The Brain of Things
The Internet of Things is the talk of the town these days, but really for many of us IoT is just a new spin on a very old idea that some have been doing for a very long time. In fact, we here at SOTI have been connecting all sorts of devices to our software since way back in 2001. Organizations like NASA have been connecting sensors and devices to communications systems and software for decades. Who would have thought that creating a hot three letter acronym and polishing it off by making the “o” in IoT smaller than the other two letters would have generated so much fuss?
But beyond the hype, there really are some interesting things that are happening, this time around.
Overcoming the Language Barrier
The first is protocols. The IoT buzz has made manufacturers aware that to compete in the new world their products will need to talk, and not just talk but talk in standardized languages. In the old days to talk to anything meant a lot of coding, since no two things shared the same mechanisms for communication. There are now several emerging protocol standards that are bringing us closer to being able to automatically talk to anything without needing to write code. With standardization and a wee bit of configuration in the near term, software and hardware should be able to talk, or at least exchange data in a much more ubiquitous manner than before.
Talk is Cheap
Ok, so now we can talk, big deal !! Comparing this to humans, exchanging information by itself is not useful. When we talk to someone (assuming we are speaking the same protocol/language), it is our ability as humans to analyze and process what we hear that makes communications fruitful. Processing what we hear, see, smell, taste, or feel can result in an intelligent reply or action. Yup, humans are amazing IoT processors, with specialized sensors and protocols for receiving data from each type of sensor. Getting back to non-living IoT, once we get talking (i.e. getting data from devices), that data becomes useful only if we can “think” about the data we receive, and react to it. Saying it another way we need to build software brains to think about the data, just like humans do.
Predicting The Future
The more data we get from not only devices but also from external software systems, the possibilities become endless. With intelligent “thinking” software that processes this data, ideally in real-time, we can do some amazing things. Understanding data will allow us to predict what is going to happen and will allow us to make decisions that will help the world. Think early prediction of health issues allowing us to save lives, avoiding transportation accidents, or even better prediction of earthquakes. A great example of IoT that we have been using for years is weather forecasting, with more and better data as well as better thinking software we have come a long way from the early days of weather forecasting. So in the end the software to analyse and think about this data is the real magic. Given the importance of this “thinking” technology, and the key role it plays in completing the IoT equation, I felt it really needed a name that I could use around the water cooler. I decided to call it the “Brain of Things” or BoT. Saying it another way, IoT is nothing without BoT.
Keeping the Doors Locked
Ok, so once we get everything connected and have solved the BoT problem, are we done? Well not quite. As we get more connected, we need to be aware that each endpoint can now be considered to be an attack point. Given that IoT is trying to connect everything, there will be a lot more endpoints in the future. In the age of cyber terrorism that we live in, we need to make sure that as we advance this technology we have a strong focus on building in proper security at each step. As we begin to make important decisions based on this technology, and our BoT technology begins to think and react automatically, we need to be aware of the dangers that can come from people who attempt to misuse or manipulate this technology.
Endless Possibilities
What keeps us awake at night here at SOTI is that the possibilities of this technology are truly endless, we are limited only by what we can imagine, and that makes working in this space, FUN! We are excited about the renewed enthusiasm in this space. Our research into IoT and BoT is in high gear. We are connecting mobile devices, printers, wearables, sensors of all kinds, Raspberry PIs, automobiles and a lot more to our systems, with BoT projects focused on the Connected Vehicle, Business Intelligence and a lot more. We are working hard to leverage the power and possibilities of this technology but being careful to make sure that the technology we build is properly secured.
“With great power comes great responsibility”.
Carl, you have written this article 3 years back, since then have you thought of how your thoughts on BoT has evolved?
Marvellous - and uncanny too. "Brain of things" is reminiscent of "Brain of the Firm", a 1972 book on cybernetics by O/R champion Stafford Beer. Both BoT and BoF concern a similar domain. It's about time that IoT projects were driven forward in the context of real business needs. Well done!
Insightful point of view of IoT as BoT, which also have hidden direction towards creating some better artificial intelligent system, which not only just COLLECT data but can be used to make some intelligent decisions to help automate most of the system confidently. And of course (like you already covered) underlying all this is the utmost important concept of securing the communication between different endpoints(devices) which most of the discussion leave. Glad to be part of SOTI as front-runner in identifying this and creating solutions for our customer to help them innovate.
A practical problem many companies face today to develop IoT solutions or products is how to monetize them; how to create actual value for consumers that can be transformed into increased revenues or reduced cost. After the IoT hype many go thru a period of introspection and even disbelief in search of the elusive answer. CEOs often delegate this question to middle management, who spins their wheels, sometimes repeating what the media portraits. There is a catalyst still missing for most companies that face consumers. An opportunity as well.