The Internet of Things (IoT) is being touted as a key contributing factor to the growth of the building industry, and global IoT in construction revenue is forecast to top out at $9.6 billion by 2025, up from $4.4bn in 2019, according to the report “Internet of Things (IoT) in Construction – Thematic Research” by ResearchAndMarkets. IoT hugely beneficial to construction industry Loosely defined, IoT refers to the use of connected sensors and actuators to control and monitor the built environment, the objects that function therein, and the people with which they co-function. IoT is tremendously advantageous to the construction industry as it allows various assets and people to be tracked and accounted for across such a traditionally fragmented industry, improving, for instance, the health and safety of construction workers—the most considerable organizational focus for construction industry executives right now. IoT technology is useful to monitor assets, and sensors are helpful in providing all construction project stakeholders a full picture of the project at any one time. Assets—including from sites in remote locations—can be monitored in real-time because of low latency connectivity and data displayed on dashboards and apps or integrated with building information modelling (BIM). Data and analysis from previous projects help digital marketing efforts with trusted partners such as https://www.12handz.com/ who can provide tools—designed especially for small businesses—to reach more potential customers on Google, social media, or via email. What’s more, data can also help design, plan, and model financing of the construction project value chain, and combined with artificial intelligence (AI), can assist in forecasting materials and worker needs in the procurement phase. The more data collected, analysed, and stored concerning assets, the better the benefit industry digitalization. Wearable tech destined to become entrenched in building industry China has so far registered the highest number of IoT construction patents—645 compared to the USA’s 567—while valuable opportunities for wearable technology in the construction industry are emerging. The wearable tech industry is expected to touch $156 billion in value by 2024, up from $52 billion in 2019. Smartwatches are the primary driver of this metric, with high consumer uptake and several start-ups operating in the space. Proxxi, for example, offers products protecting users from electrocution, while Plinx deploys proximity sensors encouraging social distancing. Wearable tech improves communication between field workers and office-bound colleagues and is destined to become deeply entrenched in the building industry in due course.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is no longer an abstract concept but is now an everyday’s reality. It is projected that there are going to be more than 10 billion actively connected IoT devices in 2021: from smart home appliances to manufacturing IoT machines to automated vehicles.  With today’s IoT devices getting bigger than ever with many businesses looking to continuously scale their IoT deployments, many enterprises are now looking for ways to make global IoT connectivity a reality, in order to scale the IoT deployments into an international and even global scale.  Here, we will discuss the state of global IoT connectivity in 202l, and how we can achieve global IoT connectivity by addressing its key challenges.  Global IoT Connectivity at A Glance Global IoT connectivity is an idealized concept of a truly connected IoT network where all devices can stay connected even when they are separated by thousands of miles and/or are located in different countries.  To achieve this truly global IoT connectivity, then we will need an ideal IoT connectivity solution that fulfills three key factors:  Consume as little power as possible Has as high bandwidth capability as possible Has as long coverage range as possible At the moment, however, such ideal connectivity doesn’t yet exist. Cellular connectivity with IoT SIM cards is the closest technology allowing global connectivity compared to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other technologies: cellular IoT can cover a long coverage range and high bandwidth capacity. However, it does have its downside in consuming a lot of power, which can be an issue in IoT deployments where most devices are battery-powered and are deployed remotely. However, at the moment cellular IoT is the only connectivity option that is potentially capable of achieving global IoT connectivity due to how cellular coverage is available virtually everywhere in the world, although there are relatively few network providers that offer truly global coverage.  There are, however, top network providers like Truphone that offer global mobile IoT connectivity solutions, where we can technically connect devices anywhere in the world while also providing an easy-to-use IoT management platform to remotely provision IoT devices that are separated internationally and even globally.  Global IoT connectivity is the dream, and also the future of IoT connections due to a few key reasons:  Global IoT connectivity means we are no longer confined to specific locations when we want to scale the IoT network, resulting in more freedom and versatility in choosing between different network solutions depending on geographical needs. Mobile IoT devices, including autonomous vehicles, are getting more popular in recent years, and will only grow to be even more popular in 2021 and onwards. The further these mobile IoT devices travel, the more needs for true global IoT connectivity will materialize. Global IoT connectivity would translate to system reliability: devices are no longer reliant on a single network and can stay connected no matter where they are deployed in the world.  eSIM for Global IoT Connectivity As we have discussed, cellular IoT connectivity remains the most viable option in achieving global IoT connectivity, but besides the fact that it consumes a lot of power, there are also several challenges preventing a truly global IoT connectivity from traditional cellular networks:  Global connectivity across multiple carrier networks, countries/regions, and operating systems must be maintained, and very few cellular IoT plans currently offer this A comprehensive device management system that allows remote provisioning for individual or bulk device, as well as OTA software updates, to patch security vulnerabilities Organizing the connected IoT devices into a functional structure Gathering and analyzing operational data from the connected IoT devices to generate actionable insights Scalability and flexibility in cost as the IoT network grow Automation for certain operations like the execution of specific rules, batch jobs, and automatic alerts Security implementations like end-to-end encryption, and so on These factors can be very difficult to fulfill in traditional cellular connectivity, and this is where the new eSIM technology comes in.  The traditional, physical SIM card we often see in our smartphones and tablets has several limitations in relation to global IoT connectivity: one SIM card is typically paired to a single network provider. Thus, when an IoT device is moved to a different country, then we’ll need to replace the SIM card with a new one from the new network provider. This can be a major issue in IoT deployments where the devices are deployed in totally remote areas.  The eSIM, or embedded SIM, attempts to answer this issue. eSIM is integrated/embedded into the device, and can connect to different network providers without needing to replace itself with a new SIM card.  As a result, the eSIM offers more versatility in allowing global IoT connectivity, we don’t need to switch to different SIM cards anytime the device needs to change network providers and/or moved to different locations, which is extremely important especially for mobile IoT devices.  eSIM also allows remote provisioning (introducing a brand new device to the network remotely), which is very important in a large-scale IoT deployment that can involve more than thousands of devices.  These benefits solve some key challenges of the global IoT connectivity, allowing IoT devices to connect virtually instantly wherever these devices are deployed in different locations.  Conclusion While a true global IoT connectivity hasn’t been realized at the moment, cellular IoT remains the most viable connectivity option in achieving this thanks to its huge coverage range that can span between different countries and high bandwidth capabilities. The relatively recent introduction of eSIM has also allowed more versatility in using cellular IoT connectivity to expand IoT deployments on a larger scale.  It is expected that there will be over 25 billion connected devices all around the world by 2025, and thus we can expect the need for global IoT connectivity will only grow to be even more prominent in the near future. 

J2 Innovations’ FIN Framework sits at the heart of many smart building, smart equipment and IoT projects which gives the management team a deep insight into industry trends. How we use and interact with buildings is changing. Now the rate of change has been dramatically accelerated by the experience of the COVID-19 virus and its repercussions, both good and bad. Industries across the board have been affected and have had to adapt how they operate. In building controls, the drive is towards remote work and management, digital processes, and increased automation. Remote work and management Many people are becoming familiar with working remotely and managers are realising that they need, or might want, to expand remote working to more people within their organisation. To keep up with the needs of occupants, building operators need the capability to manage buildings remotely at a macro level and through applications at a micro or personal level. This is true for large buildings but applicable to smaller buildings and portfolios.  With technology like J2’s new FIN microBMS enabling plug ‘n’ play solutions for the small to mid-sized buildings market, it is becoming easier for multi-site organisations to efficiently manage buildings remotely. “The COVID crisis is accelerating building portfolio operators’ realisation that they need to be able to remotely manage their buildings more effectively, so the need for easier and more secure connectivity technologies will increase. The climate crisis is accelerating the transition to greener technologies, both in terms of renewable energy generation and a focus on reducing the carbon emissions from existing buildings by optimising the way they are controlled. In many buildings, the need to increase air change rates to reduce the risk of COVID transmission, has temporarily been prioritised over energy efficiency.  But once the immediate crisis has passed, the HVAC industry will deepen its commitment to developing more advanced ways of maintaining good indoor air quality, while simultaneously minimising energy use. Air ionisation and mechanical heat recovery solutions are therefore likely to grow in popularity.” says Chris Irwin, VP of Sales EMEA, J2 Innovations An interesting aspect of working more remotely can be seen in the prefabricated buildings market. Because modular or prefab construction is more efficient and cost effective than building on-site, building off-site and delivering completed pieces of a building has become a growing trend in the construction industry.  J2 Innovations is already seeing this trend extending to include controls, with more pre-installation during the off-site construction phase. Flexible spaces Building owners, particularly those operating in retail, will need to make their buildings more flexible and adaptable – victory and profits will go to the nimble. Despite the growing demand for on-line shopping, bricks and mortar spaces are still needed to service market needs that cannot be met on-line: cafés; gyms; hairdressers; entertainment and cultural venues; click and collect places, where customers can find services to rewrap returns, postal or delivery counters, instant clothing alterations, etc. These market demands cannot be delivered to your door and need safe and smart spaces. As retailers and hospitality companies adapt to these changes and consider omni-channel experiences, building owners need to rethink their offering. In-person shopping isn’t dead, it’s just different. “I expect an increase in demand for warehouses as many businesses will move from brick-and-mortar stores to the Internet where much of it will remain” says Michal Lom, Sales Manager Northern & CEE.  “There is likely to be a shift from open plan to fewer offices with a higher quality of indoor environment as one of the lasting effects of coronavirus. This will result in the re-modelling of the interior and the overall upgrade of technology in the building”. There will be an increase in localized, shared workspaces as many people will work in home office mode, but not everyone has the conditions for it at home. Also, people are sociable creatures and need contact with others, which shared offices can offer them. Digital Processes If it can be and hasn’t already been transformed, 2021 will see ever more processes becoming digital: IoT, blockchain, big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning are the future. We must consider what this means for our own businesses and how quickly we can adapt, adopt, and apply to keep ahead of the market and the competition. For building operations, space must adapt and so must the services a building provides for comfort, safety, health, and security. Automation play an increasingly important role; bringing in machine learning, data management and analytics, cloud, and edge computing, IoT and, probably we will find applications for blockchain and AI too. “I believe we will continue to see a concerted and continued push to integrate and leverage the vast amounts of valuable data derived from Operational Technologies (OT) (i.e. manufacturing floor, building systems) into the Information Technology (IT) side of the enterprise.  Most mature IT infrastructures already possess and maintain existing computing resources (servers, storage, networking, security) either deployed on premise or in the cloud. This infrastructure supports traditional mission critical IT enterprise applications.  Use of existing IT infrastructure assets and the associated enterprise applications layer (e.g. SAP ERP, IBM Maximo for asset management, analytics platforms) enables OT data to be more seamlessly consumed, resulting in streamlined business processes, reduced cost, increased productivity and optimization of existing and future enterprise assets.” – Steve Glymph, Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships, J2 Innovations Investment in Interoperability VP of Engineering, Hisham Ennarah sees a greater focus on solving interoperability issues between devices and protocols. This issue has, for many years now, been of growing significance for the industry, but in 2021 big investments and more progress can be expected to solve it.  “There are a bunch of initiatives to resolve the inter-connectivity problems we have in the building automation industry. I see investment from multiple organizations in this area of inter-connectivity between different protocols and frameworks. A good example of that is The Web of Things (WoT), an exciting initiative which is an open source standard being pioneered by Siemens.”

In this technological era, everything seems to be easy. Most things can be done with just a single tap on your device. From setting the room temperature to opening the garage gate, you don’t need to stand up and do it by yourself. Imagine yourself coming home after a very long and tiring day. That was winter and the cold wind is blowing angrily on your window. You quickly enter your house and only to find that the cold has penetrated the insides of your home. You immediately turn on the thermostat. But before it could manage to heat the whole place up, you are already shivering with cold. Grabbing your favorite blanket, you head to the couch and roll yourself into a ball. Well, that should not be happening by now with smart thermostats readily available in the market. With the smart thermostat, you can turn it on way before you even step on your porch. Once you arrive at your house, the room has been heated up and all. Smart thermostats also turn itself off automatically if it doesn’t detect any motion happening in the house. That comes handy when you forgot to turn it off. Instead of consuming a lot of energy, it helps lower down your energy bills.   One of the best thermostats you can buy is Nest. You can easily connect it to the Wi-Fi network in your home plus you can control it using your smartphone by downloading the Nest app from the Google Play Store. There, you can see the room temperature as well as the temperature outside your house. You can also adjust the temperature according to your liking. Aside from Nest, there are still other thermostats that can fulfill your needs. If you want to know what are the best thermostats that are compatible with Google Home, you should check out the article The Best Google Home Compatible Thermostats for Smart Climate Control. You’ll be offered 7 thermostat options and helpful answers to the frequently asked questions. A Brief History on Smart Home Since day 1, people have been obsessed with creating machines that would lessen manual work. Before smart devices are a thing, electric-powered appliances have been helping humans in getting the work done fast and efficient. In the early 1900s, the first washing machine, vacuum cleaner, clothes dryer, dishwasher, water heater, sewing machine, and refrigerator were introduced. Those machines did reduce the workload, and their success became a stepping stone for more home automation projects. More than 70 years after, the first general-purpose home automation technology was born. The network was meant to control multiple tasks at once, which in turn, will consume less time and require lesser effort to manage. Although technological breakthrough seemed slow, its potential can’t be denied. True enough, we’re now living in a world where almost everything can be manipulated using smart devices. And it seems like we are not stopping, either. Creating Smart Homes From Scratch To have an automated home, it should be smart from the ground-up. Of course, that requires a great deal of planning and . . . money. However, for the homeowners of the future, it sure doesn’t matter as long as it will make their life much easier. It’s true that you can purchase individual smart devices to handle different tasks, but it’s a lot better if you integrate home automation while you are still building your home from scratch. In that way, you can manage them all using just one platform. Controlling different home features such as security, temperature, lights, and maintenance can be quite tiring and difficult. But, you have a choice to do it simultaneously if your house is smart enough from the beginning. Supposing that the world is heading is up for more advancements, we can rightfully believe that in the years to come, all homes will be controlled by smart machines. Why not start now? It is a good investment as it will increase the value of your home with a couple of thousand dollars. Wrapping Up Internet of things, or IoT, is gradually being seen as the new standard nowadays. As the world becomes more and more tech-oriented, no doubt, smart homes will be the home of the future. Home development will never be the same, but way better.          

James Tee from mobile app agency Sonin explains how connected technology is currently making an impact in households and why construction firms need to plan ahead for the future. The influx of Internet of things (IOT)/connected devices, apps and software is evidently making its mark on the construction industry. From how management in the office are communicating with workers on site to the way that companies are now tracking employee progress. These growing trends are altering the shape of the sector as we once knew it. We can now even check and remotely disable the batteries on our most popular working tools through our smartphones. From an operations perspective we now have the capability to continuously boost internal efficiency and productivity. But the question is, what about marketing and sales? What impact will connected technology have on that? As the Internet of Things (IOT) and connected devices become more accessible we’re beginning to see various industries leverage the technology, such as healthcare, transport and indeed construction. Like Dewalt’s Bluetooth batteries these devices stand alone and can be controlled by using a mobile application located on a smartphone, tablet or wearable device. IOT and connected devices are also making their mark outside of enterprise sphere, and this is where construction businesses should begin to take note. As humans we’re becoming increasingly accustomed to turning to mobile to seek the answers to our everyday ‘problems’, and expect ‘solutions’ up-front. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) earlier this year showed that manufacturers and well-known brands are beginning to react to this increasing need for instant results by releasing smart home gadgets of their very own. From heating thermostats to smart locks to kitchen utilities these products are designed to provide ‘solutions’ for homeowners, with the quantity of these devices set to exceed the 90 million mark by this time next year. These unveilings at CES came at a time when consumers/homeowners gave their strongest indication yet that the prospect of a smart home was more preferred than opposed. According to a survey by Better Homes and Gardens magazine 64% of people stated that they were interested in having smart technology installed in their homes. Research has also shown that the prospect of connected technology in the household significantly increases the appeal of buying a property, in fact there’s an element of expectation during the search process. A survey by Coldwell Banker and CNET Smart Home Survey from August last year indicated that 81% of current smart-home device owners stated that they would be more willing to buy a home that has connected technology already in place. If you’ve recently visited a home in the United States chances are it’s probably closer to being deemed a ‘smart home’ than the last property you visited here the United Kingdom. According to online statistics portal Statista the United States currently top the charts in terms of global ‘smart home’ revenue and household penetration, with the United Kingdom sitting fifth in that respective chart. Despite not being as prominent in the market as the United States it’s inevitable that the increased demand for connected homes will soon be crossing the Atlantic, meaning that connected- plans should now start to be put in place. There is already a growing demand in the United Kingdom for IOT and connected devices in the transport, healthcare and energy sectors. Since July last year the UK government have been encouraging cities and businesses to apply for up to £10m grant for a “single collaborative research and development project to demonstrate the capability of IOT in a city region”. Its aim is for citizens to benefit from “environmental improvements, economic opportunities, and more efficient delivery of services” through IOT solutions. Proposed developments will vary from smart lighting, lower noise pollution examples, enhanced passenger journeys and reduced emissions, which will undoubtedly shine light on the benefits that such technology can bring. By 2020 there will be 21 billion connected devices globally according to a report by Gartner. Although it’s difficult to project the ratio that smart-home products will make up of this figure, it would be a fair assumption to make that based on recent findings, the property and construction industry will play a prominent role. As for any construction project the key to its success is maintaining efficiency and productivity throughout whilst producing a desired product at the end, which will generate a return of investment. By considering IOT and connected devices you’ll be reacting to the inevitable shift in buyer demand, which we’ll begin to notice in the not so far future. This article was produced by Sonin.