One of the most inspiring terms for the enterprise right now, is the concept of the "Internet of Things", a world where countless devices are connected, and collaborating through a singular internet connection. Towards the beginning of the IoT revolution, there's a good chance that you associated this technology with wearable technologies, smartphones, and tablets, but there's more to the connected world than you might think.
IoT could be the solution that allows companies to determine how often employees are using their desk phone hardware, or what headset features get the most use. With the internet of things, you can access data in real-time, tracking, manipulating, and analysing important information on the go. If you can converge communication technology, with the versatility and scalability of the Cloud, then you could use IoT to get the competitive edge in your industry. After all, there's a reason why the IoT market is expected to reach a value of $8.9 trillion by 2020.
IoT and the Possibilities of Real Time Communication
Imagine a world where you would know instantly when a technician arrived on a work site, so you could send out messages to check how he or she is doing or provide them with updated information about a problem. The Internet of Things creates a trackable, connected ecosystem of devices, constantly open to receive notifications, alerts, and useful data.
While there are plenty of advantages to the opportunity of real-time communication, one of the most commonly cited solutions links back to the concept of instant notifications for emergency situations. For instance, in the healthcare sector, Mitel are already helping innovative companies to offer their patients a more proactive care experience with the use of connected devices, endpoints, and other sensors.
Imagine, for instance, that you were a doctor looking after a patient with dementia. You have other patients to care for, so you can't watch over that one individual all day, but with IoT sensors, and a wearable device, you could get a notification sent directly to your smartphone or desktop that informs you when the patient leaves their bed, or when they move past geographical markers around the hospital. This could instantly reduce the risk of accidents in a healthcare setting.
In an environment where technicians need to travel to client homes to complete repairs, an IoT device could connect with a Cloud network and send information back to the manufacturer headquarters, so that they can give an agent the tools and support they need to safely fix or troubleshoot a problem.
Connecting IoT to Unified Communications
As the world of Unified Communications becomes more complex, one of the biggest issues that end-users have, is with ease of adoption. Customers want to be able to control everything from their computer screens, to their whiteboards, meeting room facilities, and conference information from a single interface. An IoT solution could make something like this more possible, by creating a workspace for communications and collaboration.
