The Internet of Everything (IoE): Keeping Us ‘Always On’

We’ve all heard about the internet of things (IoT) which connects machines to machines. And we are also using the internet to connect humans to humans. But, there is always the question of “online” and “offline” mode, which comes into the picture. In the case of the internet of everything (IoE) though, the “offline” mode will disappear completely. The IoE will be a networked connection of all things, including people, data, objects, process, etc. So, it will be an “always on” situation for all connected entities.

What Is IoE?

The internet of everything means connecting objects that are used in our daily lives. This gives special properties to objects, making them more intelligent and utilizable. For example, if a crock pot is connected via the internet of everything, then you will be able to operate it from the other end of the world.

The idea of the internet of everything comes from the idea of the internet of things, where everything will have data awareness, powerful sensing and better processing. Now, if you add people to this web, then a powerful network is formed, which will be made up of millions and billions of connections. This will form many opportunities too. This is the idea that IoE encompasses. (To learn more about IoE, see Professor Donald Lupo and the Internet of Everything.)

How IoE Is Different From IoT

While thinking of the differences between the internet of everything and the internet of things, we must first think about the term “things.” When we refer to “things,” we actually mean those objects which are physically present in an area, for example, a smartwatch, a smartphone or even a thermostat.

Whenever we think of an internet-connected device, those objects that can be controlled remotely via the internet usually come to mind, like a thermostat whose temperature can be controlled by a mobile phone. Some people think that IoE can be used for reading the data from these devices. However, we must understand that the internet doesn’t encompass only physical objects. Some services and websites, like Google, Facebook and Dropbox, don’t exist in physical spaces.

The internet contains even more objects. It also consists of data streams which travel through the connections between computers. Thus, people are also an essential part of the internet, as it consists of users too. The internet of everything contains all of these things in one comprehensive package. While IoT allows the devices to interact with each other, IoE allows everything to interact with each other.

For an even easier definition, we can think of the IoT as a railroad line consisting of the railroad tracks and the connections, but the IoE would consist of everything like the railroad line, the rail, the customers, ticket machines, human staff and even weather conditions.

How IoE Can Help in Connecting All Things

We know what IoE is, but how does it actually connect everything? It requires many different kinds of connecting technology, like 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, which have to be used properly for finding new applications. This also allows a whole new class of services to appear, which can be used for using the connected objects much more efficiently. A closely interconnected web of connections has to be made for better and quicker interactions.

IoE is beyond the concept of connections of just objects. It has to be extremely flexible and consistent, so that it can be used in important places, like in the medical field, where failure isn’t an option. For fulfilling such needs, the connections have to be tweaked to be used with many different types of devices. This means that the boundaries of different types of connections, like WAN and LAN have to be pushed, which is done by newer technologies like LTE Advanced and Wi-Fi.

What Is the Influence of IoE?

IoE will change the world in every field. It is a concept of connecting everything around us. So the world will be a closely connected system where all existing entities are interacting with each other. IoE is going to have a huge impact in all the directions of our lives.

For example, IoE will have a huge impact on all types of jobs. Those entering the job market at this time are very fortunate, as they will be able to adapt to it very easily, due to the advent of IoE. The internet of everything will connect every device and people will be able to access any information or documents they need in a matter of minutes from anywhere. They will rely heavily on electronics, which will help them in making their day-to-day tasks much faster. IT professionals will find that IoE will push the boundaries of networking and communication systems. However, system administrators will have to keep up with the technology and ensure security.

It is very clear that IoE will also have a lot of impact of job growth. IoE will not only influence the technological relationship between different people and devices, but will also influence the number of jobs in the world. A report says that the unemployment rate fell by 5.6 percent in the U.S. due to 252,000 new jobs created as a result of IoE. Thus, IoE is expected to continue to increase the number of jobs. This is because companies will now try to keep up with their rivals by implementing this technology, which can be implemented by hiring professionals. Also, for building these professionals, special “IoE trainers” are required, further adding to the job base.

So, it is opening up new job opportunities and also allowing the growth of industries.

Some Practical Use Cases

IoE is finding use in many different fields. Due to its reliability, many people and businesses are adopting it to make their daily operations faster than ever. It is also aiming toward a more connected world. Some of the use cases of the internet of everything are given below.

Manufacturing Sector

Many businesses in the manufacturing sector, like Dundee Precious Metals and General Motors, had problems related to production and resource management. Dundee had to improve the quality level of their production and make their mining operations efficient by automation. General Motors, on the other hand, had to improve the quality of their products, but without extra expenses.

By integrating IoE into their daily operations, both the companies benefited. Dundee improved the quality of mining products and improved miner safety, while General Motors benefited by saving a lot of money on production and also replaced its legacy connections with newer ones.

Public Sector

In the public sector, medical service providers have greatly benefited from IoE. For example, the Miami Children’s Hospital is using IoE to help people and doctors obtain faster access to reports for getting more information on the patient’s condition. Implementation of IoE makes the services faster and more accessible when necessary.

Another thing that IoE has brought about is the creation of TelePresence units, where doctors can do their daily rounds and patient consultation, even when they aren’t physically on location. (For more on health care advancements, see How Predictive Analytics Can Improve Medical Care.)

Conclusion

The internet of everything is clearly a step beyond the internet of things. The advent of this technology has allowed users to connect everything and get faster access to connected objects. IoE has had a tremendous impact on many fields of human knowledge, especially in the field of business, where it has allowed much more efficiency. IoE has also helped in overall job growth by creating many new jobs. It is currently being used in many different places and it is estimated that it will be used even more in the near future, which will result in a more closely connected world. So, IoE really will keep us “always on.”