The internet of things is one of the hottest, and it has quickly found relevant in a variety of sectors. The IoT is, in fact, a revolutionary concept, and when we consider the various ways in which mobile apps are leveraging IoT, the picture becomes clearer. Now let’s discuss how mobile apps are benefitting from the technological improvements in this area but initially let’s understand how it works.
The concept of the Internet of things
IoT refers to a network of objects or devices that consist of embedded technology, which enables them to communicate with each other. The physical devices can connect with any other, and it can happen anywhere including home appliances, smoke alarms, or any device that is connected to the web or any other device in some way. The “thing” in the Internet of Things is a natural or manmade object that will be given a unique IP address and can exchange data as per certain predetermined rules.
IoT solutions are found in healthcare, retail, and agriculture and so on. We cannot appreciate IoT until we begin to put the IoT market potential in perspective. It was projected that the IoT would consist of about 30 billion objects in the next two years with a market value of over $7 trillion.
Why should you use IoT solution in your Mobile Apps?
The best tool which can be used to harness the benefits of IoT solutions properly is the mobile phone. Currently, there are over 2.6 billion smartphone users in the globe and market studies shows that smartphone users will considerably increase in the years to come.
Apart from this, accessing IoT solutions using mobile apps is logical since mobile app development is quite expensive. This makes them a bit more accessible also. Also, they offer a more flexible platform for transmitting data in comparison to web apps.
IoT development in mobile apps helps the remote control of other smart gadgets with a single mobile device. Keep in mind that all the tools have been assigned their unique IP addresses and all are connected to the internet.
How are Mobile Apps Leveraging IoT?
Mobile phones have immensely simplified our lives. However, with IoT it is possible to interlink a myriad of gadgets and exchange information, further streamline our lives. Some way by which mobile apps are utilizing IoT are discussed here:
Wearables
Wearables are an important part of the IoT solutions. With the help of connections like Bluetooth and Wifi, is possible to connect wearables like watches, eyeglasses and even bands to your mobile phones. In this manner, any form of data can be exchanged between the two devices.
Healthcare
Home based medical devices are becoming more and more popular in recent years and thanks to leveraging the power of IoT for mobile application development. Medical devices are connected to sensors, which receive health data from the patient, which is transferred to the mobile app. This data can be moved remotely to the doctor of family members in case of emergency. In this way, the need to visit the hospital for minor issues is substantially reduced.
Some IoT solutions based on health care include managing chronic diseases, monitoring clinical conditions, assisted living, wellness monitoring and preventive measures. As per market research, the health IoT app development is expected to reach $117 billion in 2 years.
Intelligent homes
With the effectiveness of IoT developments, home automation has been taken to a completely new level. Home appliances like heating/ cooling systems, bulbs, locks, and so many others can be remotely controlled with the help of a mobile device.
The extended use of mobile devices makes the best option for home automation. This will not only ensure safety and security but also will drastically reduce energy consumption.
Agriculture
The world population is going to hit 9 billion by 2015. The need for improved agriculture to meet up with the ever-growing food demand is a necessity. The IoT based sensible farming is used to watch field crop with sensors like temperature, humidity, light, soil wetness and so on. With the help of these sensors, the farmer can remotely monitor the conditions of their land with the help of their mobile devices. In this way, efficient farming can be realized.
Other IoT development being applied in the agriculture includes precision of farming, agriculture drones, livestock monitoring, and smart greenhouses.
Retail
In the case of retail, the “things” can consist of RFID inventory tracking chips, Wi-Fi tracking system, digital signage, etc. Their sensors get relevant data that are transferred to mobile apps. This helps to respond proactively into the customer’s needs depending on the time and place.
Other implementation of the IoT in retailing consist of predictive maintenance equipment, demand-based warehouses, connected customers and smart stores, etc.
The mobile app also utilizes IoT in areas such as smart cities, smart grid, enterprises, vehicles, etc.
Benefits & Challenges of IoT app development
Mobile devices are widely used and very popular since they are very cheap. Integrating them with IoT development can make it highly efficient. Unnecessary physical work can be reduced, and the quality of life can be improved considerably.
The major difficulties of IoT app development are security integrity. Since many devices are interconnected, the hackers can cause harm if the system is breached. Therefore, more care should be taken while developing high integrity security systems.
Summing Up
A new trend will always bring hope and fear both alongside it- A fear of risk and the desire for success. IoT is a massive change that is seeping in the technological world. Some industries have plunged in the change, and this adaption is helping them too, while others are still waiting for others to take the risk first.
