IoT data pipeline process." height="308" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>IoT devices transform sensor data into insights for real-time monitoring and prediction. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <h3>Predictive analytics</h3> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/definition/predictive-analytics">Predictive analytics</a> uses patterns in historical and real-time data to forecast conditions, incidents or issues. Predictive analytics often combines with advanced computing capabilities, such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/statistical-analysis">statistical modeling</a> and machine learning (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/machine-learning-ML">ML</a>).</p> <p>For example, an electric utility uses <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/sensor">sensors</a> and <a href="https://www.utilitydive.com/spons/a-new-era-for-smart-meters-shifting-intelligence-to-the-edge/645133/">smart meters</a> to collect data on energy consumption, predicting future energy demands based on season, weather, time of day and other factors. This optimizes energy production and distribution across its grid.</p> <h3>Prescriptive analysis</h3> <p>Prescriptive analysis, a variation of predictive analytics, provides solutions, suggests optimizations or offers alternatives to capitalize on collected IoT data. Prescriptive analysis uses both historical and real-time data and employs advanced <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/machine-learning-algorithm">ML algorithms</a> and mathematical models.</p> <p>For example, a retailer combines data from inventory systems, sales history and weather forecasts to determine optimal inventory levels -- and even pricing strategies -- for each product based on time of year, demand and competing products.</p> <h3>Mixing analytical approaches</h3> <p>Any motivated organization has the capacity to employ one or all of these approaches depending on business needs and goals. However, the types and amounts of available IoT data directly affect analytical capabilities.</p> <p>For example, a business seeks historical analytics and therefore needs to collect, store and protect IoT data over long periods. By comparison, a neighboring business needs real-time analytics and alerts, so it wants relevant sensor data that determines system functionality immediately.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="5 steps of IoT data analytics"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>5 steps of IoT data analytics</h2> <p>IoT data analytics is a process, and each of the following steps has multiple aspects -- with some crossover -- that require scrutiny from business and technology leaders:</p> <ol type="1" start="1" class="default-list"> <li><b>Collection.</b> Data generated by IoT devices is gathered from across a shared network and stored. IoT data collection generates tremendous <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/network-traffic">network traffic</a> depending on the number of IoT devices, the types of data generated and the data's urgency. Data is <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/structured-data">structured</a>, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/definition/unstructured-data">unstructured</a> or mixed. In most cases, it is collected and stored at the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/edge-computing">edge</a> -- closest to the data's origin. This reduces <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/bandwidth">network bandwidth</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/latency">latency</a> issues, as well as adding some <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/data-processing">data processing</a> prior to analysis.</li> <li><b>Storage.</b> Collected IoT data requires extensive <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/storage-capacity-planning">storage capacity</a>, especially if the data is retained for a prolonged period. As a significant business asset, it demands protection from unauthorized access, tampering, theft and misuse, guided by regulatory and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/business-continuity">business continuity</a> obligations. Similarly, backup and other data protection measures safeguard against loss due to malfunctions or damage. In most cases, raw IoT data is stored at the edge near the IoT devices.</li> <li><b>Processing.</b> Processing is a preparatory step addressing IoT <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/definition/data-quality">data quality</a>. Diverse devices generate IoT data, and this <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/definition/raw-data">raw data</a> must be cleaned, filtered, normalized and transformed into a useful and consistent format. This step achieves the following:</li> </ol> <ul class="default-list"> <li style="list-style-type: none;"> <ul class="default-list"> <li style="list-style-type: none;"> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Removes noise, such as outlying values.</li> <li>Manages missing data in a constructive and meaningful way.</li> <li>Ensures all data uses the same format or level of precision.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">Some or all IoT data processing is performed through an <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/IoT-gateway">IoT gateway</a> located at the edge, again near IoT devices and any stored raw data. Processed data might be sent across a greater network to a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/data-center">data center</a> for analysis.</p> <ol type="1" start="4" class="default-list"> <li><b>Analysis.</b> Stored data is prepared and moved across a network, such as the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Internet">i</a>nternet, to a centralized location, such as a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/definition/public-cloud">public cloud</a> or local data center, where computing resources perform extensive data analyses. Here, the processed data undergoes detailed analysis -- descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, prescriptive or some combination -- based on the types, amounts and purpose of data collected.</li> <li><b>Presentation.</b> The analyzed data is then presented to business and technology professionals in an easily understood format. The analysis typically includes reports, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/definition/business-intelligence-dashboard">dashboards</a>, graphs or other <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/IoT-data-visualization-Tips-and-challenges">visualizations that help leaders make informed decisions</a>, respond to specific events or introduce prescriptive suggestions.</li> </ol> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Benefits of IoT data analytics"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Benefits of IoT data analytics</h2> <p>IoT data analytics offers several potential benefits to an enterprise, including the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Faster response times.</b> IoT analytics spots potential problems or issues -- sometimes long before a disruptive event occurs. Businesses use these analyses to perform maintenance or schedule prompt remediation, mitigating downtime and preserving the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/UX-user-experience">user experience</a>.</li> <li><b>Faster time to market.</b> By spotting relationships and predicting demand, IoT analytics develops and enhances products much more quickly than traditional design cycles. Products reach the market in less time, increasing an organization's revenue and competitive advantage.</li> <li><b>Increased revenue.</b> IoT analytics identifies potential revenue opportunities, including unfulfilled product demand, optimized pricing and enhanced personalization. Once addressed, each area adds value to customers, users and partners, driving business revenue.</li> <li><b>Lower costs.</b> IoT analytics reduces costs through improved <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/resource-allocation">resource allocation</a>, streamlined operations and better issue management, from averted downtime to more effective maintenance practices.</li> <li><b>Enhanced quality.</b> IoT analytics gathers information about product design, supply chain resources, product manufacturing and business outcomes. This data helps the organization find and reduce defects, improve consistency in products and services, satisfy customers with superior quality and thereby burnish the brand.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Challenges with IoT data analytics"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Challenges with IoT data analytics</h2> <p>IoT analytics delivers powerful benefits, yet business and technology leaders must recognize several critical challenges associated with IoT technology, including the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Complexity.</b> IoT deployments are demanding. First, they require the best IoT devices and their proper installation, configuration and ongoing management, including routine maintenance such as battery replacement and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/firmware">firmware</a> updates. Other necessities include establishing a dedicated IoT network, plus building the computing and storage infrastructure required to generate the analytics. Success depends on extensive staff expertise, a clear business vision and steady support from all management levels.</li> <li><b>Scalability.</b> Large IoT deployments typically grow more complex over time. Any IoT design demands careful consideration of both its current effectiveness and its <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/scalability">scalability</a>. Consider additional devices needed in the future and how to integrate and manage those new devices effectively. And, as data volume grows, it's vital to determine when the quantity of data being processed and analyzed begins to limit performance.</li> <li><b>IoT effectiveness.</b> IoT demands a clear and well-supported purpose or use case, but business needs and conditions change. Business and technology leaders must oversee the IoT infrastructure and ensure its outcomes remain relevant and effective, often using objective metrics such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/Data-loss">data loss</a> or network latency. Select meaningful metrics. Watch the metrics over time. Correct any waning IoT analytics.</li> <li><b>Data quality.</b> Data from IoT devices is often lost, corrupted or unusable due to device malfunctions, network issues or incompatible formats. An accurate, reliable and consistent IoT infrastructure features regular measurement, review and correction of data quality issues.</li> <li><b>Security.</b> IoT data is a sensitive asset with tangible business value. Sometimes it includes personal data collected from a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/wearable-technology">wearable</a> device. As such, IoT data demands protection. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/encryption">Encryption</a>, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/access-control">access control</a> and reporting, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/authentication">authentication</a>, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/acceptable-use-policy-AUP">acceptable use policies</a> and backup and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/restore">restoration</a> are among proven security techniques. IoT data is typically subject to the same <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/regulatory-compliance">regulatory compliance</a> and business continuity considerations as other sensitive business data.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Real-world applications of IoT data analytics"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Real-world applications of IoT data analytics</h2> <p>Enterprises employ IoT analytics across a wide range of real-world applications. The following are some common examples.</p> <h3>Supply chain logistics</h3> <p>IoT devices gather a variety of transportation vehicle data, including distance traveled, starts and stops, fuel used and idle times. This <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/definition/logistics">logistics</a> data is collected and analyzed from all vehicles to gauge the efficiency of each, the routes traveled and subsequent maintenance needs. Analytics then predicts and schedules preventive vehicle maintenance and prescribes optimizations to save time, fuel and wear. Success is measured by comparing transport time, fuel use and maintenance costs <i>without</i> IoT analytics to the same parameters <i>with</i> IoT optimizations.</p> <h3>Manufacturing and retail inventory</h3> <p>IoT devices track inventory levels -- both components and finished goods. IoT analytics combines a grasp of current inventory levels with historical and predicted sales data, then pairs that information with a knowledge of supply chain logistics and manufacturing operations to optimize inventory. Components are ordered and delivered just in time for manufacturing to schedule and use them, then stock enough finished goods to reach market for sale. This reduces waste, limits inventory costs and increases manufacturing capacity.</p> <h3>Agriculture</h3> <p>IoT analytics buoys traditional businesses, including farming. IoT sensors measure soil conditions, such as moisture level; track available resources, such as fertilizer; and oversee farming vehicle locations. IoT analytics combines this tangible data with seasonal historical weather data, weather forecasts and data about pests and crop health. Analytics then produces suggestions to hone irrigation, alter fertilizers, administer pest control strategies and assign farm vehicles to perform tasks at the proper time, yielding the largest and healthiest crop.</p> </section> IoT data analytics is a comprehensive method of collecting, storing, processing, analyzing and, ultimately, presenting the vast amounts of data culled from IoT devices. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/5.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/What-is-IoT-data-analytics Tue, 15 Jul 2025 11:14:00 GMT <p>Devices of all types in every environment -- including mobile phones, automobiles and industrial equipment -- are now connecting to the internet.</p> <p>By 2034, Statista predicts the total number of connected devices will reach 40.6 billion -- more than double the 19.8 billion devices in 2025. As a result, engineers, developers and other IoT professionals are in <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/Top-8-most-in-demand-IT-tech-jobs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increasingly high demand</a>. These professionals will need a diverse skill set that enables them to develop and maintain IoT infrastructure at scale, at every level of the technology stack.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="IoT skills"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>IoT skills</h2> <p>Here are some must-have skills that IoT professionals need to keep up with what some have termed "<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252512774/IoT-connectivity-management-market-to-be-worth-more-than-31bn-by-2026">the IoT explosion</a>."</p> <h3>1. Artificial intelligence and machine learning</h3> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/AI-and-IoT-How-do-the-internet-of-things-and-AI-work-together">IoT and AI are converging</a><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/blog/IoT-Agenda/AI-and-IoT-convergence-could-herald-a-new-era-of-technological-change"></a>&nbsp;to form the artificial intelligence of things (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/Artificial-Intelligence-of-Things-AIoT">AIoT</a>). Precedence Research <a href="https://www.precedenceresearch.com/ai-in-iot-market">predicts</a> the global AI in IoT market size will increase to $161.93 billion by 2034, which is a significant increase from the $93.12 billion in 2025.</p> <p>IoT devices collect large amounts of data called <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/sensor-data">sensor data</a>, which organizations then analyze. For example, a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/Examples-and-use-cases-of-IoT-in-manufacturing">manufacturing plant could use IoT</a> sensors to report the site temperature, which is then recorded in a database that tracks the temperature data for all sites. AI and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/machine-learning-ML" target="_blank" rel="noopener">machine learning</a> could then help database administrators organize data, determine how to maintain the correct temperature and optimize the facility. Using AI also facilitates predictive analytics to improve the environment in the future. AI makes the data that IoT devices collect useful, helps filter redundant data out of big data stores and performs complex data analysis using data science.</p> <p><i>Learn about </i><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/tip/Integrating-IoT-and-machine-learning-Benefits-and-use-cases"><i>integrating IoT and machine learning</i></a><i>.</i></p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> IoT professionals will need a diverse skill set that enables them to develop and maintain IoT infrastructure at every level of the technology stack. </figure> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <h3>2. Node.js development</h3> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Nodejs">Node.js</a> is a popular open source development environment for developers who are looking to pivot into IoT space. Node.js is often used in tandem with connected devices, such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi.</p> <p>Arduino is a single-board microcontroller known for making embedded programming easier by <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/Tips-and-tricks-for-deploying-TinyML">interfacing with sensors</a> and other inputs and outputs. Raspberry Pi is a low-cost, miniature, single-board computer used as a lightweight software development tool with languages such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Python">Python</a> and Node.js. Both devices are good teaching tools for people who want to get into these languages in an IoT context. Node.js enables Arduino and Raspberry Pi to communicate with each other.</p> <p>Node.js is well suited to a distributed IoT environment, which quickly processes real-time data. It can handle multiple tasks at once because of its <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/asynchronous">asynchronous</a>, event-driven input/output model.</p> <h3>3. Mobile app development</h3> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/feature/Get-started-with-IoT-mobile-apps-for-enterprise-use">Mobile apps often control IoT</a> devices, so it is important for IoT developers to know how to create user-friendly, high-performance mobile applications. IoT applications should also be cross-platform and be able to communicate effectively with cloud servers and a range of hardware. Like most aspects of IoT, mobile apps should also perform well with real-time data.</p> <h3>4. API automation and testing</h3> <p>Application programming interfaces (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchapparchitecture/definition/application-program-interface-API">APIs</a>) enable IoT devices to exchange real-time data efficiently and accurately; it's how IoT devices communicate with each other. Therefore, it is important for IoT professionals to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/7-API-security-testing-best-practices-with-checklist">be well versed in API testing</a>. Because of IoT's complex and distributed nature, it is also important to automate tests where possible.</p> <p>An example test case for IoT would be to ensure that a certain physical condition picked up by a sensor is represented properly in the program. Another example is to test what happens when the data structure of an IoT monitoring system is updated. For example, will changing the way data is organized within the system change how the data is processed? Any changes should be noted and tested to make sure the desired change occurred.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchapparchitecture/tip/API-testing-checklist-and-best-practices"><em>Hone your API testing skills</em></a><em> with this best practices checklist. </em></p> <h3>5. Information security</h3> <p>Infosec professionals are in high demand in the IoT space. <a></a><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/5-IoT-security-threats-to-prioritize">Securing IoT infrastructure</a>&nbsp;is difficult because of the array of implementations and devices that IoT includes. Security engineers in this field need to be creative and adaptable in how they approach <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/vulnerability-assessment-vulnerability-analysis">vulnerability assessments</a>, accounting for both physical and logical weaknesses in IoT endpoints. There is also demand for security personnel that are skilled with tools from specific vendors, such as Orbit, a business management platform, and CloudFlare, a secure content distribution network.</p> <p>One weakness of IoT -- specifically industrial IoT -- is password security. Often, administrators neglect to change manufacturer-set default passwords, because many devices in this space are not geared toward usability. They operate autonomously much of the time and do not have users regularly accessing them. Unchanged passwords make it significantly easier for intruders to guess the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/post/Dont-believe-the-passwordless-hype">generic passwords and break into IoT</a> systems to steal data or perform network reconnaissance.</p> <p><em>Learn some <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/Top-5-password-hygiene-tips-and-best-practices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best practices for password hygiene</a>.</em></p> <h3>6. UI/UX design</h3> <p>IoT's security problem and need for competent <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchapparchitecture/definition/user-interface-UI">user interface</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/UX-user-experience">user experience</a> designers go hand in hand. The more user-friendly an IoT device is, the easier it is for security personnel to dynamically update security settings.</p> <p>Good user experience also makes it easy for users to understand how a given IoT product provides value to their organization. With all the information IoT devices generate, good UX and responsive web design are crucial to creating a secure flow of data from sensors to applications to people. UX designers in the IoT space must be able to collaborate with IoT software developers to make this a reality.</p> <h3>7. Cloud computing</h3> <p>The distributed cloud computing framework is an important concept for IoT professionals. Instead of processing the data solely at the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/edge-computing">edge</a> -- the closest to the place in a network where data gets created -- or in a centralized cloud database, distributed computing mixes both approaches, processing some data at the edge and some centrally. Time-critical data or data that requires less processing could be processed at the edge and close to the source. Data that is not time sensitive or requires more intensive processing can be sent to a centralized location farther from the source.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZSLIN1aBr4w?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How to improve IoT skills"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How to improve IoT skills</h2> <p>To improve IoT skills, the IT professional needs to identify areas to develop. This can be done by reviewing a list of common skills or a job description for IoT. Peer reviews and manager assessments are also helpful to determine skill improvement opportunities.</p> <p>Here are some ways to enhance and improve skills:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/11-top-IoT-online-courses-to-boost-your-career-free-and-paid">Pursue training online</a>, through workshops or at conferences.</li> <li>Look into <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/IT-certification-vs-degree-Which-is-better-for-your-career">certifications or a college degree</a>.</li> <li>Find an experienced mentor for questions and advice.</li> <li>Ask questions for clarification.&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>IoT speaks many programming languages -- such as Java, Python, PHP, Swift and C# -- and requires experience in a variety of frameworks such as hardware, software, cloud, analytics and user interface. It's also equally important to maintain these skills over time because this field is always changing as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/Top-9-IoT-business-models">IoT is incorporated into various business models</a>.</p> </section> The internet of things is growing rapidly and becoming increasingly complex. IoT professionals will need an array of skills to succeed as this trend continues. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/keys_a150731005.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/Top-7-must-have-IoT-skills-to-boost-your-career Mon, 14 Jul 2025 14:13:00 GMT <p>The internet of things, or <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/Internet-of-Things-IoT">IoT</a>, connects sensors and control devices, enabling computer systems to interact with and influence real-world activities. Businesses can take advantage of this capability for many use cases, ranging from facility control applications that resemble smart homes to the control of real-time processes in industrial, transportation, utility and other verticals.</p> <p>Also, an increasing number of IoT functions -- even ones as complex as image and video analysis -- have been reduced to hardware and chip implementations, making them easy to deploy and efficient to run, even when the IoT application has stringent latency requirements on the control loop (i.e., the path from event reception to control response).</p> <p>Although real-time process control is a major use case for IoT, many such requirements can be addressed with simple programming or event-processing software. These IoT applications typically only process events in specific, predetermined ways, and they can't easily correlate multiple events or understand changes over time -- an area where machine learning (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/machine-learning-ML">ML</a>) excels.</p> <p>Integrating IoT and ML can lead to numerous benefits, such as efficiency in real-time analytics and predictive maintenance. Because IoT and ML complement each other's strengths, they've successfully been applied across many industries, including healthcare, industrial and manufacturing, utilities and business management.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="IoT and machine learning"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>IoT and machine learning</h2> <p>The increasing complexity of real-time process control applications and the untapped value of historical IoT data drive the integration of IoT and ML. That data helps businesses identify trends and better understand how their products and services are created. What sets ML apart from other forms of artificial intelligence (AI) is its ability to learn from real-time or recorded information specific to the IoT process involved. It doesn't train on outside data, but on the job. This provides significant benefits for enterprises:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>IoT systems can generate a large number of events with insufficient links to the processes they control, making practical analysis difficult. ML algorithms address this challenge by <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/tip/Types-of-learning-in-machine-learning-explained">learning to identify patterns</a> in data.</li> <li>ML systems can convert raw IoT events into meaningful process conditions, which is key to analyzing and automating complex workflows. Whereas a sensor can signal an event, ML can determine what that event means.</li> <li>By analyzing signals from multiple sensors, machine learning models develop a comprehensive view of the overall system: how it creates, moves and stores what a company sells. That deeper awareness enables the ML model to provide real-time insights into the system's state -- for example, normal operation or fault -- and recommendations for restoring or optimizing operations.</li> </ul> <p>A recent innovation in the partnership between IoT and ML uses the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/definition/digital-twin">digital twin</a>, a model of a real-world process that's synchronized with the process using IoT sensors. The digital twin provides ML systems with context, a way of knowing the structure of a real-time process in advance, which improves the ML model's ability to control complex systems.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4FxU-xpuCww?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> <h3>The role of training</h3> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/tip/Explore-the-role-of-training-data-in-AI-and-machine-learning">ML systems require training</a> to perform their tasks effectively. In IoT, training aims to transform raw <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/sensor-data">sensor data</a> into meaningful process conditions.</p> <p>ML training can take four forms:</p> <ol class="default-list"> <li><b>Human-driven cooperation between an ML expert and a process expert.</b> The ML expert writes rules based on guidance from a subject-matter expert on the real-time process being addressed; this forms the basis of the ML application. This was once the dominant approach, and it's still used to create initial ML models.</li> <li><b>Using application logs for historical data analysis.</b> This gives the ML model a broad view of how the real-time process works. If the logs properly identify events and control actions, they can also teach the ML model the appropriate responses to changing conditions. This is the preferred way to fully train an ML system, whether as the exclusive mechanism for doing so or as a way of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/tip/How-to-train-an-LLM-on-your-own-data">building on an existing model</a>.</li> <li><b>A rule set is created as a foundation model, using generative AI (GenAI) to analyze a broad range of historical data from other IoT applications.</b> This represents the latest advancements in ML training.</li> <li><b>Real-time learning from the observation of process operations.</b> This requires an application that receives IoT events and passes control commands and depends on a human operator to generate responses that the ML system learns. This can be used to refine existing models, but it often requires considerable time to accumulate experience on the full range of conditions that could be encountered.</li> </ol> <p>Unlike traditional programmatic IoT systems, which recognize only predefined scenarios, ML models can adapt dynamically to new conditions. Once trained, they can analyze sensor data and provide real-time recommendations.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Generative AI and IoT</h3> <p>Because of control loop latency constraints, generative or large language model (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/large-language-model-LLM">LLM</a>)-based AI will likely have too much latency to be introduced into IoT control loops. However, it can augment ML in IoT applications beyond the control loop and facilitate building ML models for IoT applications.</p> <p>Here are a couple of examples of GenAI, ML and IoT augmentation:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>IoT generates a large amount of data, surpassing the volume of ordinary business transactions. This data can be used by a GenAI application to report on the state of processes and to aid in capacity and process planning. Because GenAI can respond to natural language questions, generate images and analyze data, it's a candidate for IoT applications that involve processing high volumes of data and supporting free-form human interactions.</li> <li>GenAI, in its agentic form, can link the control loop to traditional business processes. Many ML and IoT use cases, including business process management (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/business-process-management">BPM</a>), are likely to evolve toward more GenAI-focused applications over time. To manage this transition, organizations should be proactive, aiming to balance advanced functionalities with cost-efficiency.</li> </ul> <p>Business cases for using GenAI in developing ML models and applications include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>GenAI is already being used to build training and test data for ML development by creating plausible variations on historical process data captured.</li> <li>GenAI can filter historical process data to remove extraneous information that could interfere with ML training.</li> <li>In closed-loop <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/tip/Explore-real-world-use-cases-for-adaptive-AI">adaptive learning</a>, GenAI can analyze conditions to recommend rule changes when an IoT event doesn't match existing ML rules or when human oversight reverses an ML decision.</li> <li>GenAI can be used to build foundation ML models for standard business processes. Nvidia is just one example of a company already working in this area.</li> <li>GenAI can be used to build digital twin models of real-time processes, which can improve the quality of an IoT and ML system.</li> </ul> </div> </div> <h3>Historical data analysis</h3> <p>Historical IoT data plays a dual role in ML integration:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Training and pattern recognition.</b> Historical data gives ML models the foundation they need to recognize patterns that represent conditions and, with the support of experts, link those patterns to recommended actions.</li> <li><b>Analysis and forecasting.</b> Analyzing historical data enables ML models to recognize trends, spot developing conditions requiring intervention and compare the value of alternative actions. For example, historical data can define the state of the process, identify it as valid or indicate a problem and recognize steps to restore invalid states to an identified goal state.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Benefits of integrating IoT and machine learning"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Benefits of integrating IoT and machine learning</h2> <p>ML is an alternative to building IoT applications as event processors and using state-event tables or graphs. ML is superior to either of these programming options for several reasons:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/tip/8-machine-learning-benefits-for-businesses">ML is a more complete rule statement</a>. The biggest problem enterprises report with IoT applications is an incomplete rule set, which means that the developer most likely forgot them. ML models learn, meaning that they build experiences into rules and are far less likely to miss important event sequences.</li> <li>ML can easily incorporate foundation models or generalized ML models created for a class of real-time processes. These can then be fine-tuned or trained to the specific needs of a target application.</li> <li>ML, if it supports real-time training, can automatically accommodate new events, conditions and IoT devices. With traditional programming, these would require development work.</li> <li>ML can accommodate more complex conditions in the control loop without significantly increasing latency.</li> <li>ML models can be applied hierarchically, integrating with each other or with AI agents.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Machine learning and IoT applications across industries"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Machine learning and IoT applications across industries</h2> <p>ML-enabled IoT applications mix real-time and historical data to inform their recommendations and analyses. How that integration is done, and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/Top-12-machine-learning-use-cases-and-business-applications">which specific use cases it supports</a>, varies by vertical market segment.</p> <h3>Healthcare</h3> <p>Healthcare is among the fastest-growing verticals for ML-enabled IoT, including both real-time and non-real-time applications -- although the latter has yielded more use cases so far. Consider the following examples:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>ML analysis of broad medical records, combined with patient-specific data and real-time patient vital signs obtained using IoT, can alert the patient care team to trends that require intervention.</li> <li>ML is increasingly used to examine medical images of all types. For example, it has proved highly effective in mammography for spotting cancer early and in difficult situations. Because ML can learn from a radiologist's review of the results, its accuracy improves over time.</li> <li>The same information, when collected for historical analysis, can drive reviews and changes to overall patient care protocols, treatment plans, medications and medical equipment. Many of these use cases dovetail with other uses of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechanalytics/feature/Artificial-intelligence-in-healthcare-defining-the-most-common-terms">ML in healthcare</a>, such as analyzing medical imaging, electrocardiogram data and blood test results.</li> </ul> <h3>Industrial and manufacturing</h3> <p>Industrial settings are a significant area for IoT and ML use cases and a fast-growing domain for real-time applications. ML-driven process control is more flexible than traditional fixed programming of automated systems.</p> <p>Manufacturing use cases for IoT and ML include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Flexible or highly adaptable manufacturing.</b> Because ML algorithms can adapt over time, they help improve process control systems by learning from and adjusting to new conditions.</li> <li><b>Parts and assembly inspection.</b> ML can inspect images of parts or assemblies to spot defects before they're further integrated into products, reducing waste.</li> <li><b>Assembly lines and product transportation.</b> ML has been used in assembly lines and to move supplies and products with autonomous vehicles to improve safety. One manufacturer reported a 22% reduction in insurance claims and rates through this application.</li> <li><b>Production processes and logistics.</b> IoT sensor data collected over time can be combined with real-time data from production processes and logistics, such as manufacturing steps, transportation and storage of parts and finished goods. This can improve efficiency in parts delivery and traditional <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/just-in-time-manufacturing-JIT-manufacturing">just-in-time</a> manufacturing practices, thereby reducing costs, vehicle miles traveled and carbon footprint.</li> <li><b>Equipment and vehicle predictive maintenance.</b> ML models can use IoT-reported process activity data to learn long-term relationships and anticipate failures. When paired with historical cost information on past maintenance from core business applications, ML can also help determine when to retire vehicles or equipment.</li> </ul> <h3>Utilities management</h3> <p>The <a target="_blank" href="https://pragyatmika.co.in/iot-and-ai-in-utility-management-of-smart-cities/" rel="noopener">utility industry stands out</a> as a committed adopter of IoT, ML and both in combination. This is due to the sector's multifaceted nature, which combines elements from areas including transportation, customer support, regulatory compliance and BPM.</p> <p>Consequently, utilities involved in distributing or handling power, gas, water and wastewater are a fast-growing area for ML and IoT. These applications combine real-time missions, such as early problem detection, with historical analysis to inform capacity planning, resource allocation and environmental impact management.</p> <h3>Business process management</h3> <p>In BPM, ML and IoT applications typically rely on non-real-time analysis. These systems often repurpose IoT data collected for other applications to track business processes in detail.</p> <p>BPM has the unique and explicit goal of assembling real-time IoT data that tracks business processes and combining it with other historical company data. Traditional business analytics focuses on accumulated transactional data about a company's operations, which often lacks any link with how it creates, distributes and manages its products and resources.</p> <p>By combining IoT-derived insights with transactional data analysis, ML algorithms can give decision-makers a more complete picture of operations. This application is also being increasingly augmented by AI agents built on small or large language models.</p> <p><i>Tom Nolle is founder and principal analyst at Andover Intel, a consulting and analysis firm that looks at evolving technologies and applications first from the perspective of the buyer and the buyer's needs. By background, Nolle is a programmer, software architect, and manager of software and network products. He has provided consulting services and technology analysis for decades.</i></p> </section> With applications in industries such as manufacturing and healthcare, integrating IoT with machine learning offers a range of unique benefits. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/iot_g1212287865.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/tip/Integrating-IoT-and-machine-learning-Benefits-and-use-cases Mon, 14 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT <p>IoT endpoints are prime targets for attacks, with the soaring number of connected devices and often porous security controls creating plenty of opportunities for hackers.</p> <p>In its "The State of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/IoT-security-Internet-of-Things-security">IoT Security</a>, 2024" report, Forrester Research concluded that corporate <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/IoT-device">IoT devices</a> were the most reported target for external attacks, meaning they were attacked more than any other enterprise asset, including corporate and employee-owned computers and mobile devices.</p> <p>According to cybersecurity software maker SonicWall's "2025 Cyber Threat Report," IoT attacks were up 124% in 2024. The worrisome statistics aren't surprising, given the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/Internet-of-Things-IOT-Seven-enterprise-risks-to-consider">challenges of securing an IoT ecosystem</a>.</p> <p>First, the IoT industry doesn't have a clear set of security standards to ensure developers and manufacturers incorporate consistent security across their products. Also, IT admins often find it challenging to keep track of and update devices that remain in the field for many years.</p> <p>In addition, many IoT devices lack built-in security features due to their embedded firmware or software limitations. They often come with default passwords that don't have to be reset when deployed.</p> <p>Meanwhile, hackers scan networks for devices and known vulnerabilities and increasingly use nonstandard ports to get network access. Once they have device access, it's easier to avoid detection through fileless malware or software memory.</p> <p>Let's examine what makes IoT devices vulnerable and how to mitigate attacks.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is the IoT attack surface?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is the IoT attack surface?</h2> <p>At its basic level, an <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/attack-surface">attack surface</a> refers to the total number of potential entry points for unauthorized system access. An IoT attack surface includes all possible security vulnerabilities for IoT devices, their software and network connections.</p> <p>The growing concern around IoT device security includes the fact that threat actors can damage the network and software that support IoT devices and the devices themselves. Furthermore, IoT device adoption is advancing faster than the processes and protocols that <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/tip/How-to-manage-Windows-Server-in-an-air-gapped-environment">provide secure, reliable connections</a>.</p> <p>Organizations can take steps to secure the IoT attack surface, but this requires the staff and technical expertise to establish policies that can proactively detect threats and reactively apply measures to reduce the size of the attack surface.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/tips_to_reduce_attack_surfaces-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/tips_to_reduce_attack_surfaces-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/tips_to_reduce_attack_surfaces-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/tips_to_reduce_attack_surfaces-f.png 1280w" alt="Graphic listing tips to reduce attack surfaces" height="269" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Here are six tips for reducing the attack surface and potential security risks. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Top IoT security risks to address"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Top IoT security risks to address</h2> <p>Here are the eight common IoT vulnerabilities and seven external threats that pose the most significant risks.</p> <h3>1. An expanding attack surface</h3> <p>One of the biggest threats to an organization's ability to secure its IoT environment is its sheer scale. Estimates on the actual number of connected devices in the world vary from one researcher to the next, but they are consistently in the billions and growing. For example, in its "State of IoT Summer 2024" report, IoT Analytics said that connected IoT devices numbered 16.6 billion at the end of 2023 -- up 15% over 2022. By the end of 2024, that number was 18.8 billion.</p> <p>Moreover, enterprise IoT spending is projected to grow at a 14% compound annual growth rate through 2030, according to IoT Analytics' "State of IoT Spring 2025" report, with that spending dramatically expanding the attack surface.</p> <p>Of course, an individual organization has far fewer devices to secure, but the number of connected endpoints adds up fast. Additionally, IoT devices are generally on 24/7, with many continuously connected.</p> <h3>2. Insecure hardware</h3> <p>A <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/Types-of-endpoint-security">single endpoint device can present a risk</a> to the security of the entire IoT ecosystem -- and, ultimately, the organization's IT environment. Devices often lack built-in security controls due to their limitations -- namely, their small computational capacity and low-power design.</p> <p>As a result, many devices can't support security features such as authentication, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/encryption">encryption</a> and access control. Even when endpoint devices have security controls such as passwords, some organizations deploy them without using or enabling them. That leaves devices and the organization vulnerable to various attack types, including brute-force attacks.</p> <h3>3. Maintenance and update challenges</h3> <p>Challenges with adequately maintaining endpoint devices and updating software create further security vulnerabilities. There are a few contributing factors here. First, updates like a security patch to address a vulnerability that hackers could exploit might not be forthcoming from device vendors, particularly if the endpoint device is older. Second, connectivity limitations, along with a device's limited computation capacity and power supply, could make updating devices deployed in the field impossible.</p> <h3>4. Lack of visibility into the IoT environment</h3> <p>Even when updates are possible, organizations might not know whether they have devices to update. According to a 2024 survey by Starfleet Research, nearly half (46%) of security leaders reported difficulty in gaining IoT device visibility.</p> <h3>5. Shadow IoT</h3> <p>A related risk is shadow IoT -- that is, IoT endpoints deployed without IT's or the security department's official support or permission. These unsanctioned IoT devices could be personal items with an IP address, such as fitness trackers or digital assistants, but they could also be corporate and enterprise technologies, such as wireless printers. Either way, they create risks for the enterprise because they might not <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/IT-security-frameworks-and-standards-Choosing-the-right-one">meet an organization's security standards</a>, and even if they do, they might not be configured and deployed in ways that follow security best practices.</p> <p>Additionally, IT administrators and security teams generally lack knowledge of these deployments. They might not monitor them or their traffic, giving hackers a higher chance of successfully breaching them without being detected.</p> <h3>6. Poor asset management</h3> <p>Organizations face challenges not only in identifying all the IoT devices in their environment but also in effectively managing the devices they do have. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterprisedesktop/tip/Patch-management-vs-vulnerability-management-Key-differences">Some fail to patch vulnerabilities</a> and update software when patches and updates are available. Others neglect to fix known misconfigurations in a timely manner, if at all, or implement adequate access controls. Organizations often fail to take such actions because the work it requires exceeds their capacity to do it.</p> <h3>7. Inadequate or nonexistent monitoring and incident response capabilities</h3> <p>Monitoring for unusual activities and traffic that could indicate attempted attacks has become a standard security practice to safeguard IT environments. The same goes for incident response capabilities. However, organizations don't always have those capabilities or the same level of maturity in their capabilities within the IoT environment for various reasons, such as resource constraints and the complexity of IoT environments.</p> <h3>8. Unencrypted data transmissions</h3> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/How-to-select-the-right-IoT-database-architecture">IoT devices collect vast amounts of data</a> as they measure and record everything from temperature readings to the speed of objects. They send much of this data to centralized locations -- usually in the cloud -- for processing, analysis and storage. They also frequently receive information back that tells the devices what actions to take. Studies have shown that a significant portion of this transmitted data is unencrypted.</p> <h3>9. IoT botnets</h3> <p>In addition to vulnerabilities, threats are coming from outside the IoT environment. One such threat is the botnet. Enterprise IT and security leaders have consistently listed this as a top threat following the major botnet attacks, such as Mirai, that arose nearly a decade ago.</p> <p>In these attacks, an attacker <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/How-to-protect-your-organization-from-IoT-malware">infects an IoT device with malware</a> through an unprotected port or phishing scam and co-opts it into an IoT botnet to initiate massive cyberattacks. Hackers can easily find malicious code on the internet that detects susceptible machines or hides code from detection before another code module signals devices to launch an attack or steal information.</p> <p>IoT botnets are frequently used for DDoS attacks to overwhelm a target's network traffic. Botnet orchestrators find IoT devices an attractive target because of weak security configurations and the number of devices that can be consigned to a botnet to target organizations.</p> <h3>10. DNS threats</h3> <p>Many organizations use IoT to collect data from older machines that lack the most recent security standards. When organizations combine legacy devices with IoT, it can expose the network to older device vulnerabilities. IoT device connections often rely on DNS, a decentralized naming system from the 1980s, which might not handle the scale of IoT deployments that can grow to thousands of devices. Hackers can use DNS vulnerabilities in <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/Types-of-DNS-attacks-and-how-to-prevent-them">DDoS attacks and DNS tunneling</a> to get data or introduce malware.</p> <h3>11. Malicious node injection</h3> <p>Hackers can also attack an IoT ecosystem by inserting or injecting fake nodes into the web of legitimate connecting nodes, thereby enabling hackers to alter and/or control the data flowing between the fake and legitimate nodes -- and, ultimately, all the nodes in the web.</p> <h3>12. IoT ransomware</h3> <p>As the number of insecure devices connected to corporate networks increases, so do IoT ransomware attacks. Hackers infect devices with malware to turn them into botnets that probe access points or search for valid credentials in device firmware that they can use to enter the network.</p> <p>With network access through an IoT device, attackers can exfiltrate data to the cloud and threaten to keep, delete or make the data public unless paid a ransom. Sometimes, payment isn't enough for an organization to get all its data back, and the ransomware automatically deletes the files, regardless.</p> <h3>13. Tampering with physical devices</h3> <p>Hackers tampering with physical devices presents another risk. This could mean that attackers physically access an IoT device to steal data, tamper with the device to install malware, access its ports and inner circuits to break into the organization's network, or destroy it altogether.</p> <h3>14. Firmware exploits/supply chain vulnerabilities</h3> <p>As <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/The-biggest-ransomware-attacks-in-history">headline-making attacks in recent years</a> have shown, hackers use vulnerabilities in the technology components and software that organizations buy to run their operations. Those same supply chain vulnerabilities exist in the IoT market, which leaves organizations reliant on their IoT vendors to identify the vulnerabilities and offer fixes. And when these vendors are not forthcoming -- or not responsive quickly enough -- organizations can fall victim to hackers whose MO is targeting known vulnerabilities in IoT equipment.</p> <h3>15. Vulnerabilities in the ecosystem</h3> <p>As IoT devices proliferated, so did their connections to the organization's infrastructure and the broader connected universe. That connectedness, which is the very nature of IoT, can amplify the potential risks associated with vulnerabilities anywhere in the ecosystem. For example, insecure interfaces such as APIs create an entry point for hackers who could use that foothold to access increasingly sensitive points within the ecosystem.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mLg95dLm-Gs?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How to defend against IoT security risks"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How to defend against IoT security risks</h2> <p>IT teams must take a multilayered approach to IoT security risk mitigation and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/answer/What-are-the-cybersecurity-benefits-of-zero-trust">adopt a zero-trust approach to security</a>, whereby access is given to entities -- whether human users or IoT devices -- only after they verify their identities and enterprise-authorized rights to connect with the systems or data they are seeking to access.</p> <p>In addition to those overarching security strategies, organizations should have specific defenses to protect against the different types of IoT attacks. They should establish robust governance policies and practices to mitigate excessive risk.</p> <p>IoT security combines policy enforcement and software to detect and address any threats. Enterprise IT teams, in conjunction with security teams and the business departments that own IoT use cases, should do the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Enact and enforce strong password policies for devices on the network.</li> <li>Use threat detection software to anticipate potential attacks and network monitoring tools to detect activities that could indicate a threat, attack attempt or actual attack.</li> <li>Have a comprehensive asset detection and management program to ensure better visibility into the endpoints deployed in their enterprise and what data is on their IoT devices.</li> <li>Conduct device vulnerability assessments.</li> <li>Disable unneeded services.</li> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Backup-scheduling-best-practices-to-ensure-availability">Perform regular data backups</a>.</li> <li>Implement and practice disaster recovery procedures.</li> <li>Implement network segmentation.</li> <li>Install software that counters the various attack types, such as using DNS Security Extensions, a cryptographic security protocol that helps secure the DNS.</li> </ul> <p>Additionally, organizations should follow basic cybersecurity measures, such as authentication, regular updates and patches, and confirm that IoT devices meet security standards and protocols before they're added to the network.</p> <p>Data protection strategies are another way to boost IoT security. IT teams can help ensure data security by using visibility tools, data classification systems, data encryption measures, data privacy measurements and log management systems.</p> <p>For physical security measures, organizations should place devices in a tamper-resistant case and remove any device information manufacturers might include on the parts, such as model numbers or passwords. IoT designers should bury conductors in the multilayer circuit <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bytesnap.com/news-blog/introduction-iot-hardware-design/" rel="noopener">board</a> to prevent hackers from easily accessing them. If a hacker does tamper with a device, it should have a disable function, such as short-circuiting when opened.</p> <p><i>Mary K. Pratt is an award-winning freelance journalist with a focus on covering enterprise IT and cybersecurity management.</i></p> </section> Certain IoT security concerns, like botnets, are hard to forget, but others might not come to mind as easily, including DNS threats and physical device attacks. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/iot_g1157534820.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/5-IoT-security-threats-to-prioritize Wed, 02 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT <p>CCTV (closed-circuit television) is a video surveillance system in which signals are transmitted to a specific set of monitors and are not publicly broadcast. It is primarily used for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitchannel/feature/MSPs-expand-into-managed-physical-security-services">security and monitoring</a>.</p> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/cctv_camera-h.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/cctv_camera-h_half_column_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/cctv_camera-h_half_column_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/cctv_camera-h.jpg 1280w" alt="Photo of a CCTV camera." data-credit="Oatintro/Getty Images" height="207" width="280"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>CCTV cameras transmit signals for viewing on monitors in a closed loop for authorized users only. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>CCTV systems enable real-time observation and recording of activities in designated areas. Unlike traditional broadcast television, CCTV operates on a closed loop, ensuring that footage is accessible only to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/user-authentication">authorized users</a>.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How does CCTV work?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How does CCTV work?</h2> <p>CCTV relies on strategically placed cameras that capture video footage, which is then transmitted to monitors or recording devices through private <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/coaxial-cable-illustrated">coaxial cables</a> or <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/wireless">wireless communication</a>. CCTV systems often use digital technologies, enabling features like high-definition video, remote access and integration with <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/Pave-a-path-to-cybersecurity-and-physical-security-convergence">other security systems</a>. The closed-circuit aspect means that the video feed is limited to specific monitors, enhancing security and privacy.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Common applications of CCTV"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Common applications of CCTV</h2> <p>Older CCTV systems used small, low-resolution, black-and-white monitors with no interactive capabilities. Modern CCTV systems can include color, high-resolution displays with the ability to zoom in on an image or track something -- or someone -- among their features. Talk CCTV lets an overseer speak to people within range of the camera's associated speakers.</p> <p>CCTV technology has evolved significantly, expanding its applications across the following sectors:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Public safety and crime prevention.</b> Cities worldwide deploy CCTV to monitor <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/blog/IoT-Agenda/Smart-cities-for-a-stronger-resilient-future">public spaces</a>, deter criminal activities and assist in investigations. For instance, Bengaluru, India, has geotagged over 530,000 CCTV cameras to enhance urban safety.</li> <li><b>Traffic management.</b> CCTV systems monitor traffic flow, detect violations and manage congestion.</li> <li><b>Retail and commercial security.</b> Businesses use CCTV to prevent theft, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/employee-monitoring">monitor employee behavior</a> and ensure customer safety.</li> <li><b>Healthcare facilities.</b> Hospitals employ CCTV to monitor patient areas, ensuring safety and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/definition/compliance">compliance</a> with protocols.</li> <li><b>Educational institutions.</b> Schools use CCTV to enhance security, monitor student behavior and prevent vandalism.</li> <li><b>Industrial and hazardous environments.</b> CCTV enables remote monitoring of dangerous areas, reducing the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/tip/How-AI-can-transform-industrial-safety">risk to human operators</a>.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Technological advancements in CCTV"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Technological advancements in CCTV</h2> <p>In the last few years, the following technology developments have significantly enhanced CCTV capabilities:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Digital video recorders and network video recorders.</b> These devices enable <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/answer/What-are-guidelines-for-cloud-based-video-surveillance-storage">efficient storage</a> and retrieval of high-quality video footage.</li> <li><b>Internet Protocol cameras.</b> <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/definition/Internet-Protocol">IP</a> cameras offer higher resolution and can transmit data over networks, facilitating remote access and integration with other systems.</li> <li><b>AI integration.</b> <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/AI-Artificial-Intelligence">AI</a>-powered CCTV systems can detect unusual activities, recognize faces and trigger alerts, enhancing proactive security measures.</li> <li><b>Edge computing.</b> Processing data at the source -- i.e., the camera -- through <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/edge-computing">edge computing</a> reduces latency and bandwidth usage, enabling real-time analytics and faster response times.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Privacy concerns and regulations"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Privacy concerns and regulations</h2> <p>The proliferation of CCTV has raised significant privacy issues. Primary concerns include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Data protection laws.</b> In regions like the European Union, the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/General-Data-Protection-Regulation-GDPR">General Data Protection Regulation</a> mandates strict guidelines on <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/data-collection">data collection</a>, storage and usage, affecting how CCTV footage is handled.</li> <li><b>Facial recognition technology.</b> The integration of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/facial-recognition">facial recognition</a> with CCTV has sparked debates over surveillance and individual freedoms. The U.K., for example, calls for stricter regulations to govern such technologies.</li> <li><b>Public awareness and consent.</b> It is crucial to make sure that individuals are informed about surveillance practices. Clear signage and transparent policies help maintain trust and compliance.</li> </ul> <p>CCTV systems play a pivotal role in modern security infrastructure, offering benefits in crime prevention, traffic management and operational efficiency. However, their deployment must balance security needs with respect for privacy and compliance with <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/IT-security-frameworks-and-standards-Choosing-the-right-one">legal frameworks</a>.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JkcYwaaN1PQ?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Global trends and implementations"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Global trends and implementations</h2> <p>CCTV usage varies globally, driven by different priorities and challenges in the various countries. Here are some use cases:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>India.</b> Cities like Chennai have implemented extensive CCTV networks to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/How-AI-in-physical-security-makes-public-places-safer">monitor public spaces</a>, with control rooms overseeing thousands of cameras for enhanced security.</li> <li><b>U.K.</b> CCTV surveillance in the U.K. emphasizes crime prevention and public safety, though it also grapples with privacy concerns.</li> <li><b>China.</b> Known for its expansive surveillance systems, China integrates AI and facial recognition extensively, raising international discussions about privacy and human rights.</li> <li><b>U.S.</b> CCTV is widely used in both public and private sectors, with real-time crime centers integrating various surveillance technologies to aid law enforcement.</li> </ul> <p>As the technology evolves, ongoing global dialogue and regulation are essential to make sure that CCTV <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/Examples-of-AI-in-the-Olympics">serves the public interest</a> without infringing on individual rights.</p> <p><i>Effectively powering edge devices like CCTV cameras around the clock is crucial and can be managed successfully with the right strategies. Learn the </i><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/tip/What-to-know-about-managing-power-for-edge-devices"><i>essentials of securing and maintaining reliable power at the edge</i></a><i>.</i></p> </section> CCTV (closed-circuit television) is a video surveillance system in which signals are transmitted to a specific set of monitors and are not publicly broadcast. It is primarily used for security and monitoring. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/2.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/CCTV-closed-circuit-television Wed, 25 Jun 2025 10:00:00 GMT <p>Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is a security policy management platform that provides secure network access to end users and devices. Cisco ISE enables the creation and enforcement of security and access policies for users and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/endpoint-device">endpoints</a> connected to network infrastructure, such as routers and switches. It is intended to help organizations simplify <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/identity-management-ID-management">identity management</a> across devices and applications, make proactive governance decisions, and implement a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/zero-trust-model-zero-trust-network">zero-trust</a> model across their IT environments.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How is Cisco ISE used?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How is Cisco ISE used?</h2> <p>Cisco Identity Services Engine combines network access control (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/network-access-control">NAC</a>), a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/answer/What-are-the-most-important-pillars-of-a-zero-trust-framework">zero-trust architecture</a>, and identity and access control policy tools into one platform. Organizations can use Cisco ISE to define and enforce access policies with greater precision and meet compliance and reporting requirements. By enabling granular, policy-driven permissions for different populations of users and devices on a distributed network, Cisco ISE functions as a consolidated system for authentication, authorization and accounting (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/AAA-server">AAA</a>). In doing so, it seeks to lower security risk and protect its IT assets and data from cyberattacks, data breaches and other undesirable events.</p> <p>Cisco ISE can further strengthen network security and streamline <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/security-policy">security policy</a> management by integrating with other security products. It can share information like user and device identities, as well as threats and vulnerabilities, with other Cisco and non-Cisco tools to jointly identify threats, isolate (or remove) infected endpoints and protect business-critical data.</p> <p>In addition to policy enforcement, IT administrators can use ISE to improve <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/network-visibility">network visibility</a>, grant guest access to the network, and perform threat containment, tool integrations, device administration and bring your own device (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/BYOD-bring-your-own-device">BYOD</a>) management.</p> <p>Enhanced network visibility provides the ability to see not only which users and devices are connected but also the applications that are installed and running. Such visibility helps to strengthen network security and reduce the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/What-is-attack-surface-management-and-why-is-it-necessary">size of the attack surface</a>. This then allows IT administrators to contain threats like malware in the network, minimizing their lateral movement and reducing the scope for damage.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/how_cisco_ise_is_used-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/how_cisco_ise_is_used-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/how_cisco_ise_is_used-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/how_cisco_ise_is_used-f.png 1280w" alt="Graphic with icons depicting the different functions of Cisco ISE in enterprise network management." height="252" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Cisco ISE can be used for many functions, including policy, visibility, threat containment, integration, device administration and BYOD management. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Cisco ISE can authenticate wired, wireless and virtual private network (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/virtual-private-network">VPN</a>) users. It can identify and log a user's identity, location and access history, as well as assign different services based on those unique properties. Administrators can also configure network devices with <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/IPv6-Internet-Protocol-Version-6">IPv6</a>.</p> <p>The platform can also help organizations to streamline their service operations by consolidating management of network infrastructure, such as switches, routers and firewalls. This reduces the operational burden on IT teams and supports more consistent policy enforcement.</p> <p>Taken together, these features and capabilities make Cisco ISE well-suited to <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366582132/Zero-trust-is-a-strategy-not-a-technology">zero-trust strategies</a>. With this platform, organizations can implement effective, highly granular, identity-based access management across wired and wireless networks.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D6nql-FGAyk?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How does Cisco ISE work?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How does Cisco ISE work?</h2> <p>With an increased number of users and devices accessing networks remotely, protecting an organization's data from network security breaches becomes more complex. Administrators can use Cisco Identity Services Engine to control who has access to their network and ensure authorized, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/How-to-manage-BYOD-security-policies-and-stay-compliant">policy-compliant devices</a> obtain connectivity.</p> <p>Cisco ISE is built to allow only trusted users and devices to access the resources on an enterprise network. It works with other network devices to create contextual identities for users and devices. Organizations can then use these all-encompassing identities to enforce secure access policies.</p> <p>The platform obtains information from multiple sources to automatically identify and classify devices. Through passive network monitoring and telemetry, Cisco ISE collects endpoint attribute data. Its Profiler function then passes on these attributes to the analyzer. Here, all known endpoints are classified according to their policies and identity groups.</p> <p>Using its Wi-Fi Edge Analytics feature, Cisco ISE obtains data from Apple, Intel and Samsung devices to conduct enhanced profiling according to attributes like device model, OS version and firmware. In addition, it uses predefined and custom device templates to automatically associate administrator-defined identities to connected endpoints and to associate <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/Use-these-6-user-authentication-types-to-secure-networks">authorization policies</a> for specific types of endpoints.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Cisco ISE deployment"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Cisco ISE deployment</h2> <p>Cisco Identity Services Engine is available as both a physical or virtual appliance. The virtual appliances can run on <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchvmware/definition/VMware-ESXi">VMware ESXi</a> 6.5, 6.7 and 7.x, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/tip/Xen-vs-KVM-What-are-the-differences">KVM</a> on Red Hat 7.x, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/tip/3-FAQs-to-improve-your-Hyper-V-basic-knowledge">Microsoft Hyper-V</a> (on Microsoft Windows Server 2012R2 and later), as well as many other on-premises and cloud platforms. Organizations can use either type of deployment to create clusters. These clusters provide the scale, redundancy and failover enterprise networks require.</p> <p>Organizations also have the flexibility to deploy Cisco ISE in standalone or distributed modes. In distributed deployments, also known as high-availability or <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/answer/Network-redundancy-vs-resiliency-Whats-the-difference">redundant deployments</a>, one machine assumes the primary role. Another machine assumes the secondary role and is considered the backup.</p> <p>Additionally, the Cisco ISE architecture can be deployed with what Cisco refers to as Administration, Monitoring and Troubleshooting, Policy Service, and pxGrid personas. These personas are roles assigned to each ISE node, which constitutes a single virtual or physical appliance. The Administration persona provides a comprehensive, consolidated portal for all the core functions of network configuration and management. The other personas provide more specialized functions to create a fully scalable, integrated system.</p> <p>Another available node for Cisco ISE is the Inline Posture node. Network admins can use this node to enforce policies and execute change of authorization requests that other network devices cannot accommodate.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Top Cisco ISE features"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Top Cisco ISE features</h2> <p>Cisco ISE helps to protect networks from cyberattacks using the following features:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Access control.</b> Provides numerous access control options that include downloadable access control lists (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/access-control-list-ACL">ACLs</a>), virtual LAN, URL redirections and security group ACLs to reduce the attack surface and strengthen overall network security.</li> <li><b>Centralized management.</b> Administrators can configure, manage and authenticate users and devices from a single, user-friendly GUI. The console's unified view also simplifies network administration.</li> <li><b>Cisco DNA Center integration.</b> This network <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/controller">controller</a> and analytics platform integrates with ISE to simplify the setup of various Cisco ISE services. It also aids in policy design, provisioning and assignment to users and applications instead of network devices. Additionally, it enables admins to deploy group-based access controls and implement network segmentation based on business requirements.</li> <li><b>Contextual identity and business policies.</b> A rule-based, attribute-driven policy model makes it easy to implement business-relevant access control policies. Admins can create attributes like authentication protocols, device identity and posture validation, and reuse them as needed.</li> <li><b>Dynamic Reauthentication Times.</b> Admins can create temporary policies for devices that do not need continuous access. After the designated period expires, devices lose network authentication.</li> <li><b>Cipher control. </b>Admins can edit a list of ciphers and disable those no longer needed to ensure uninterrupted compliance with security standards.</li> <li><b>Device profiling.</b> Cisco ISE can create custom device templates that automatically detect, classify and associate administration identities for connected endpoints.</li> <li><b>Guest lifecycle management.</b> Built-in support for hotspot, sponsored, self-service and other access workflows, plus real-time visual flows remove the complexity from implementing and customizing guest network access.</li> <li><b>IPv6 support. </b>Cisco ISE is IPv6-ready for all RADIUS and TACACS+ based network devices.</li> <li><b>Monitoring and troubleshooting.</b> ISE users can access a built-in console for detailed reports (historical and real time) of network monitoring, reporting and troubleshooting data.</li> </ul> <p>In addition to the above, other key features of Cisco ISE include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Common policy automation.</b> Cisco ISE acts as a universal translator that enables different parts of the network architecture to understand each other, regardless of whether they are legacy or next-gen elements.</li> <li><b>PxGrid Direct enhancements.</b> These improvements enable organizations to immediately synchronize data from PxGrid Direct Connectors, ensuring fast database updates.</li> <li><b>PAC-less Communication.</b> ISE typically uses Protected Access Credentials, or PACs, to establish encrypted <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/Transport-Layer-Security-TLS">TLS</a> tunnels. Cisco ISE 3.4 introduced PAC-less Communication to streamline communication between ISE and Cisco TrustSec devices.</li> <li><b>AI/ML profiling and multifactor classification.</b> Cisco ISE can quickly create a profile and rules for identical unknown endpoints to simplify management and boost security.</li> <li><b>Security group tags. </b>SGTs<b> </b><a target="_blank" href="https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/lan/trustsec/configuration/guide/trustsec/sgt_inline_tagging.html" rel="noopener">simplify segmentation</a> and the management of switches, routers and other network devices.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Benefits of Cisco ISE"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Benefits of Cisco ISE</h2> <p>Cisco Identity Services Engine offers the following benefits:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Centralized network access control (NAC).</b> All an organization's network access points can be controlled from one centralized location, reducing management overhead and enhancing security.</li> <li><b>Simplified network visibility.</b> ISE stores detailed <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/attribute">attribute</a> histories of all endpoints and users connected to a network to ensure comprehensive, real-time visibility into the entire network.</li> <li><b>Threat containment.</b> ISE matches endpoints with attributes like users, location, threat and vulnerability, enabling administrators to choose who and what devices to allow on a network.</li> <li><b>Zero-trust implementation.</b> Organizations can easily implement a zero-trust network architecture to ensure secure network access, lower the risk of harmful events, and protect business integrity and continuity.</li> <li><b>Easy administration access control and auditing. </b>Audit trails are maintained for every change in the network, allowing admins to easily conduct audits and troubleshoot issues.</li> <li><b>More control over Domain Controllers (DC).</b> Cisco ISE maintains Active Directory site awareness and ensures that a DC is always available.</li> <li><b>Automated compliance.</b> Cisco ISE uses a persistent client-based agent, a temporal agent or a query to an external <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterprisedesktop/feature/Understand-how-UEM-EMM-and-MDM-differ-from-one-another">endpoint management tool</a> to enforce required compliance policies for endpoints.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Cisco ISE licensing"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Cisco ISE licensing</h2> <p>Cisco ISE is licensed on a subscription basis, but a 90-day free evaluation license can be downloaded for up to 100 endpoints. The evaluation license includes all the features of a full license and allows admins to set up a limited deployment in Evaluation mode. When the license expires, admins can only view the Licensing window in the Cisco ISE administrator portal. It is possible to request an extension to the license or coverage for additional endpoints.</p> <p>The full versions of Cisco ISE are licensed on a subscription basis for terms of one, three and five years. Cisco offers three tiers of licenses: Essentials, Advantage and Premier.</p> <p>Essentials is the base package, and Premier is the highest tier. All license packages for Cisco ISE are set up in a <i>nested doll model</i>, meaning all the features in the Essentials and Advantage tiers appear in the Premier edition, and all the features in the Essentials edition appear in the Advantage tier. Simply put, the higher-tier licenses include all the features of the lower-tier licenses.</p> <p>Essentials includes the following features and capabilities:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>AAA and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/Choosing-the-right-flavor-of-8021X">802.1x</a>.</li> <li>Support for Guest functionality on endpoints with <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/RADIUS">RADIUS</a> sessions.</li> <li>Easy Connect (PassiveID).</li> </ul> <p>The Advantage license includes all the features and capabilities of the Essentials license, along with the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Endpoint profiling classification in authorization policies.</li> <li>BYOD support.</li> <li>PxGrid, PxGrid Cloud and PxGrid Direct for endpoints with RADIUS sessions.</li> <li>Group-based policy (TrustSec).</li> <li>Endpoint analytics visibility and enforcement.</li> <li>Adaptive Network Control policy and User-Defined Network attributes in authorization policies.</li> </ul> <p>The Premier license contains the most features, including all the above plus the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/mobile-device-management">Mobile device management</a> visibility and enforcement.</li> <li>Posture visibility.</li> <li>Compliance visibility.</li> <li>Threat-centric NAC.</li> <li>Segmentation using Cisco Software-Defined Access.</li> <li>Cisco AnyConnect intelligent VPN/zero-trust network access with agent.</li> </ul> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/mobile_computing-mdm.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/mobile_computing-mdm_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/mobile_computing-mdm_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/mobile_computing-mdm.jpg 1280w" alt="Components of the mobile device management architecture diagram." height="451" width="520"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>The premier license of Cisco ISE includes all the features of the other versions and adds mobile device management visibility and enforcement, among other capabilities. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>All subscriptions automatically renew at the completion of the license term (12, 36 or 60 months) for an additional 12-month term. To prevent automatic renewals, customers must deselect the option when placing the initial order. They can also choose to cancel a renewal up to 60 days before the new term's start date.</p> <p><i>Learn about some other ways to </i><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/Tips-to-improve-network-security-visibility"><i>improve network visibility and security</i></a><i>, such as including intrusion detection systems, automation or executive support.</i></p> </section> Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is a security policy management platform that provides secure network access to end users and devices. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/1.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/Cisco-Identity-Services-Engine-ISE Tue, 10 Jun 2025 10:06:00 GMT <p>The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is the ongoing transformation of how people live, work and relate to one another through the fusion of technologies that blur the lines between the physical, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/digital">digital</a> and biological spheres.</p> <p>Building on the digital advancements of the Third Industrial Revolution, this new era is marked by rapid technological breakthroughs in fields such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/AI-Artificial-Intelligence">AI</a>, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/robotics">robotics</a>, the internet of things (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/Internet-of-Things-IoT">IoT</a>), <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/quantum-computing">quantum computing</a>, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/biotechnology">biotechnology</a> and more.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/types_of_robots-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/types_of_robots-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/types_of_robots-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/types_of_robots-f.png 1280w" alt="Chart describing types of robots." height="226" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Breakthroughs in robotics as part of the 4IR has enabled the creation of many different kinds of robots suited to a variety of tasks. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="A brief history of industrial revolutions"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>A brief history of industrial revolutions</h2> <p>To better understand the Fourth Industrial Revolution, it helps to view it in the context of the previous three revolutions:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>The First Industrial Revolution, in the late 18th to early 19th century, introduced mechanization through steam engines and waterpower, shifting economies from agrarian to industrial.</li> <li>The Second Industrial Revolution, in the late 19th to early 20th century, brought electricity, mass production and the rise of factories.</li> <li>The Third Industrial Revolution, in the mid-20th century, marked the digital revolution, ushering in <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/definition/computer">computers</a>, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/IT">IT</a> and early <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/definition/IT-automation">automation</a>.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Defining characteristics of the Fourth Industrial Revolution"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Defining characteristics of the Fourth Industrial Revolution</h2> <p>According to Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum and author of <i>The Fourth Industrial Revolution</i>, 4IR is distinguished not just by emerging technologies, but by the speed, scope and systemic impact of these changes. Unlike previous industrial revolutions, the fourth is evolving at an exponential rather than linear pace and affects virtually every industry in every country.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/erp-industrial_revolutions.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/erp-industrial_revolutions_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/erp-industrial_revolutions_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/erp-industrial_revolutions.png 1280w" alt="Timeline of industrial revolutions." height="250" width="520"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>The Fourth Industrial Revolution represents the incorporation and innovation of many technologies, such as intelligently networked machines and manufacturing processes using IT. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <h3>Core technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution</h3> <p>The Fourth Industrial Revolution includes the integration and advancement of numerous technologies:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>AI and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/machine-learning-ML">machine learning</a>.</li> <li>IoT, including the industrial internet of things (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/Industrial-Internet-of-Things-IIoT">IIoT</a>).</li> <li>Robotics and autonomous machines.</li> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/virtual-reality">Virtual reality</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/augmented-reality-AR">augmented reality</a>.</li> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/blockchain">Blockchain</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/distributed-ledger">distributed ledger technology</a>.</li> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/definition/cloud-computing">Cloud computing</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/edge-computing">edge computing</a>.</li> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/3-D-printing-rapid-prototyping-stereolighography-or-architectural-modeling">3D printing</a> or additive manufacturing.</li> <li>Quantum computing.</li> <li>Biotechnology and gene editing, e.g., <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/pharmalifesciences/feature/10-Ways-CRISPR-Advancements-Are-Reshaping-Healthcare">CRISPR</a>.</li> <li>Cyber-physical systems and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/definition/smart-factory">smart factories</a>.</li> </ul> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/edgecomputing.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/edgecomputing_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/edgecomputing_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/edgecomputing.jpg 1280w" alt="Diagram of edge computing." height="560" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Faster connection speeds, data processing closer to the data source, and technologies such as IoT sensors and robotics enable factories to become smarter and operate with greater independence, if not autonomously, at the edge of the network. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <h3>Industry 4.0 and manufacturing</h3> <p>A major subdomain of 4IR is <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/definition/Industry-40">Industry 4.0</a>, which refers to the use of smart technology in manufacturing environments. Smart factories use IoT devices, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/definition/real-time-analytics">real-time data analytics</a> and automation to create self-optimizing systems that increase efficiency, reduce waste and enable mass customization.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DeyJM8lmi1E?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Societal and economic implications"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Societal and economic implications</h2> <p>The Fourth Industrial Revolution is not only transforming business models, but also reshaping job markets, education systems and government policies. Key areas of impact include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Job displacement and creation.</b> While automation might eliminate certain jobs, it also creates new roles requiring advanced technical and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/soft-skills">soft skills</a>.</li> <li><b>Privacy and data security.</b> The proliferation of connected devices raises concerns about surveillance, cybersecurity threats and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/definition/data-governance">data governance</a>.</li> <li><b>Ethical challenges.</b> Questions around <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/machine-learning-bias-algorithm-bias-or-AI-bias">AI bias</a>, digital inclusion and biotechnology call for new <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/Top-resources-to-build-an-ethical-AI-framework">ethical frameworks</a>.</li> <li><b>Global inequality.</b> Countries and individuals lacking digital infrastructure might fall behind, increasing the risk of a widening <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/digital-divide">digital divide</a>.</li> </ul> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-1" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4qSZEP5lJi4?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> <h3>Preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution</h3> <p>To adapt to this new era, individuals, businesses and governments must take proactive steps, such as the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Investing in education and lifelong learning, especially in <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/STEM-science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics">STEM</a> and digital literacy.</li> <li>Developing ethical AI and data governance frameworks.</li> <li>Promoting public-private partnerships to build inclusive digital economies.</li> <li>Creating resilient regulatory systems that can keep pace with rapid innovation.</li> </ul> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iota-industry_iot_infrastructure.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iota-industry_iot_infrastructure_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iota-industry_iot_infrastructure_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/iota-industry_iot_infrastructure.png 1280w" alt="Diagram of IIoT infrastructure." height="364" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>IIoT infrastructure components include the IoT or edge gateway, sensors, actuators and edge nodes. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution requires more than just adopting new technologies -- it demands a mindset of continuous learning, ethical innovation and cross-sector collaboration. By preparing today, individuals and organizations can help shape a more inclusive, resilient and technologically empowered future.</p> <p><em>Learn ways to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/6-ways-to-reduce-different-types-of-bias-in-machine-learning">reduce machine learning bias</a> in its different forms. Explore ways in which <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/tip/AI-and-IoT-How-do-the-internet-of-things-and-AI-work-together">AI and IoT technologies work together</a> and how AI supercharges existing IoT systems for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Check <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/feature/Top-5-industrial-IoT-use-cases">potential IIoT use cases</a> and its advantages and challenges.</em></p> </section> The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is the ongoing transformation of how people live, work and relate to one another through the fusion of technologies that blur the lines between the physical, digital and biological spheres. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/5.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/fourth-industrial-revolution Mon, 09 Jun 2025 14:00:00 GMT <p><i>In this video, Informa TechTarget managing editor Kate Murray explains how RFID works and what it's used for in today's world.</i></p> <p>A simple tap can go a long way.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Radio frequency identification (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/RFID-radio-frequency-identification">RFID</a>) is a wireless communication method that uses electromagnetic frequencies to identify and track animals, objects and people. You might know this better as tapping your credit card or using an electronic passport, but it has many other applications.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Here, we'll explain how RFID is used.</p> <p>RFID was born from the radar technology used in World War II to identify hostile and friendly aircraft. Development continued in the years following, with the first official patents being awarded in the 1970s. At the time, RFID devices were mainly used for tasks like toll collecting and key card scanning.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>An RFID system is made up of three components -- an <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/antenna">antenna</a>, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/transceiver">transceiver</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/transponder">transponder</a> -- which is embedded in an RFID tag. Together, the antennae and transceiver make up what's known as the RFID reader. This reader uses radio waves to transmit signals that activate the tag. From here, the tag returns a wave to the antenna, where it's translated into data.&nbsp;</p> <p>RFID is often described as a wireless barcode system, but there are notable differences between RFID and barcodes. For one, barcodes require a direct line of sight for scanning, while RFID tags do not. And barcodes need close proximity for scanning, while RFID can scan from inches or feet away. And, unlike barcodes, RFID tags can update data in real time.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Near field communications (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/Near-Field-Communication">NFC</a>) is a notable <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/tip/RFID-vs-NFC-Learn-the-pros-and-cons-of-each">subset of RFID</a>. It enables the exchange of data within a short range of roughly 20 cm. Because of this, NFC is usually reserved for tasks like opening doors or linking smartphones to Bluetooth devices.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Today, RFID systems are most commonly used for equipment tracking, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/tip/7-benefits-of-RFID-in-supply-chain-management-and-logistics">inventory management</a>, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/RFID-in-supply-chain-6-examples-in-use-today">supply chain logistics</a> and access control; and are prevalent in industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, retail, business and even home use.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>While some have raised security concerns around potential skimming or unauthorized tracking of RFID tags, these incidents are rare. As an extra precaution, RFID tags in passports are equipped with basic access controls and anti-skimming material to prevent any illicit scanning.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Overall, RFID systems can cut costs, improve customer experience, bolster supply chain efficiency and more. Over time, we can expect wider adoption of RFID, as systems are increasingly being used to support <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/Internet-of-Things-IoT">internet of things</a> deployments.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Do you use RFID? Share your experience in the comments, and remember to like and subscribe, too.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><i>Tommy Everson is an assistant editor for video content at Informa TechTarget. He assists in content creation for TechTarget's YouTube channel and TikTok page.&nbsp;</i></p> Radio frequency identification uses radio waves to digitally tag items, so businesses can wirelessly identify and track goods. Near field communication is a subset of RFID. https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/video/An-explanation-of-RFID Fri, 30 May 2025 11:00:00 GMT <p>A programmable network is one in which software that operates independently of network hardware handles the behavior of network devices and flow control. The fundamental nature of programmable networks is to separate the underlying physical hardware from the control software of a device.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Traditional networks vs. programmable networks"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Traditional networks vs. programmable networks</h2> <p>In traditional IT networks, physical hardware such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/router">routers</a>, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/switch">switches</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/Where-to-place-a-firewall-in-an-enterprise-network">firewalls</a> must be manually configured and individually managed. This requires a lot of human intervention and manual effort. IT teams can expend this if the network is small or the organization's networking needs are less complex. However, for large, complex networks, manual configurations and management can be time-consuming and extremely onerous for IT teams.</p> <p>Another characteristic of traditional networks is that troubleshooting happens on a case-by-case basis. This makes it difficult to detect and diagnose issues affecting multiple devices. It also increases resolution times and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/The-effects-of-network-downtime-and-ways-to-fix-it">network downtime</a>. Visibility into network health is extremely limited in these networks, necessitating additional tools to monitor the network and its operations, which translates into increased expense and management overhead.</p> <p>To address these issues, programmable or software-defined networks can be the change that resource-constrained IT teams need. A single entity using specialized software controls these networks. IT personnel do not need to individually configure, manage or troubleshoot devices and services, so they can deploy these elements quickly and manage them easily, regardless of changing user needs or increasing network complexity. They can also implement centralized policies to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/answer/Compare-network-management-vs-network-monitoring">manage traffic flows and monitor real-time network conditions</a>.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Network programmability: What does it mean and how does it relate to software-defined networking?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Network programmability: What does it mean and how does it relate to software-defined networking?</h2> <p>Network programmability enables the separation of network hardware from the control software. The software has a broader view of the network, creating a proverbial 10,000-foot overview. With network programmability, software can be programmed in one place, using a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/SDN-controller-software-defined-networking-controller">controller</a> to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/network-orchestration">orchestrate</a> the configuration of the network's other hardware devices.</p> <p>This development led to the creation of software-defined networking (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/software-defined-networking-SDN">SDN</a>), which has now largely supplanted the generic term <i>programmable networks</i>.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Characteristics of programmable networks"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Characteristics of programmable networks</h2> <p>The most essential characteristic of a programmable network is that it can be centrally defined and managed with software. Most programmable networks use open network interfaces and development tools, enabling them to be programmed easily, extended securely and controlled.</p> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/sdn-sdn_architecture.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/sdn-sdn_architecture_half_column_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/sdn-sdn_architecture_half_column_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/sdn-sdn_architecture.png 1280w" alt="Diagram showing the architectural features of software-defined networks." height="391" width="280"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Programmable networks use an architecture that separates physical infrastructure from controller software, like with SDN. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Since hardware limitations do not rigidly confine programmable networks, they are more agile and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/scalability">scalable</a>. They can easily adopt and incorporate new features and innovative technologies to meet an organization's current and future needs.</p> <p>Using <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchapparchitecture/tip/What-are-the-types-of-APIs-and-their-differences">application programming interfaces</a> frees networks to adopt new architectures and protocols. The APIs also facilitate interactions between the network hardware and software. This simplifies network management and control, and creates opportunities for automating the network and increasing responsiveness, flexibility and efficiency.</p> <p>In recent years, predictive <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/blog/Write-side-up-by-Freeform-Dynamics/AI-and-analytics-Been-there-done-that">analytics platforms based on AI</a> and machine learning have emerged to simplify maintenance further and improve the performance and security of SDN . These platforms also support proactive handling of network issues and ensure high performance and low latency for critical applications.</p> <p>Finally, programmable networks tend to be more secure than traditional networks. Administrators can use centralized templates, widely accepted best practices and checkpoints to maintain consistent configurations and <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Reinventing-security-operations-for-the-modern-threat-landscape">alleviate security threats</a>. Automated checks can reduce the risk of human error and minimize the potential for network downtime.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="History of network programmability"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>History of network programmability</h2> <p>When the concept of programmable networks emerged, it was a radical innovation. Traditionally, network admins configured each network device independently of others. They used the command-line interface (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/definition/command-line-interface-CLI">CLI</a>) to type hundreds of commands, one by one, until a group of devices passed traffic as intended.</p> <p>In those days, automation involved onerous scripting languages or cutting and pasting. Admins might cut and paste changing localized device information, such as IP addresses. With the exponential growth of networks, this became untenable.</p> <p>Today, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/12-network-automation-ideas-to-incorporate-in-your-network">network automation</a> and programming are easier than ever, thanks to the separation between transmission hardware and control software as well as the virtualization of networking infrastructure. The availability of open, programmable network interfaces helps organizations deploy new services easily to satisfy business or user demands. Programmability also simplifies device configurations, network troubleshooting and centralized policy implementation.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Fundamental elements of programmable networks"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Fundamental elements of programmable networks</h2> <p>All programmable networks rely on a few fundamental elements:</p> <h3>Protocols</h3> <p>Network admins can control and program networks from one place and time using protocols like <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/OpenFlow">OpenFlow</a> and other open and proprietary standards. All underlying hardware works together as if someone had punched in all those CLI commands on each device. This means scalable networks can have sufficient size and scope to support <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/opinion/Time-to-rethink-IT-for-containerized-workloads">growing cloud and containerization workloads</a> that put more stress on infrastructure.</p> <h3>APIs</h3> <p>Programmable networks also facilitated the advancement of APIs that enable one piece of software to talk to another.</p> <p>Controllers use APIs to speak to devices under their control. Industry-standard <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchapparchitecture/definition/RESTful-API">RESTful APIs </a> can provide access to the software controller so that anyone can write custom software to orchestrate a programmable network.</p> <h3>Infrastructure as code</h3> <p>Using APIs to control networks is now commonplace. The scale and scope of modern networks makes device-by-device configuration impractical in any but the smallest of networks.</p> <p>With enterprises embracing virtualization, containerization and cloud deployments, a concept called <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/definition/Infrastructure-as-Code-IAC">infrastructure as code</a> has taken hold. IaC involves using software to build a network completely from the ground up, including storage and compute, on top of an abstracted hardware layer. By using software code instead of manual configurations, IaC can automate the deployment of network configurations. This accelerates configurations while accommodating scalable deployments and a more agile IT environment.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kjq4vw_hMjE?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> <h3>SDN controllers</h3> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/Important-components-of-SDN-controllers">SDN controllers</a> play an important role in reducing the risk of human error in network configuration and management. They do this by automatically applying logic checks before configurations are pushed live. They also can configure devices from a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/single-pane-of-glass">single pane of glass</a> interface, ensuring configuration consistency and centralized management while minimizing the need for human intervention.</p> <p>Controllers continuously monitor the network and provide real-time visibility into its overall health and performance. This helps identify and address issues early.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Uses of programmable networks"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Uses of programmable networks</h2> <p>Programmable networking is particularly useful in data centers where complex interconnections and traffic patterns are the norm. There, using software, APIs, and an open ecosystem of tools, interfaces and technologies helps improve bandwidth management, security and resource allocation.</p> <p>SDN is also suitable for internet of things (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/Internet-of-Things-IoT">IoT</a>) and telecommunications applications. Programmability facilitates building a complex infrastructure for handling many connected devices in IoT networks and simplifies infrastructure management for telecom networks.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/answer/Cloud-networking-vs-cloud-computing-Whats-the-difference">Cloud computing</a> is another key use case for programmable networks. Through software, network managers can create flexible virtual networks where resources can be added or removed quickly in response to fast-changing needs.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Benefits of programmable networks"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Benefits of programmable networks</h2> <p>Programmable networking has several benefits over traditional networking:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Reduced long-term costs.</li> <li>Applications able to maintain information about device capabilities.</li> <li>Networks able to respond to application status and resource requirements.</li> <li>Better allocation of bandwidth and resources.</li> <li>Faster network deployments.</li> <li>Improved network performance and reduced downtime.</li> <li>Packet prioritization for traffic shaping.</li> <li>Improved operational flexibility and enhanced transparency.</li> </ul> <p>Programmable networks are also more scalable and enduring, enabling organizations to adapt easily to evolving business circumstances and use new technologies.</p> <p><em>Further explore the role of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/The-role-of-network-virtualization-and-SDN-in-data-centers">network virtualization and SDN in data centers</a> and learn more about how infrastructure as code can help streamline development and deployment <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/feature/IaC-tools-comparison-shows-benefits-of-automated-deployments">with this comparison of eight IaC tools</a>.</em></p> </section> A programmable network is one in which software that operates independently of network hardware handles the behavior of network devices and flow control. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/2.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/programmable-network-PN Mon, 31 Mar 2025 13:00:00 GMT <p>Port address translation (PAT) is a type of network address translation (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/Network-Address-Translation-NAT">NAT</a>) that maps a network's private internal <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/IPv4-address-class">IPv4 addresses</a> to a single public <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/IP-address-Internet-Protocol-Address">Internet Protocol address</a> by using network ports. NAT is a process that <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/router">routers</a> use to translate internal, nonregistered IP addresses to external, registered IP addresses. PAT differs from other forms of NAT because it uses <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/port-number">port numbers</a> when mapping <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/private-IP-address">private IP addresses</a> to a public IP address, which is the address seen by external systems.</p> <p>Port address translation is also called <i>porting</i>, <i>port overloading</i>, <i>port-level multiplexed NAT</i> and <i>single address NAT</i>. PAT is the most common form of NAT used in most homes and small and medium-sized businesses.</p> <p>PAT was introduced as a way to conserve <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/answer/IPv4-vs-IPv6-Whats-the-difference">IPv4</a> addresses until a more permanent solution could be implemented. This solution eventually came in the form of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/IPv6-address">IPv6</a>. However, IPv4 is still used extensively in network communications, so PAT continues to be relevant. PAT also helps to provide better security on the local network by hiding the internal IP addresses from public view.</p> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-ipv6_address-h.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-ipv6_address-h_half_column_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-ipv6_address-h_half_column_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-ipv6_address-h.png 1280w" alt="Visual of an IPv6 address." height="134" width="279"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Figure 1. Although IPv6 replaced IPv4, the latter -- along with port address translation -- is still used extensively in network communications. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>The use of port numbers is integral to a router's ability to implement PAT because they provide a mechanism for translating the internal IP addresses to the external address and vice versa. The port number is appended to the external IP address to distinguish different connections to the same address. For example, if a router's external IP address is 192.168.35.4, outside connections might use addresses such as 192.168.35.4:37, 192.168.35.4:148 or 192.168.35.4:1637 to communicate with specific devices on the internal network.</p> <p>A router can use either <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/TCP">Transmission Control Protocol</a> or <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/UDP-User-Datagram-Protocol">User Datagram Protocol</a> port numbers to implement PAT. Because the port numbers are based on a 16-bit encoding, a router can theoretically support up to 65,536 port numbers per external IP address, although the practical limit is much less. Even so, a single registered IP address can connect to thousands of internal devices. To facilitate this process, the router maintains an address translation table that maps the internal IP addresses to the external IP address, incorporating the port numbers into the mapping.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5VIadA71eGA?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How does port address translation work?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How does port address translation work?</h2> <p>Like other types of NAT deployments, PAT is implemented by positioning a PAT-enabled router between the inside and outside network, as shown in Figure 2. The inside network is the internal network, such as an organization's <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/local-area-network-LAN">local area network</a> or an individual's home network. Everything else is considered the outside network. For example, when you view a webpage on your computer, you are connecting from your inside network to the outside network where the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Web-server">web server</a> resides.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/how_port_address_translation_works-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/how_port_address_translation_works-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/how_port_address_translation_works-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/how_port_address_translation_works-f.png 1280w" alt="Diagram of how port address translation works." height="336" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Figure 2. Port address translation, a type of network address translation, maps a network's private internal IPv4 addresses to a single public IP address. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Each device connected to the inside network receives a private IPv4 address, which is referred to as the <i>inside local address</i>. In Figure 2, three computers have been assigned inside local addresses: 10.0.1.2, 10.0.1.3 and 10.0.1.4. The addresses are used for communications on the inside network, whether between the computers themselves or between the computers and the router.</p> <p>The router is configured with an inside local IP address, 10.0.1.1, which is connected to the local network and is what other devices use to connect to it. This can also be considered the other device's gateway address. The router also has an external or public IP address, 34.120.117.196, which is the public-facing address used to connect to devices on the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Internet">internet</a>.</p> <p>To support the PAT process, the router maintains an address translation table that maps the inside local addresses and ports to a specific combination of the public IP and port number. The port numbers are unique to each connection between the inside network and outside network. In this way, the router can map the inside global address to each connection, even when the same computer initiates multiple connections.</p> <p>For example, 10.0.1.2 requests data from techtarget.com:443 and opens port 10.0.1.2:1487 for replies. The router intercepts this and forwards it, but it says that replies should go to 34.120.117.196:65002 and makes the mapping of 10.0.1.2:1487=34.120.117.196:65002. The next computer also requests data from techtarget.com:443 and opens port 10.0.1.3:1489. The router changes this to say 34.120.117.196:65003 and makes the mapping of 10.0.1.3:1489=34.120.117.196:65003. When the web server sends its replies to 34.120.117.196:65002 and 34.120.117.196:65003, the router gets them and forwards them to the correct internal computer.</p> <p>Most <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/Tips-for-setting-up-a-home-network">home networks</a> use PAT to connect internal devices to the internet. In such a scenario, the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/ISP-Internet-service-provider">internet service provider</a> assigns a public IP address to the network's router. The router, in turn, assigns a private internal IP address to each device on the inside network. When one of those devices connects to a resource on the internet -- i.e., the outside network -- the router assigns a port number to the connection. The port number is appended to the public IP address so that the connection has a unique address.</p> <p>This process is repeated for each device on the inside network, whether a laptop, tablet, smartphone or other type of smart device. In this way, all devices on the inside network can share the same public IP address even if they access the internet at the same time. The router knows exactly which device to send specific <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/packet">packets</a> to because of the unique port number that has been assigned to each connection.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is the difference between NAT and PAT?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is the difference between NAT and PAT?</h2> <p>NAT is the general term for whenever IP address translation is needed between devices on different networks. PAT is a method of implementing NAT using port numbers. PAT is the most common form of NAT.</p> <p>Other methods of implementing NAT include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Static NAT.</li> <li>Dynamic NAT.</li> <li>Carrier-grade NAT.</li> <li>Deterministic NAT.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Port address translation advantages and disadvantages"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Port address translation advantages and disadvantages</h2> <p>Port address translation has its benefits and drawbacks.</p> <h3>Port address translation advantages</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Ability to serve hundreds of devices from a single public IP address.</li> <li>Simple implementation with no <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/configuration">configuration</a>.</li> <li>Increased security by hiding internal device details.</li> </ul> <h3>Port address translation disadvantages</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li>No direct inbound access allowed and requires the use of port forwarding.</li> <li>Issues with double NAT and real-time communication forwarding.</li> <li>Might require multiple public IP addresses to support several hundred clients.</li> <li>May not <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/scalability">scale</a> into tens of thousands of clients.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is the difference between PAT and port forwarding?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is the difference between PAT and port forwarding?</h2> <p>Port address translation is a way for several internal devices to share a single public IP address. PAT is primarily concerned with internal devices connecting to external devices; it does not offer a way for an external device to send an unexpected request inbound. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/tunneling-or-port-forwarding">Port forwarding</a> is a way to map a specific external port to a single internal IP address and port combination.</p> <p>Port forwarding is used when an internal service needs to be accessible to external devices or the internet. This might be needed for a web or game server. Certain <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/protocol">protocols</a> may also benefit from having port forwarding configured.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-1" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WexBQ1XgaDw?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> <p><em>When configuring a network, network administrators must <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/Static-IP-vs-dynamic-IP-addresses-Whats-the-difference">choose between a static or dynamic IP address</a>; learn what these IP addresses offer, and also explore their pros and cons. Learn about <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/feature/12-common-network-protocols-and-their-functions-explained">common network protocols and their functions</a>.</em></p> </section> Port address translation (PAT) is a type of network address translation (NAT) that maps a network's private internal IPv4 addresses to a single public Internet Protocol address by using network ports. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/4.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/Port-Address-Translation-PAT Mon, 31 Mar 2025 09:00:00 GMT 60 webmaster@techtarget.com