The Internet of Things (IoT) stands for the “things” used in the creation of internet communication standards, apps, and further network devices involved in connection object platforms. With the advent of the internet and then wireless connectivity sensors, the IoT took off and became a place for small start-up investors. The term “internet of things” (IoT) was coined in the 1990s referring to machine-to-machine industry connections allowed through new technology developments impacting everything from the automotive industry to home computing. The IoT did not meet up and attempt to fully integrate with the Cloud until around 2015 to 2020. During this same time period, the Energy Utility sector saw the advent of the “Smart Grid” and with it, the permanent tie into the IoT.
While the IoT has been around for a while, it has not taken off with rapid growth and further innovations for advancing hardware items as promised by its first inception. Instead, data pipelines and custom device connectivity software have been prevalent in the next stages of IoT development. Small businesses centering their products around developing IoT devices rely on advancing technology to create a market for new equipment compatible with the already existing IoT larger enterprises. The days of IoT technology rapid turnover ran into a dead-end with the advent of software as a service (SaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS) decisions to use inherently already existing IoT components and launch on network capabilities through the designs of communication features such as the Cloud. The Energy Utility community liked the PaaS and SaaS choices for handling large data packages and rolled easily into the next-generation Cloud propositions. “...the role of cloud computing in IoT is to work together to store IoT data, providing easy access when needed.”(1)
As a term used to refer to all internet and communications network hardware and enabling technological pieces and parts of devices, the IoT has become almost slang in conversations revolving around the implementation of connectivity data. IoT data is data used for machines and items to “understand” the connection patterns and responses needed to perform. In addition to IoT data, developed communication structures such as the Cloud carry other data stored and retrieved by user-to-user interactions. “The so called fourth industrial revolution, Industry 4.0, is centered on digitalization and advanced data analytics enabled by the cloud.”(2) The Energy Utility sector has kept up with the progress against all early predictions that Energy communities would be slower than most to adopt modern changes.
IoT is rarely mentioned in modern terminology except as a passing phase wording from the past still occasionally referenced to explain the evolution of machine-to-machine or “things” networking. While SaaS is truly modernly established and PaaS is arriving strong on the scene, IoT is an idea integrated into the services explanations and is no longer a stand-alone pursuit. The Energy sector uses outside companies to partner for SaaS and PaaS services and these contracts are held by individual Energy companies and tailored to the unique service needs of each Energy Utility company's customer base. As the IoT is falling behind the times in advancing an idea and keeping up with the terminology, PaaS is striding forward encompassing the already almost extinct IoT ideology. “The PaaS will be driven by remote workforces’ continued need to access to high-performing and scalable infrastructure via modernized and cloud native applications…”(3) A PaaS creation is tailored to specific data analytic needs and functions. An SaaS is used for product dissemination and user interaction decisions. The Cloud enables PaaS to network across devices and passes through Cloud structure to encompass an entire set of interconnections centered on the Cloud hub.
Another technology strong in current development is the new formations of Cloud interactions available through Artificial Intelligence (AI). Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is looming on the horizon with AI expected machine learning to involve in such data placement decisions as moving apps through the Cloud to the PaaS network and serverless connectivity of devices “named” as families capable of Cloud “talking” (already a partial working development in some Energy communities with instrumentation such as apps on a phone that turn on and off lights at home). Security Cloud uses for data pipeline streaming can be directed in an IaaS environment by AI decision direction. The Cloud and IoT have a mutually beneficial relationship within the borders of external accesses supporting internet and wireless secure data pipeline creation.
In the foreseeable next IaaS Cloud combinations, multiple Clouds used at once overlapping protection and widening the base of data access will be capable of working as one while remaining independent and almost functioning as a partial IoT component without the tangibility denoted for IoT inclusion. While the IoT as nomenclature is becoming an extinct dinosaur, Cloud/technology device pairings have evolved into breeding grounds for the next new technology applications. Instead of the IoT, the SaaS businesses, PaaS developments, IaaS connections, and AI have all opened the door for future Cloud integrations with the IoT legacy in mind. In the Energy sector digitalization and data analytics have advanced far enough to involve all of these next-generation technology endeavors. SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, and AI are at the forefront of Energy Utility modernization use and the Energy community is leading the way for the public full development of custom Cloud-based systems.
Although IoT is not dead in the concept water yet, so much thought technology has changed since the 1990s that it seems as if IoT is to be relegated to a blip on the technology evolution ladder. Service elements rose up to bridge the gap between data communications and storage and hardware accouterments. In the present time, updating technology is as simple as updating software, services, apps, and networks. When looking back at the heyday of IoT and then looking forward to the new expectations for the Cloud, it becomes clear that the necessary changes for smooth futures to transition from today’s integrations to tomorrow's innovations will simply embrace the IoT models left and replace them with the updated realities of ever-changing upgraded Energy Utility systems and products.
References:
- “IoT and Cloud Computing”, Geeks for Geeks. (March 25, 2022).
- Kharuk, M., “How cloud computing is transforming the renewable energy industry”, Rated Power. (June 27, 2022).
- Goodison, D., “10 Future Cloud Computing Trends To Watch In 2021”, CRN, (The Channel Co.). (November 20, 2020).