The Internet of Things (IoT) has
created a storm of assumptions and myths. Many news articles regurgitate
old themes and hyped up terms by doing a cut and paste of the term IoT
into an article. In this article we will address these myths.
1. Everything with an IP address is IoT
Shock and horror. A significant number of IoT devices do not have an
IP address. They use an alternative networking protocol such as Lorawan
or Sigfox where communications do not rely on a protocol designed in the
1970’s as a Do It Yourself (DIY) project for an island’s university. It
is “things”, not everything!
2. Data centres will be filled with huge quantities of IoT data.
IoT operates at a low bit rate. They complete their tasks within a
couple of seconds at this low bit rate. It a Point of Sale (POS) ran at
the same bit rate it would take 3 minutes for a payment. A video surveillance camera
will use the same amount of data in 1 hour as an IoT sensor will use in
it’s lifetime of over 20 years. To assume that new data centres will
come into existence and be filled chock a block with IoT data is a
stretch.
3. IoT is a security problem.
There is a large amount of fake news being propagated by security
companies. The ones who have since 1995 sold their file scanning engines
as an over exaggerated security management solution. These companies
state IoT is a threat as botnets target IoT. The examples they use are
webcams, digital video recorders and Windows. Refer: http://bit.ly/2zTMCHA
Webcams are webcams. Always has been and always will be. They didn’t
miraculously become an IoT devices because a ponytail in the marketing
department of Silicon Valley decided to make it so. An IoT device has
two characteristics namely low power and low bit-rate. A webcam is
neither. And Windows? Give me a break, I’ve yet to find an IoT device
running Windows in a production system. For the record, there has been
no IoT botnet!!!
4. IoT networks have a business case
The cheapest form of network connectivity is GSM. Most of the IoT
networks out there are three to four times the price of GSM. No-one will
move to these networks at that price. The obvious strategy would be to
aggregate IoT sensors to a gateway to connect to a Machine to Machine
network using GSM. IoT networks as a competitor to mobile network
operators are hot air. They are even less viable than wifi hotspot
operators.
5. IoT is a new fad
IoT has been around for decades. An example is vehicle tracking
devices that have been in existence for decades. These devices are GPS
location sensors that communicate a vehicle's position and use GPRS as
the means of communication. GPRS is a low bit rate mobile based protocol
that was the first entry by mobile operators into data. It is still
used today for low bit rate applications.
Post comments about your own ideas of IoT myths.
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