How Much Data Comes From The IOT?

The Internet of Things is the term we use for the growing global network of tools and devices that communicate data via the internet. Once limited to a handful of major research and defense computing centers, the reach of the internet has now grown to include the vehicles we drive, our television watching habits, and even mundane tasks like how and when coffee is brewed in our home kitchens.

As high-speed wireless technology becomes ubiquitous and devices are engineered to be ‘smart,’ or interact remotely with owners, the IoT grows exponentially. A recent Gartner report estimates that around 6.5 billion devices utilized the IoT in 2016, but by 2020 that number is expected to grow to more than 20 billion.

This growing web of interconnected devices is changing the way we live, and redefining the role of big data in modern life. Today this is a fairly standard user experience:

• Wake up to that coffee you programmed through your phone to brew at 6:30 a.m. sharp.
• Wirelessly stream music to a speaker while showering.
• Order takeout through the local diner’s app.
• Remote start the car to have it warm and ready for the commute to work.
• Consult GPS for live traffic updates and reroute to save travel time.
• Drive through the toll booth and pay automatically via smart scan.
• Arrive at work and start a day full of wired and wireless IoT interactions.

All those interconnected devices produce an amount of data that is almost literally unimaginable. IoT data is measured in zettabytes, a unit equal to one trillion gigabytes. Cisco estimates that by the end of 2019, the IoT will generate more than 500 zettabytes per year in data—and in the years beyond, that number is expected to grow exponentially, not linearly.

If it’s hard to imagine data in that volume. Wrapping your mind around tracking, analyzing, and managing it might cause a migraine. The quaint old days of finding important needles of data in haystacks are gone, replaced by finding specific drops of water in an ocean of information.

Companies rely on trusted partnerships and tools to mine IoT data and transform it into business intelligence. Major cloud service platforms provide basic tools for gathering and visualizing IoT data usage. AWS QuickSight and Microsoft’s Azure Monitor and Resource Health offer overviews of IoT transactions so stakeholders can track statistics and patterns to shape business decisions. But for deeper and more powerful analytics, third-party solutions can open entirely new windows, operating natively within business environments to mine valuable intelligence.

Companies that achieve full management of IoT data are seeing significant business impact:

• Lowered operational costs. IoT technologies like engine sensors, environmental monitors, and others power predictive maintenance so machinery and equipment can be cared for ahead of breakdowns that impact business and come with high repair costs.
• Faster, better delivery. As prices for remote tracking sensors fall, companies can utilize IoT data to achieve full visibility into delivery cycles, tracking products, components, and personnel from factor to doorstep.
• Green business. From efficient climate control to fuel-efficient routing to air sensors that ensure cleaner air at the office, IoT business intelligence can transform organizations’ environmental footprint—and save them a bundle in the process.

Worries over monitoring and managing the the zettabytes of data the Internet of Things will produce this year and beyond loom like dark mountains on the minds of IT decision makers. But equipped with the right tools and partnerships, those mountains can be mined for business intelligence that drives golden results. Learn more about securely managing IoT data, or watch the video below to see how Samsung uses Sumo Logic to troubleshoot IoT devices.

Additional Resources

• What is IoT Security?