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Internet of Things: Definition und einfach erklärt

The Internet of Things (IoT) explained in simple terms

Digitalisation offers industrial companies exciting new possibilities for optimising their processes, as demonstrated in particular by the Internet of Things. 

Along with Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most familiar terms in the digitalisation context. Because of that, it’s often taken for granted that people understand the associated technology. But what exactly is the Internet of Things? In actual fact, it’s easy to explain. Sensors link physical objects (such as machinery and equipment) to an IT system and, in some cases, each other. This means data that is captured can be transmitted to an overarching system such as a cloud. It also enables systems to work together intelligently. The transmitted data is analysed, evaluated and processed in a clear format. The term “smart” often crops up in this context.

The data is transmitted via an interface to a gateway. Some of it is processed and visualised locally, while some is passed on via the internet connection to the cloud, where all the aggregated data is made available and evaluated. Additional applications use software interfaces to call up data from the cloud and process it. For example, users can call up KPIs (key performance indicators) and visualisations. This enables them to take decisions that are based, for instance, on transparent data relating to aspects such as capacity utilisation, error rates or downtime. The internet is widely used in this way both by individuals and in industry, where it is referred to as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). In the free item Academy, you will find a detailed introduction to the Internet of Things. Discover in an informative and entertaining way how IoT solutions can help you optimise processes at your company.

Internet of Things (IoT) training

The free item Academy shows you the basics of how to use the Internet of Things to make targeted improvements to production processes and provides some concrete examples.
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IoT solutions – smart machine networking

In actual fact, the Internet of Things is used more widely in your day-to-day life than you might initially think. Fitness trackers are a good example of gadgets that are used away from the workplace. The health data they collect can be displayed very clearly and evaluated by the user. The training module in the item Academy uses this example to explain the abstract digitalisation and IoT concepts, both vividly and transparently. This creates the ideal basis for presenting possible industrial applications of the Internet of Things. Predictive maintenance is one option. By continuously evaluating machine data, potential problems can be predicted at an early stage and thus avoided.

Using examples to understand the Internet of Things

The example of simultaneously monitoring and networking wind farms demonstrates the advantages of predictive maintenance. Collecting data creates the basis for predicting faults. What’s more, the findings obtained in this way play a key role in developing new services for companies. Besides the technical principles and applications, the IoT module in the item Academy also explains the differences between edge computing and cloud computing, defines the key terms and provides practical tips for taking your first simple steps towards the Industry of Things. The interactive design incorporates quiz elements, videos and animations in all sections. This makes for a varied learning experience and helps you create the ideal basis for using IoT solutions to optimise processes at your own company.

Interactive elements provide an entertaining way of putting your newly acquired knowledge to the test.

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