Internet of Things
The Internet of things (IoT) describes the network of physical objects—“things”—that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the Internet.
You might've seen the commercial of people locking car doors using their mobile phone. Or closing the garage door after receiving an alert that the door was left open after the kids left. The "Things" in the acronym IoT are the cars, garage doors, camera systems and the like. Devices with sensors, software, and other technology that allows for the connection and exchange of information with other devices using the Internet or Intranet.
From Wikipedia - The definition of the Internet of things has evolved due to the convergence of multiple technologies, real-time analytics, machine learning, commodity sensors, and embedded systems. Traditional fields of embedded systems, wireless sensor networks, control systems, automation (including home and building automation), and others all contribute to enabling the Internet of things. In the consumer market, IoT technology is most synonymous with products pertaining to the concept of the "smart home", including devices and appliances (such as lighting fixtures, thermostats, home security systems and cameras, and other home appliances) that support one or more common ecosystems, and can be controlled via devices associated with that ecosystem, such as smartphones and smart speakers. IoT can also be used in healthcare systems.
From Wikipedia - There are a number of serious concerns about dangers in the growth of IoT, especially in the areas of privacy and security, and consequently industry and governmental moves to address these concerns have begun including the development of international standards.Securing IoT
If you're an installer, you may not have Errors and Omissions insurance. Getting into a new trade requires some diligence and you may want to consider looking into this. JP Technologies doesn't sell insurance! So this is an effort to merely help avoid troublesome issues.
Another idea is to look into Cyber Insurance. This is a growing area of coverage. Target, the big retailer, was hacked back in 2013 (and 2014 and... I digress). This intrusion turned out to be linked to the HVAC system and subsequently targeted the Point of Sale. There's a saying in security, "the hacker only has to be right once, the security has to be right every time" which is just another way of saying that the odds are stacked in the favor of the attacker.
Large businesses are targeted rarely but when it happens, there is usually a tremendous amount of press associated with the news. Small businesses are much more likely to have an incident occur that damages, sometimes mortally, and ends up with a larger impact than the business can bear.
We, again, don't sell insurance, but we do have connections in the industry and can assist with referring you to the best option for your business.
How can you introduce IoT in your business? A good first step is to determine what you want to provide. JP Technologies has a matrix of categories as well as targeted opportunities (such as Garden, Living Room, Audio, Visual).
We can help you determine the products that you want to sell, then assist with the installation and your consultative approach. This leads you to a profitable, safe and secure installation minimizing your learning curve.