IIoT may be a subset of IoT, but it shouldn't be confused with it.
IoT is a wireless communication device used to connect and control services with a device within the home or office space. In comparison, industrial IoT is a collection of equipment and sensors used to perform analytics and monitoring within an industrial ecosystem.
Here are a few underlying differences between IoT and Industrial IoT:
1. The Ultimate Goal
The final goals of IoT and industrial IoT are different. IoT is deployed to improve the consumer experience, whereas IIoT platforms aim to accelerate efficiency and seamless workflow. Enhanced user experience is not the primary goal of an IIoT platform.
Laymen will only deploy industrial IoT solutions in their day-to-day life and therefore are an integral part of the industrial process.
2. Market Focus
IoT has a more considerable market potential than IIoT as it encompasses industrial professionals. In contrast, IoT has many customers running from different spheres.
3. Sensor Usage
IoTs use more simplified sensors for monitoring as they have to monitor relatively less complex things like motion, water level, temperature, etc. However, industrial IoT utilizes heavy sensors to measure the torque and velocity of measuring devices.
4. Security Protocols
Data privacy has always been a pressing concern in the technologically advanced world.
IoT security protocols require less stringent methodologies as they have to safeguard a user's private information.
On the other hand, SSL encryption, end-to-end data encryption, biometric authentication and in-transit data authentication are required to safeguard precious industrial data.
Advantages Of IIoT
In this fast-paced world, manufacturers must run at a breakneck speed to meet the ever-changing global trends and customer demands. Industrial IoT has various benefits to help businesses in fulfilling their requirements. Here are a few of them:
1. No Asset Downtime
Nothing is worse than unplanned downtime in production because of equipment breakdowns or disruption in the supply chain. Industrial IoT can give predictive insights into the infrastructure of manufacturing units.
2. Less Complexity
As the manufacturing industry shifts from mass production to personalized production, it has become challenging for decision-makers to understand and implement proper consumer behaviour. However, industrial IoT platforms track consumer behaviour accurately and exhibit meaningful insights.
3. Improved Inventory Management
Inventory management has always been a pain-stricken topic for industries because the rate of inflation and inventory holding is a critical part of the supply chain.
Industries that use industrial IoT platforms can make a data-backed decision to track finished goods and product availability.
IIoT platforms use data from the inventory software and perform advanced analysis to push it towards the finance software by giving users a precise overview of inventory control.
4. Better Product Designing
The traditional product designing process is iterative and time-consuming. IIoT platforms can augment the design and development process to create success-oriented products by identifying the problems in the existing design.
Industries That Use IIoT
Industrial IoT platforms are gripping various industries and driving operational effectiveness across business ecosystems. The surge in IIoT adoption has geared the momentum for industries to gather real-time data and analytics.
Now, let's have a look at IIoT's proliferation among these market verticals:
1. Automotive
The automotive industry thrives on proficiency to deliver efficiency and a never-ending struggle to stay in the cut-throat marketplace. So the decision-makers and the suppliers are working on the connected cars to analyze and strategize driver's behavioural data to ensure effective manufacturing.
Moreover, IIoT platforms are enabling the players in the automotive industry to generate accurate predictions and operational intelligence to save operational costs and experience no downtime.
2. Manufacturing
The manufacturing industry is already exploding with IoT, but now to empower businesses with efficiency and inventory management, IIoTs are also coming into the game.
The most significant benefit manufacturers can get from IIoT is the ability to escalate and automate the overall operational efficiency and impart better optimization for improved energy efficiency and work management.
3. Retail
Customer preferences and requirements are dynamically changing in the retail industry, and it has become more than necessary to keep up with the latest trends. Therefore to meet those requirements, retailers are leveraging the industrial internet of things to extract insightful data and make data-backed decisions.
However, industrial IoTs combined with AI are making a lethal combination for the Retail industry by creating edge-cutting innovations.
4. Finance
The finance sector is one of those industries that require accuracy and effective measures to create a strong foothold. Industrial IoT platforms are helping the finance industry to improve product offerings by allowing finance service providers to create intelligent devices and new modes for wireless payments.
Moreover, with the advancement in Industrial IoT solutions, the financial sector is all geared up with improved security and safety transactions.
5. Electronics & High-Tech
Electronics is another industry that is significantly dependent on consumer demands and trends. However, we all know there is a dominating trend of intelligent connected devices; therefore, the electronic industry is doing its best to deploy the procedures by utilizing IIoT platforms to facilitate real-time monitoring and diagnostic data.
There are additional industry verticals and end markets where industrial IoT platforms are making a profound impact and correlating with business methodologies to accelerate growth.