In our highly digitized world, nearly everything is interconnected virtually. By now, you’re likely familiar with the internet of things, defined by a complex network of physical objects that exchange data with devices and systems over the internet. However, you may be unfamiliar with the internet of everything.  Let’s take a deeper look. What is the IoE or Internet of Everything?

The term ‘internet of everything’ was first coined by Cisco in 2013 and is described as the “networked connection of people, process, data, and things”. When combined, these interrelated systems aim to improve experiences and facilitate smarter decisions throughout the organization. IoE allows for increased productivity of staff, cost savings, and reduction in wasted resources over IoT.

Internet of Everything vs. Internet of Things

Other than the fact that IoT has been around for much longer than IoE, there are key differences between the two terms.

The IoT

IoT is solely focused on physical objects or “things”. Communication in IoT occurs between machines only. The primary goal of the internet of things is to form a network of devices that exchange data amongst each other without any human intervention. IoT is vastly less complex than IoE as it is only concerned with physical objects. Examples of IoT uses include wearable health monitors, connected appliances, and smart surveillance equipment.

The IoE

The internet of everything can be considered the next generation of the internet of things. As opposed to IoT’s single element, there are four components of IoE. In addition to things, IoE is also focused on people, data, and processes. The internet of everything is based around the idea of comprehensive connectivity, intelligence, and cognition between all four of these aspects. When discovering what is the IoE or internet of everything and how to effectively utilize its technology, you must also learn to all four pillars and the role they play in the system.

Despite their differences, it’s important to note that IoT and IoE are similar in various ways as well:

Decentralization: Both are focused on distributing information throughout a vast network of devices and appliances, rather than a central management system.

Security: Due to the decentralized nature of both systems, cyberattacks and breaches are less common. The interconnected network of devices prevents the entire system from being compromised if an issue occurs within a specific area.

The Four Pillars of IoE

As mentioned previously, IoE contains four main components. You must understand how these pillars connect in order to understand what is the IOE or internet of everything.

Data

Data provides the pieces that inform things, people, and processes. Once collected and analyzed, it can be utilized to help businesses make faster and smarter decisions. The IDC projects that 79.4ZB of data will be created by internet-connected devices by 2025.

People

People add a human element to the IoE ecosystem. Human beings can create intelligent connections and form personal insights based on the data provided.

Process

The goal of processes is to ensure the best possible usage of data. They ensure that the right information is sent to the thing and/or person when necessary. Ultimately, the processes determine how the elements of IoE systems interact with one another.

Things

Things are integral in both IoT and IoE systems. The IDC expects there to be 55.9 billion connected things by 2025. Things are connected objects that gather information and generate data to transfer it through the network.

Internet of Everything Examples

There are currently several use cases for the internet of everything and more being developed as the technology advances:

Education

  • Connected learning
  • Smart exams

Culture & Entertainment

  • Smart lotteries
  • Connected museum

Transportation

  • Smart parking
  • Bridge maintenance
  • Smart street lighting

Healthcare

  • Preventative care
  • Hospital assets
  • Chronic disease monitoring

Energy & Environment

  • Smart grid
  • Gas monitoring
  • Water management
  • Conclusion

What is the IoE or internet of everything? Ultimately, it is the new and improved generation of the internet of things. IoE extends the capabilities of IoT past simple device networking and connects people, things, data, and processes to promote digital transformation in industries such as healthcare, retail, transportation, and more. The range of IoE devices and applications is growing and will prove to be an important asset to productivity, automation, and several other aspects of business.

If you have any further questions, or would like to discuss IOE further, contact the marketing experts at Vonazon.