The world is brimming with disruptive technology right now - particularly in the communication sector. Things like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the internet of things have transformed the way that we talk both to each other, and the objects all around us in our day-to-day lives.
Companies like Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, a leader in innovative communication services, believe that these new and exciting technologies have a lot to offer the business world of the future, for verticals all the way from healthcare to hospitality. To learn a little more about the nature of IoT and communicating with robots, we caught up with Xavier Martin, the Vice President of Market Development for the Communications Business division of ALE.
What is Object Driven Communications?
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Xavier Martin[/caption]
Alcatel-Lucent is exploring the Internet of Things from the perspective of something called "object driven communications." I was interested to find out what this term means to ALE. "Essentially, it means enabling communications through objects. Today, there are more than 23 billion devices connected to the internet, and most experts agree that the number will reach around 75 billion by 2025."
Xavier told me that there are more connected devices in the world today than people, and even if you just look at things from a fundamental mathematical perspective, it's pretty clear that the future of communications won't necessarily just be between people, but also between computers and devices too. Everything from fridges to cameras, and countless other items can now be digitally connected.
"The concept of object driven communications is opening new opportunities for us."
"We used to limit conversations to connections between people, but if we can connect with devices too, then we have access to a range of new capabilities that we could never have accessed before."
How Does Communication Technology Connect with IoT?
I asked Xavier how this concept of object driven communications connects with the communications sector on a deeper level. He told me that one thing we need to remember is that just because objects are connected to the internet doesn't necessarily mean that they're intelligent enough to make decisions based on the information they collect.
"This is why the connected objects and devices in the world today need to be complemented by a platform that makes sure all of the right information is relayed to the right people at the right moments. Platforms like CPaaS solutions offer that."
"Ultimately, connected objects are just a small part of the conversation. When the system needs to make a decision, it connects to the CPaaS platform to do so."
Essentially, the object-driven communication pathway is a series of events. First, a sensor collects information and sends it through to a CPaaS platform; then the platform can assess that data and communicate it to a person, perhaps through an SMS message. The CPaaS system could also send information directly to another device. For instance, if a sensor learns that a guest's room in a hotel isn't warm enough, it could carry that data to the CPaaS system, which then tells the heating system to turn up a few notches.
