Gone are the days where only our desktops and laptops connected to the internet. With how rapidly the digitally connected world changes, those days may as well be in another lifetime—and the world is only getting more connected. Nowadays, just about any digital device you can think of can connect to the internet, serving a huge range of functions.
All of these devices are quickly becoming connected through a network called the Internet of Things, or IoT. Let’s get into the growing number of IoT devices, how they connect, and what the future of connectivity looks like.
There are billions and billions of devices across the globe that are connected to the internet. Each of these devices collects and sends data, allowing us to fully utilize their functions. While it may sound incomprehensible that devices on every continent have become this intertwined, it’s due in large part to just how affordable computer chips have become, and how well-linked wireless networks continue to be.
This ever-expanding network and list of devices mean that just about anything you can think of has the potential to become a part of the IoT. No matter how large or small, it can send and receive data. Virtually anything can now become a “smart” device. Your coffee cup? Check. Your speaker? Yep. Pills and medications? Those, too.
While virtually anything can become a “smart” device, there are some IoT devices that probably aren’t too shocking. In fact, it makes sense that many of our digital devices—the ones we use to perform work, navigate roads, gain health information, and communicate with friends and family—are a part of the IoT. Common IoT devices include:
It may seem like the IoT sprang from nowhere. To a degree, the idea of connecting our lightbulbs, refrigerators, and toothbrushes to an unseen network is somewhat new. But things like phones and sensors? Not so much.
As far back as the 1980s (and probably prior), the idea of connecting a growing number of devices began to take root. But this was when in-home computers were far from ubiquitous; it wasn’t until the 1990s that families began to buy computers. Laptops would have to wait several years to develop beyond bulky, cumbersome sizes to the ones that we slide in our backpacks today.
Like most concepts, it took years of trial, error, and evolution to reduce chip sizes while improving performance. Moreover, getting billions of objects to talk to each other required a massive network—and those networks were either still in their infancy or waiting to be born. In 2020 and beyond, these networks will only continue to grow and become more interwoven in our daily lives.
As the IoT grows, so too will the devices that can connect to it and touch our daily lives. DOHA offers a range of IoT devices, from laptops and tablets to wearables, that are perfect to keep you, your business, and your family connected with the world. Reach out to us today at 1-888-DOHA-INC to learn more about how we can help you stay connected.
