The Internet is evolving rapidly. After IoT-driven Web 3.0, IIoT serves the purpose of Web 4.0 to make the Internet smarter.
IoT and IIoT: Interdependence Despite Differences
A major characteristic of Industry 4.0, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) emerged from applying IoT to the industrial sector. IoT acts as a network linking physical objects, their computer systems, and ourselves. By 2020, the estimated number of connected devices reached 80 billion, projected to reach 150 billion by 2025. The advent of Web 3.0, the semantic web, succeeding the social web, explains this significant increase. Web 4.0 gradually becomes a key component of Industry 4.0.
Connected Environments Enabled by IoT
IoT aims to establish a connection between objects and their users. The 2010s introduced IoT with smartwatches, remotely controlled cameras, wireless doorbells or alarms, and more. In the early 2020s, the pace accelerated, bringing ultra-realistic connected experiences like virtual reality (VR), smart homes, and autonomous vehicles. It goes beyond human desire for machine services, pushing the boundaries of knowledge to serve individual users seeking time efficiency and industries pursuing constant innovation. In essence, the millions of data points on the Internet, known as “Big data,” owe much to IoT.
Industry Connectivity Empowered by IIoT
What about IIoT? As the name suggests, IIoT finds application in industries. Nowadays, companies striving for a competitive edge must adapt to industrial evolution and the strong reliance on IIoT.
With the democratization of IT tools and simplified maintenance operations, anyone can interpret analysis results provided by an intelligent IIoT system. For example, a sensor connected to DiagFit (predictive maintenance software developed by Amiral Technologies) and installed on a production device can provide information to the expert responsible for analyzing the results.
This is made possible through machine learning, where connected objects understand their own functioning without human intervention and don’t require knowledge of the environment when anticipating a breakdown.
IIoT contributes to Industry 4.0 as one of its innovations, ushering in a new economic and industrial paradigm by incorporating advanced technologies. Production methods are revised to meet efficiency and security requirements imposed on businesses. Installing connected devices on assets helps prevent breakdowns that could pose physical risks to teams in factories or any industrial site. Additionally, it ensures cybersecurity since software employed by companies can swiftly detect potential targets for hackers.
IoT for Individuals, IIoT for Professionals?
The general public often underestimates the ubiquity of IoT in their daily lives. Simply considering the number of connected objects integrated into our homes or vehicles, or wearable devices like watches, glasses, or insulin patches, should highlight the importance of IoT.
The distinction between IoT and IIoT is necessary because companies that decide to install connected objects on their industrial equipment are well aware of the inevitability of this transition. They understand the contributions of IoT and IIoT in their respective sectors.
The differences between these platforms mainly lie in how they utilize the Internet of Things. Whether targeting individuals or industries, this innovation only accelerates the optimization of the customer experience and improves industrial production systems.
