17 Mar From the mundane to the fantastic: Five IoT Use cases that prove the promise beyond the hype

One of the things we encourage internally is bringing relatable substance to technologies. Yes Hyperconvergence is here but how does a telecom benefit? Yes Design Thinking is a powerful way of becoming customer centric but how does a bank use it and shorten time to value for its services. Internet of Things is no different and perhaps a bit harder because it is often used as an umbrella term with nebulous connotations. Here are five IoT use cases already in place that we like. These show how IoT is impacting the practical world and consequently help us figure out for our customers where this technology is starting to head.

1. The Smart Pill bottle: For geriatric patients taking pills is a way of life. It is not unusual to have a dozen different medications a day for some patients at different times. Missing pills can result in complications and even death. Enter “The Smart Pill bottle”. These bottles use data inputted in simple workflows in real time to make an adherence plan and then send reminders and alerts moment a dosage is missed. It’s compliant with all necessary regulations. It’s also rechargeable and lasts 5 years on a single charge.
2. A better airport experience: Mapping, live data from the airport’s IoT network and passenger booking details allow Gatwick and Easy Jet to offer a personalized experience to passengers. Because of the IoT network passengers get real time gate information including time to gate from where they are. They know when their bags have arrived on the belt along with check-in reminders and general directions for common tasks. All you need is a mobile phone or a smart watch with push notifications enabled!
3. Efficient shopping: You have made a shopping list of what you need and enter a large retailer with dozens of aisles. Do not panic because IoT based indoor positioning systems called beacons are poised to revolutionize retail! The list you made is on the store app. Simply upload it and the app displays a map with your stopping points. Need even more help? When you get close to where you need the product you will get a notification with news of any deals that may help you! When you get to the self-checkout counter, RFID scans on the cart result in an invoice that you pay for using your smartphone. Wow.
4. You’re watching a game. You order Dominoes pizza. Chromecast on TV enables you easy and at will access to a map so you can track where your order is! The trick are all the little GPS trackers in delivery vehicles. This may not seem like a big deal but at the heart of the success of the sharing economy is how seamless the customer experience is. IoT use cases that understand that and aim to make their customer’s experience with brand amazing will create sticky customers who buy more.
5. A little known use case from Chile can revolutionize agriculture in the world and result in increased yields and dramatic water savings. Blueberries are an essential foreign exchange earning export crop for Chile’s economy. While cultivating them a team put an IoT network of sensors in the ground. This allowed them to gather valuable data on irrigation and water demand. By aligning and optimizing the use of this gathered data farmers were able to produce optimal tasting crops saving 70% of the water! The implications are vast for this project. Forty percent of the global workforce works in agriculture and half a billion farms produce crops. Countries suffering from droughts and water shortages yet who need to feed their populations especially will be greatly helped as IoT and connected agriculture take hold upending and optimizing agriculture value chains.