Asset monitoring
Tracking the condition and location of equipment and vehicles.
Technology / Infrastructure and Edge
Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet of Things connects physical equipment, environments and assets to software. Sensors report conditions, devices respond to commands and data flows to systems that monitor, analyse and increasingly apply AI.
What is Internet of Things?
Short answer
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical devices, such as sensors, machines, vehicles, meters and appliances, equipped with electronics, software and connectivity that allow them to collect data, exchange it with other systems and, in some cases, act on commands, typically managed through gateways and cloud or on-premises platforms.
An IoT solution usually has several layers: sensors and devices, connectivity such as Wi-Fi, cellular or low-power networks, gateways that aggregate and translate data, platforms that manage devices and store data, and applications that present information and trigger actions.
IoT creates the data foundation for many AI applications, including predictive maintenance, energy optimisation and digital twins. Its challenges are practical: device reliability in harsh conditions, power, connectivity, fleet management, security and integration with existing operational systems.
Related concepts
- Sensors
- MQTT
- Gateways
- Edge AI
- Digital Twins
- LoRaWAN
- Data Engineering
How it works
How does Internet of Things work?
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Sense
Sensors measure physical conditions such as temperature, vibration, location or flow.
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Connect
Devices transmit data using suitable networks and protocols.
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Aggregate
Gateways collect, filter and forward data, sometimes processing it locally.
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Manage and store
IoT platforms handle device identity, updates and data ingestion.
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Analyse and act
Applications and AI turn data into alerts, insights and automated responses.
Applications
Where is Internet of Things useful?
Common applications across industries. Suitability always depends on the specific data, process and constraints.
Predictive maintenance
Using vibration and temperature data to anticipate failures.
Energy management
Metering and optimising energy use in buildings and plants.
Cold chain
Monitoring temperature for food and pharmaceuticals in transit.
Smart agriculture
Soil, weather and irrigation monitoring.
Smart buildings
Occupancy, air quality and equipment monitoring.
Limitations
Limitations and when not to use it
Every technology has boundaries. Knowing them early avoids expensive disappointment.
- Devices in harsh environments require ruggedisation and maintenance.
- Connectivity may be unreliable in remote locations.
- Large fleets are complex to provision, update and support.
- Insecure devices can expose networks to attack.
- Data from low-quality or uncalibrated sensors can mislead.
Common misconceptions
IoT is mainly about sensors.
Connectivity, data management, security and applications usually require more effort than sensors.
More data points always help.
Data must be relevant, accurate and used; excessive data adds cost.
IoT security can be added later.
Device identity, encryption and update mechanisms must be designed in from the beginning.
Comparison
Common IoT connectivity options
Connectivity choice depends on range, data rate, power and cost.
| Option | Range | Data rate | Power use | Typical uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Short | High | High | Buildings, factories with coverage |
| Bluetooth Low Energy | Very short | Low to moderate | Very low | Wearables, asset tags |
| 4G and 5G cellular | Wide | High | Moderate to high | Vehicles, remote sites, video |
| LoRaWAN | Long | Very low | Very low | Agriculture, utilities, city sensors |
| NB-IoT | Wide | Low | Low | Meters, simple remote monitoring |
Decision guide
How to evaluate Internet of Things for your organisation
Questions worth answering before investing. They form the basis of our feasibility and proof-of-concept work.
| Question to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What decisions will IoT data support? | Purpose determines what to measure and how often. |
| What are the physical and power constraints? | Environment and power shape device and connectivity choices. |
| How will devices be secured and updated? | Fleet security is essential for safe operation. |
| How will IoT data integrate with existing systems? | Value depends on connecting to maintenance, operations and planning systems. |
| Who will install and maintain devices? | Operational support is a major part of total cost. |
AARHIT services
Services that apply Internet of Things
How we put this technology to work for organisations.
Advance Technology
Internet of Things and Edge AI
Connect devices and sensors, and run inference close to where data is produced when latency or connectivity demands it.
Explore service AutomationIndustrial Automation
Connect plant systems, sensors and control data with analytics and AI for monitoring, quality and maintenance.
Explore service Advance TechnologyDigital Twin Development
Create data-connected virtual models of assets, processes or facilities for monitoring, simulation and planning.
Explore service Technology & EngineeringData Engineering and Analytics
Build pipelines, warehouses, lakehouses and analytics that give AI and reporting reliable, governed data.
Explore serviceFAQ
Internet of Things FAQs
What is IoT?
The Internet of Things is the network of connected physical devices that collect and exchange data, enabling remote monitoring, analysis and control of equipment and environments.
What is Industrial IoT?
Industrial IoT applies IoT to industrial settings such as factories, utilities and energy, connecting machines and sensors for monitoring, maintenance and optimisation.
What is MQTT?
MQTT is a lightweight publish and subscribe messaging protocol widely used in IoT for efficient communication between devices and platforms.
How does IoT relate to AI?
IoT provides real-world data that AI analyses to detect anomalies, predict failures, optimise operations and power digital twins, sometimes directly on edge devices.
How do you secure IoT devices?
Through unique device identities, secure boot, encrypted communication, network segmentation, least-privilege access and signed over-the-air updates.
Next step
Exploring Internet of Things?
Tell us what you want to achieve. We will help you judge whether this technology is the right fit and how to test it with your own data.