What is IIoT?

You may have heard of IoT in recent years as more and more devices have become connected to the Internet. IoT, or Internet of Things, encompasses networked devices that can be accessed or monitored remotely through the web.

IoT can include everything from smartphones and desktops to refrigerators and doorbell cameras. Using IoT technology, users can control devices in real-time and receive notifications about a device’s performance or the conditions in which the device is operating.

IoT in Industrial Applications

While IoT is great for managing a smart home or small office space, industrial applications require a slightly different approach. This is where the industrial Internet of things comes in. Industrial Internet of things (IIoT) technology involves networked machinery that may be located on a job site, in a manufacturing facility, or spread out across a number of sites.

These devices and machines are all networked and connected, allowing business owners, factory workers, safety managers, and others in an industrial setting to get real-time updates about the functionality of these components as a whole.

IIoT Can Improve Productivity

One of the biggest benefits of utilizing IIoT technology is that it can improve productivity. An example of this can be found in the monitoring of forklifts on an industrial warehouse production floor. In a traditional setting, a forklift that experiences an issue may require the driver to walk to a reporting station, make a call for assistance, and then wait until a technician arrives to make changes to the forklift’s diagnostics.

Using IIoT, the problem can be automatically reported to a control center where a repair technician can dispatch a firmware update or code repair within minutes. This can be sent directly to the forklift or any other machinery that experiences a similar problem as long as the device is connected to the on-site IIoT and is capable of receiving and implementing remote patches. Using this technology, people can get back to work faster, and repair costs can be lowered at the same time.

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