Internet of Things Glossary: 30 Top IoT Terms Explained

Carmen opened her first bakery seven years ago. She had little experience in business, but her entrepreneurial nature and the dream of starting a bakery made her kickstart it. But she did not do it alone! Carmen was interested in how to make a fully efficient business through technology. Thanks to this and of course, to her artistic touch, now, her franchise is one of the success stories in which the Internet of Things has modernized one of the most traditional activities. If you are new to the world of the Internet of Things, these Top IoT Terms are the most used around the world and are great to get yourself acquainted with the basics of IoT.

The digital transformation of a commercial project is already a leap forward in the business conception, but the Internet of Things raises the level and is a milestone destined to change society.

It is true that the user is hardly aware of all that it entails, but we must banish the idea of science fiction – this technology is already among us, and it is here to stay. Carmen’s chain of bakeries is just one of the businesses that, thanks to the Internet of Things, already benefits from its use. It is a new revolution in the way of understanding communications that will change the way people relate to objects, people, and companies.

A Simple Concept

Although the technology involved in the process is very advanced, understanding the Internet of Things is very simple. It is based on the permanent connection of everyday objects with each other and with the cloud, where they ‘deposit’ the relevant information and data they collect from their environment for further analysis. In a way, it is as if the devices establish a conversation between them and with us for a common goal. The possible applications are immense, but it will be the businesses that can make the most of the data generated to make their activities more efficient and sustainable and find new business opportunities.

In the back of Carmen’s premises, she smells freshly baked bread, but also technology. The IoT applied to her business allows this entrepreneur to monitor data on temperatures, the level of wear and tear of the machinery, control the stocks in each establishment, know the number of customers who buy a specific product in real time, etc. Although they are things that, to a large extent, could already be done, the leap forward that the Internet of Things solutions allows is the connection between these points of origin of information to establish actions accordingly.

For example, self-regulating the temperature of each room to favor the maintenance of ingredients, automatic controlling of the store to find the best time for a new order according to sales or knowing when to review a device. The solutions are as many as the entrepreneur needs! The idea is to optimize your time and better manage your business.

However, as easy as it sounds, several IoT terms get people confused about the entire concept of IoT. For all those inquisitive minds, here is a compilation of the 30 IoT key terms that will get you super familiar with the internet of things!

Let’s check out the ultimate IoT glossary!

1. Ultra-Wideband (UWB)

An ultra-wideband is a transmitter that tends to emit a feeble and very wide (frequency-wise) pulse of the radio frequency energy. This signal comes in quite handy in order to localize other signals due to its wide signal bandwidth that allows for an excellent measuring of distance. It has a vast number of applications including fleet/inventory management and asset tracking.

2. Structure Attenuation

Structural attenuation can be defined as the lessening of the intensity of radio waves when they pass through a medium like a brick wall or others. It is a relevant term to note because structure attenuation can be responsible for slowing down the data transmission in IoT.

3. Industrial IoT (IIoT)

Industrial IoT is the M2M communication between various industrial applications and machinery. It plays an essential role because of its ability to make machines and equipment transmit real-time information to other applications.

4. Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing refers to remote servers that are hosted online in a network and can manage, store or process data. It is important for large data sets and can be of great help to manage security in disaster recovery and controls & collaboration. It is also an eco-friendly way of storing data.

5. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)

Bluetooth Low Energy is also called Bluetooth 4.0, which is a personal area network and is wireless. So, it can be used for a short range and power consumption at low levels. It can also be used for transmitting data.

6. Application Programming Interface (API)

The Application Programming Interface is a less complicated way used by computers to talk to software and hardware platforms. Third parties use API’s of other companies as a point of integration.

7. DIY – Do It Yourself

DIY is the process of experimenting, tinkering and building IoT devices without any help from professionals. It is your innovation and can come in various forms.

8. Encryption

Encryption is a process of making data safer for security purposes, and encrypted data can only be seen or unscrambled by the sending or receiving parties.

9. Embedded Software

Embedded Software works on hardware microcontrollers and is basically an instruction code. Embedded software is specialized for one particular hardware on which it runs and often has constraints of time and memory. Therefore, it must be addressed in the innovations of IoT.

10. Gateway

Gateway is designed to receive information from various network points, and it is also responsible for transmitting information to other networks. A gateway plays an important role when numerous wireless protocols are combined. It is a point where online communication stops. The data is exchanged through the hub of the gateway.

11. Smart Meter

Smart Meter is a device that is made to collect information and data about gas or electricity consumption. It is a smart device that helps in communicating the collected data to the consumer and the energy company.

12. Global Positioning System (GPS)

The Global Positioning System is present in almost all the smartphones that are made these days. It is a remarkable system that is used to determine specific geographical locations of various types of objects on earth. It uses satellites in space to carry out its functions.

13. Internet Protocol (IP)

The internet protocol is a networking standard for communications protocol of the internet. It allows the computers to take care of addresses, routers and packet switches as well as other things.

14. Robotics

Robotics is an evolving branch in engineering and computer science. It is aimed at building automated machines that can perform complicated tasks. With the advancement of artificial intelligence, there is enormous scope for robots to become smarter in carrying out complex work.

15. Smart Home

A Smart Home uses high-end technology to improve the quality of living by having a completely connected living area or a house. The idea of smart homes is to make your lives easier by adapting to your daily needs and habits.

16. Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is one of the most important and concerning things related to IoTs. The main idea of cybersecurity is to safeguard online devices, applications, systems, and tools. Every time a new product associated with IoT is launched in the market, considering matters related to cybersecurity becomes an important aspect while developing them.

17. Big Data

Big Data is another crucial part of IoTs that plays a vital role in almost all the aspects of life. It involves analyzing huge sets of data to determine activities, events, and trends on a large scale.

18. Augmented Reality (AR)

Augmented Reality is used to enhance the experience of the physical world using technology. AR works simultaneously with the things that surround us and creates a highly advanced augmented reality.

19. Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous Vehicles are controlled by computers and are equipped with cameras and sensors that help them to navigate the streets without human help. These can be trucks, trains or even cars. Some examples are the self-driving cars of Google or Tesla.

20. Contextual Awareness

Contextual Awareness is the ability of an advanced machine to adapt and recognize various environmental factors. This can be the user behavior, their surroundings or any other variables that are programmed in them. It processes all the collected information and determines the next action.

21. Sensors

With the advent of automation in cars, robots and artificial intelligence, sensors play an important role because they are responsible for detecting any changes in the surrounding areas. Sensors are used to communicate with computing devices and smartphones. They are an important part of IoT. There are embedded sensors that are placed inside the objects and create connections amongst various devices.

22. Smartphones

A smartphone is a mobile device that includes a wide range of digital computing capabilities and sophisticated sensors. Some of these capabilities are GPS, Microphone, Cameras and various other interesting features.

23. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence is a software that has very complex rule-based instructions and applications. AI aims to augment computational decision-making that is higher than human abilities or levels. However, there are definitely some reservations and fears that AI might overpower humans since they are programmed to learn and adapt quickly in order to become highly intelligent.

24. Algorithms

Algorithms play a key role in computational problem-solving. They are highly structured instructions that are developed for the devices to perform specific tasks and have a finite number of steps. Algorithms also play a crucial part in the Internet of Things.

25. Bluetooth

It is a wireless digital communication that can be used for short distances. It is a technology that enables two devices to transfer and receive digital videos, audios, signals, texts and much more. It is constantly improving and has been a great asset to IoT.

26. Local Area Network (LAN)

LAN is a combination of devices that are connected locally and includes phones, scanners, computers, printers and much more. These devices, when connected through LAN, can communicate in real time through wireless infrastructure or a cable.

27. General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)

GPRS is a standard wireless communication on mobile phone networks that support a large number of bandwidths to provide internet data. With the advancement of cell phone companies, GPRS can serve as something more cost-effective for the Internet of Things.

28. Quality of Service (QoS)

QoS manages the capabilities of networks and resources to provide the connectivity of IoTs. QoS is responsible for managing any kinds of delays, packet loss, and bandwidth to provide predictable and secure services. The QoS management plays a vital role inproviding high-priority messages and warnings in almost real-time.

29. Near Field Communication (NFC)

Near Field Communication allows for two-way communication within endpoints in close proximity. It can be short range, low speed,andlow power radio communication. NFC is popular for smartphones because of its contactless communication between two mobile devices. It can be used to transfer or send information without connecting the devices physically.

30. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

RFID is used to “excite” strong radio waves in a small tag which then sends the radio transmission back. It can be utilized only fora short range and small data. RFID tags play an important role in recording and detecting information such as radiation levels, movement, temperature, etc. Therefore, it can be of great use in Supply Chain Management and Asset Monitoring.

This IoT glossary is an ultimate go-to for all things IoT. The Internet of Things is an ever-evolving arena of smart changes on the planet. From self-driving cars to the increasingly intelligent robots, IoT is sure to take the world by a storm in the years to come.