Top Industrial IoT Trends to Dominate In 2020

In 2019, the big IoT ideas entered the trial phase and soon got converted into real-world applications. However, during the past decade, the development of consumer IoT took precedence over Industrial IoT. Even when the entire world is awakening to the potential of IoT, the Industrial IoT somewhat lagged behind. But this is not the case anymore. Lately, IoT has started to make its presence felt in more areas than ever. As a result, IIoT has started to enter nearly all the industries: healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, transportation & logistics, retail, and more.

The introduction of IoT in the industrial world is streamlining the major business processes like asset tracking and data gathering. With ongoing research and development, IIoT has entered an exciting phase. In the coming years, the world is going to witness some breathtaking advancements.

In the world of IoT, the year 2020 is expected to push the limits of IIoT infrastructure. Although things have slowed down a bit, there are some industry-specific predictions that are still grabbing headlines. So, let’s check out some Industrial IoT trends to look out for in 2020.

More Powerful Edge Computing

In 2020, edge computing will come to the forefront. As you know, IoT-enabled devices collect and process the data for analysis. The increasing number of IoT devices on the factory floor will make traditional cloud computing inefficient. But edge computing allows performing data processing at the edge of the network, near the data source. Moreover, the introduction of 5G networks will allow industries to quickly achieve more intelligent, real-time analysis. Edge computing will allow fast data processing, as well as offer lower latency. In 2020, IoT devices backed by edge computing like intelligent traffic lights are expected to become mainstream.

IoT Trends in Healthcare

The healthcare industry is increasingly adopting IoT to provide better healthcare services. IoT-enable hospital devices not only help physicians and hospitals but also insurance companies. Moreover, with the help of IoT-enable wearable devices that are paired with mobile apps, patients can easily monitor their health. In 2020, this technology is proving to be immensely helpful for remote patient monitoring. The wearable devices with built-in sensors can track patients’ conditions and help in taking timely action. In the coming months, more and more hospitals will utilize IIoT for optimizing routine operations in a hospital. The “internet of medical things” will also include virtual assistants and smart hospital rooms with better connectivity to ensure improved treatment. Implementing Industrial IoT in healthcare will help in reducing cost, as well as ensure quick disease diagnosis and proactive treatment.

IoT in Manufacturing

IIoT has already entered the manufacturing industries and in days to come it will be further used for big data analytics, predictive maintenance, and inventory management. IoT-enabled devices generate data that helps companies in making smarter business decisions. This data analysis also allows companies to make strategies for future growth. The manufacturing industry is, in fact, one of the early adopters of this technology and at present utilizes most IoT-enabled devices. The industry uses sensors to recognize issues in hardware, as well as to uncover workflow inefficiencies. IIoT is expected to further improve the complex processes of heavy industries. It is predicted that in the coming months, IoT wearable and connected systems will be used for ensuring better safety of the work environment.

In the near future, Cobot (Collaborative Robots) will be adopted by multiple industries. These will replace traditional industrial robots that are not smart enough. Cobots are equipped with AI and motion-sensing capabilities to ensure a high degree of accuracy.

IIoT in Transportation

The adoption of IIoT in the transportation & logistics industry is already helping companies in reducing the cost of shipping. IoT devices and data analytics helps in increasing operational efficiency. It is expected that automotive IoT will be more widely adopted for the purpose of predictive diagnostics and vehicle maintenance. By integrating vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, transportation telematics, and real-time cargo monitoring will become possible.