How IoT is transforming businesses

Based on evidence, it seems fairly safe to say that IoT technology has been integrated in many industry sectors. In today’s world of uncertainty and risk for individuals, IoT technology has the potential to significantly improve services by providing an efficient method of delivery of that service whilst providing new business insights and better customer experiences.

Today, we live in a world of social isolation and further extended quarantine, as a result of this pressure, more efficient and innovative business models could assist the most essential services in their adaptation to the limitations and challenges that COVID-19 presents. Due to the extreme vulnerability of elder residents, care homes and retirement homes have felt the impact of the virus more severely than most of us. Senior monitoring company SeniorAdom works on connecting motion detectors and the central platform which uses an algorithm to track and monitor the elderly resident’s activity to work out an average standard activity level for that person thus alerting staff to any abnormal behaviour/activity before a dangerous event occurs.

In the situation of lockdown, elderly people who live alone or even inside a care home are able to be monitored and assessed on an hourly or daily basis by care workers and medical stuff who have limited contact time. Family members are also able to access a portal so that they can see what is happening with their loved ones on a 24/7 basis. This includes a connected thermometer, a heart rate monitor, and a ventilator for any patients who require more intensive care that can also be monitored remotely, mitigating the risk of spreading infection further. If more data intensive heart rate monitoring is combined with motion detection on one platform, this is something incredibly powerful, which still enables the elderly to stay at home with a degree of independence.

Aside from healthcare, there are other essential services that continue to support the many people currently confined to their homes. With the current pandemic, waste collectors are now under more pressure to keep our streets and homes in a sanitary condition. However, waste and rubbish collection services have now been significantly reduced and a large amount of public waste disposal sites are temporarily closed, which can pose a greater risk to public health and the environment.

IOT is able to bring certain benefits to the waste management sector in terms of monitoring bins and scheduling more efficient pick-ups. This has sparked a lot of enthusiasm particularly in the current climate. IOT is now able to monitor bins and tell waste management companies if they’re empty or full offering an on-demand subscription service which requires less collection trips. Due to the increasing pressure of quarantine, a similar option is available to residences as well. This could perhaps be under a government subsidy so that domestic waste can be collected far more efficiently with fewer drives and fewer rounds so that waste management companies don’t fail at a time when they are needed the most.

The potential of IOT in the transformation of businesses has been quickly realized. Businesses of all kinds are recognizing that they are able to save both time and money in their operations. At this critical, challenging time, IOT connectivity could be the all-important deciding factor of whether services like waste collection or that of senior care are able to cope with increased demand.