Contemporary Technology Class 10 Computer Science New Syllabus

Introduction
Contemporary technology refers to the modern technologies available at present. These days’ technology has become a part of our life. We can’t imagine a life without the Internet and Smartphones in urban areas and even in rural environments. Most of the services like Email, Social networks, E-Commerce, Chats, on-demand videos, live streaming, etc. are becoming omnipresent and helping human beings to get connected with each other and get their work done efficiently and effectively. Behind all these services, there are many integrated technologies working together like Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, IoT, etc.
 
1.5.1 Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing means storing and accessing the data, programs, and applications over the internet. Due to the increased number of users, and increased complexity of software systems, demand for hardware resources like processors, memory, storage, network, database, software, and other services have also been increased. In order to address this demand, companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, etc. are providing very large server farms and data centers over the Internet to multiple customers, who pay only for the resources they use. Because organizations using public clouds do not own the infrastructure, they don’t have to make large investments in their own hardware and software. Public clouds are ideal for small and medium-sized businesses who can’t afford to fully develop their own infrastructure; for applications requiring high performance, scalability, and availability.  Such a model of computing in which processing, storage, software, and other services are provided as a shared pool of virtualized resources is called cloud computing.

Companies offering these computing services are called cloud providers and typically charge for cloud computing services based on usage, similar to how we paid the bill for water, electricity, telephone at home. Some of the cloud providers are Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, VMware Cloud, Oracle Cloud, and Alibaba Cloud.
You are probably using cloud computing right now, even if you don’t realize it. If you use an online service to send an email, edit documents, watch movies or TV, listen to music, play games or store pictures and other files, it is likely that cloud computing is making it all possible behind the scenes.
 
Here are a few of the things you can do with the cloud

1.    Create new apps and services,
   
2.    Store, back up, and recover data,
   
3.    Host websites and blogs,
   
4.    Stream audio and video,
   
5.    Deliver software on demand. 

Examples of Services over Cloud

Microsoft Office 365: Internet versions 

of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote accessed via your

 Web browser without installing anything.

Google Drive:

This is a pure cloud computing service, with all the storage found online. So it can work with the cloud apps like: Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides. Google Drive is also available on more than just desktop computers; you can use it on tablets like the iPad or on smartphones, and there are separate apps for Docs and Sheets, as well. In fact, most of Google's services could be considered cloud computing; Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Maps, and so on.

Apple iCloud:

Apple's cloud service is primarily used for online storage, backup, and synchronization of your mail, contacts, calendar, and more.

 

There are three basic types of cloud computing services
1.             Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): In this type of cloud service, customers can use processing, storage, networking, and other computing resources from cloud service providers to run their software systems. Customers are billed according to the usages of computing power and storage.

2.             Software as a Service (SaaS): Customer subscribes to the software services from a vendor for an annual subscription fee or sometimes free and uses it over the Internet. Services like Gmail, Google Drive, Salesfore.com - very popular Customer Relationship Management Software (CRM), Office 365 are some of the examples of SaaS.

3.             Platform as a Service (PaaS): Customers use infrastructure and programming tools and environments supported by the vendors to develop their own applications.
IBM provides Blue mix for software development and testing on its cloud.

4.             Network as a Service(NaaS): Network-as-a-service (NaaS) is a cloud service model in which customers rent networking services from cloud providers. NaaS allows customers to operate their own networks without maintaining their own networking infrastructure. Like other cloud services, NaaS vendors run networking functions using software, essentially allowing companies to set up their own networks entirely without hardware. All they need is Internet connectivity.
 
Risks of Cloud Computing
Cloud computing provides various advantages, such as improved collaboration, excellent accessibility, Mobility, Storage capacity, etc. But there are also security risks in cloud computing.
Some most common Security Risks of Cloud Computing are given below-
 
Data Loss
Data loss is the most common cloud security risk of cloud computing. It is also known as data leakage. Data loss is the process in which data is being deleted, corrupted, and unreadable by a user, software, or application. In a cloud computing environment, data loss occurs when our sensitive data is in somebody else's hands, one or more data elements cannot be utilized by the data owner, the hard disk is not working properly, and the software is not updated.
 
Hacked Interfaces and Insecure APIs
As we all know, cloud computing is completely dependent on Internet, so it is compulsory to protect interfaces and APIs that are used by external users. APIs are the easiest way to communicate with most of cloud services. In cloud computing, few services are available in the public domain. These services can be accessed by third parties, so there may be a chance that these services are easily harmed and hacked by hackers.
 
Data Breach
Data Breach is the process in which confidential data is viewed, accessed, or stolen by a third party without any authorization, so an organization's data is hacked by hackers.
 
Vendor lock-in
Vendor lock-in is the of the biggest security risks in cloud computing. Organizations may face problems when transferring their services from one vendor to another. As different vendors provide different platforms, that can cause difficulty moving one cloud to another.
 
Denial of Service (DoS) attacks
Denial of service (DoS) attacks occur when the system receives too much traffic to buffer the server. Mostly, DoS attackers target web servers of large organizations such as banking sectors, media companies, and government organizations. To recover the lost data, DoS attackers charge a great deal of time and money to handle the data.
 
Account hijacking
Account hijacking is a serious security risk in cloud computing. It is the process in which individual user's or organization's cloud account (bank account, e-mail account, and social media account) is stolen by hackers. The hackers use the stolen account to perform unauthorized activities.
 
Artificial Intelligence (AI)

In the past, a piece of software is written to do a well-defined task. If the same software has to do another similar task, then it has to be re-written. Nowadays, due to advanced mathematical algorithms and the high computational power of the hardware, the software can be designed to learn and adapt the results based on the data fed into it. This means, such software can work similar to human intelligence, such software can identify objects, animals, places, detect faces, and talk like humans do. They can also suggest and recommend human experts in their respective fields. So, Artificial intelligence is the intelligence provided to any machine or system so that they can work like humans.  Artificial Intelligence is also the study and research of developing such software that can learn and, work like a human brain.
In other words, Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to systems or machines that mimic human intelligence to perform tasks and can iteratively improve themselves based on the information they collect.
AI technology is improving performance and productivity by automating processes or tasks that once required human intelligence.
Some of the examples of AI are speech recognition (like Siri, Microsoft Cortana, Amazon Echo, Google Home etc.), spam email filter, self-driving cars, face recognition, etc. 
 
Application of Artificial Intelligence
 
Entertainment
Artificial Intelligence in the Entertainment field is used for marketing or trading aspects that include advertising, design, and film promotion. AI-driven marketing software helps in terms of addressing audience goals, creating promotional strategies, and making effective customer solutions. It helps to develop games like chess, Ludo, etc. that provide entertainment to the people.
 

Robotics

Robotics is another field where artificial intelligence applications are commonly used. Robots powered by AI use real-time updates to sense obstacles in its path and pre-plan its journey instantly. 

It can be used for -

·         Carrying goods in hospitals, factories, and warehouses

·         Cleaning offices and large equipment

·         Inventory management

 

Health and Medicine

Artificial Intelligence finds diverse applications in the healthcare sector. AI applications are used in healthcare to build sophisticated machines that can detect diseases and identify cancer cells. Artificial Intelligence can help analyze chronic conditions with lab and other medical data to ensure early diagnosis. AI uses the combination of historical data and medical intelligence for the discovery of new drugs.

 

Automobiles

Artificial Intelligence is used to build self-driving vehicles. AI can be used along with the vehicle’s camera, radar, cloud services, GPS, and control signals to operate the vehicle. AI can improve the in-vehicle experience and provide additional systems like emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and driver-assist steering.

Natural Language Processing
Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a branch of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that enables machines to understand human language. Its goal is to build systems that can make sense of text and automatically perform tasks like translation, spell check, or topic classification. With AI computers can understand and process human languages.
 
Speech and Pattern Recognition
This is done by making use of an analog to digital converter that converts the sound waves into a digital format that the computer can understand. Advanced speech recognition in AI also comprises AI voice recognition where the computer can distinguish a particular speaker's voice. For instance, Apple's Siri and Google's Alexa use AI-powered speech recognition to provide voice or text support whereas voice-to-text applications like Google Dictate transcribe your dictated words to text.
 
E-Commerce

Artificial Intelligence technology is used to create recommendation engines through which you can engage better with your customers. These recommendations are made in accordance with their browsing history, preference, and interests. It helps in improving your relationship with your customers and their loyalty to your brand.

 
 AI Applications in Agriculture
Artificial Intelligence is used to identify defects and nutrient deficiencies in the soil. This is done using computer vision, robotics, and machine learning applications, AI can analyze where weeds are growing. AI bots can help to harvest crops at a higher volume and faster pace than human laborers.
 
Ethical Aspect in Artificial Intelligence
The ethics of artificial intelligence is the branch of the ethics of technology-specific to artificially intelligent systems. It is sometimes divided into a concern with the moral behavior of humans as they design, make, use and treat artificially intelligent systems, and a concern with the behavior of machines, in machine ethics. It also includes the issue of a possible singularity due to superintelligent AI.
 
Robot rights
"Robot rights" is the concept that people should have moral obligations towards their machines, akin to human rights or animal rights. It has been suggested that robot rights (such as a right to exist and perform its own mission) could be linked to robot duty to serve humanity, analogous to linking human rights with human duties before society. These could include the right to life and liberty, freedom of thought and expression, and equality before the law. 
 
Robot ethics
The term "robot ethics" (sometimes "roboethics") refers to the morality of how humans design, construct, use and treat robots. Robot ethics intersect with the ethics of AI. Robots are physical machines whereas AI can be only software. Not all robots functions through AI systems and not all AI systems are robots. Robot ethics considers how machines may be used to harm or benefit humans, their impact on individual autonomy, and their effects on social justice.
 
Machine ethics
Machine ethics (or machine morality) is the field of research concerned with designing Artificial Moral Agents (AMAs), robots, or artificially intelligent computers that behave morally or as though moral. To account for the nature of these agents, it has been suggested to consider certain philosophical ideas, like the standard characterizations of agency, rational agency, moral agency, and artificial agency, which are related to the concept of AMAs.
 
Threat to Privacy
The enormous data that companies feed into AI-driven algorithms are susceptible to data breaches as well. AI may generate personal data that has been created without the permission of the individual. Similarly, facial recognition tool is also invading our privacy.
 
Threat to human dignity
Weizenbaum, a German American computer scientist and a professor at MIT explains that if machines replace the types of jobs that require empathy, humans will find themselves to be alienated, devalued, and frustrated, and this represents a threat to our human dignity.
 
The weaponization of artificial intelligence
Some experts and academics have questioned the use of robots for military combat, especially when such robots are given some degree of autonomy. Within this last decade, there has been intensive research in autonomous power with the ability to learn using assigned moral responsibilities. "The results may be used when designing future military robots, to control unwanted tendencies to assign responsibility to the robots. From a consequentialist view, there is a chance that robots will develop the ability to make their own logical decisions on whom to kill and that is why there should be a set moral framework that the AI cannot override.
 
 
Virtual Reality (VR)

In virtual reality, you experience a simulated environment that doesn’t actually exist, created through computer-based technologies that can give you a feel of near real world with all or some of your senses experiencing the virtually simulated environment. Virtual reality is the artificial environment created with the help of computer hardware and software that look real. You can also interact with virtual objects within the virtual environment. You can swim with whales in oceans, fight with aliens, fly aero planes, visit distance places without being there and much more within the VR.
These days, you can find various types of head-mounted display to experience virtual reality. You can also experience virtual reality in specialized cinema halls as well.
Let’s take a look at different types of virtual reality and how they engage users in their specific ways.
 
1- Non-Immersive Virtual Reality
Non-immersive virtual reality is a type of virtual reality in which you interact with a virtual environment usually through a computer where you can control some characters or activities within the experience, but the virtual environment is not directly interacting with you.
 A good example of non-immersive virtual reality would be a computer game like Dota 2. You can control aspects of your character and they will have an effect on the virtual environment of the game. Technically you are interacting with a virtual environment but not directly. Your character in the game does that.
 
2-Fully Immersive Virtual Reality
Fully immersive virtual reality is the opposite of non-immersive virtual reality. It ensures a realistic virtual experience. It would feel as if you are physically present in the virtual world and the events occurring there are happening to you. 
Special equipment like VR glasses, gloves, body detectors equipped with sense detectors is required to provide a realistic virtual experience. The data from these sensors is used by the computer and the virtual world responds to that in real-time to provide users with a realistic virtual experience. 
An example of this would be a Virtual Gaming Zone, where using special gear you and other players can interact with the virtual environment, all at the same time, and play with or against each other.

3- Semi-Immersive Virtual Reality
A semi-immersive virtual reality is something in between non-immersive and fully immersive virtual reality. Using a computer screen or VR glasses, you can move around in a virtual environment but other than your visual experience you will have no physical sensations to enhance the experience.
 
A virtual tour can be a good example of semi-immersive virtual technology. It can be device-based or web-based. Many businesses are opting for this technology as participants can roam around the place without having to be there physically.

4- Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality is a type of virtual reality that lets the user see the real world usually through a phone screen and make virtual changes to it on the screen. A good example that will help you better understand augmented reality is the mobile game application Pokémon Go. You can turn on your phone’s camera and point it to a place where you suspect Pokémon will be. Your phone screen would then display the Pokémon on your screen, as though it’s in the photo’s frame. They only appear in the environment of your screen and there’s no physical addition to the area being filmed.

5- Collaborative Virtual Reality
This a type of virtual reality where users from different locations can come together in a virtual environment in the form of 3D projected characters. A virtual environment of a mobile game like Player Unknowns Battlegrounds (PUBG), where virtual 3D characters of different players come together and they all interact with each other’s virtual personas in that environment, is a good example of Collaborative VR.
 
E-Governance

E-Governance is a set of services provided by the government to the public via electronic media especially using the Internet. Examples of such services include paying their taxes online, requesting various services from the government through governmental websites, providing information to the public via government websites. The basic purpose of e-governance is to simplify processes for all, i.e. government, citizens, businesses, etc. at National, State, and local levels. E-governance expands to electronic governance, is the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in all the processes, with the aim of enhancing government ability to address the needs of the general public.
 
Benefits of E-governance

1.    Increased convenience for public and businesses to services of government
2.    Reduction in the overall cost of transaction as services can be rendered anywhere
3.    Corruption will be reduced as there will be direct interaction with the system and public without any intermediaries
4.    High transparency
5.    Direct participation of constituents
6.    Expanded reach of government to all public irrespective of remoteness

Through e-governance, the government plans to raise the coverage and quality of information and services provided to the general public, by the use of ICT in an easy, economical and effective manner.
 
Stages of E-governance
E-governance allows citizen direct participation of constituents in political activities going beyond government and includes E-democracy, E-voting and participating political activity online. Discussed below are a few models of E-Governance along with their key specifications and characteristics.

1. Simple information dissemination (one-way communication)- is considered as the most basic form, as it is used for simply distributing information;
2. Interaction (request and response)- is characterized with e-mail system and information and data-transfer technologies in the form of the website;
3. Service and financial transactions- is online services and financial transactions leading to web-based self-services:
4. Integration (both vertical and horizontal)- in this stage the government would attempt inter and intra-governmental integration; and
5. Political participation- this stage means online voting, online public forums and opinion surveys for more direct and wider interaction with the government.

 
Types of E-governance
1. Government-to-Citizen(G2C)
The Government-to-citizen refers to the government services that are accessed by familiar people. And Most of the government services fall under G2C. Likewise, the primary goal of Government-to-citizen is to provide facilities to the citizen. It helps ordinary people to reduce the time and cost to conduct a transaction. A citizen can have access to the services anytime from anywhere.
Furthermore, many services like license renewals, and paying taxes are essential in G2C. Likewise, spending the administrative fee online is also possible due to G2C. The facility of Government-to-Citizen enables the ordinary citizen to overcome time limitations. It also focuses on geographic land barriers.

2. Government-to-business (G2B)
The Government to business is the exchange of services between Government and Business organizations. It is efficient for both government and business organizations. G2B provides access to relevant forms needed to comply. The G2B also consists of many services exchanged between business sectors and the government.
Similarly, the Government to business provides Timely business information. And A business organization can have easy and convenient online access to government agencies. G2B plays a crucial role in business development. It enhances the efficiency and quality of communication and transparency of government projects.

3. Government-to-Government (G2G)
The Government-to-Government refers to the interaction between different government departments, organizations, and agencies. This increases the efficiency of government processes. In G2G, government agencies can share the same database using online communication. The government departments can work together. This service can increase international diplomacy and relations.
In conclusion, G2G services can be at the local level or the international level. It can communicate with global government and local government as well. Likewise, it provides safe and secure inter-relationship between domestic or foreign government. G2G constructs a universal database for all member states to enhance service.

4. Government-to-Employee (G2E)
The Government-to-Employee is the internal part of G2G sector. Furthermore, G2E aims to bring employees together and improvise knowledge sharing.
Similarly, G2E provides online facilities to the employees. Likewise, applying for leave, reviewing salary payment records. And checking the balance of the holiday. The G2E sector provides human resource training and development. So, G2E is also the relationship between employees, government institutions, and their management.
 
Mobile Computing
Mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, e-readers, wearable devices that have computing power, battery-powered, portable, and are wirelessly connected to networks have changed the way, we used to access computing resources in the past. Due to advancements in technologies, such mobile devices have integrated various features like cameras, biometrics, sensors, etc. Mobile computing is a generic term that refers to a variety of devices that allow people to access data and information from wherever they are. Sometimes referred to as "human-computer interaction," mobile computing transports data, voice, and video over a network via a mobile device.
 
Components of Mobile Computing

i.               Mobile Hardware: Mobile hardware is generally small in size and highly portable with the ability to process data and give output based on inputs given by keypad, touch, voices, or sensors. These devices are equipped with sensors, full-duplex data transmission, and have the ability to operate on wireless networks such as IR, Wi-Fi, Cellular, and Bluetooth.

 
ii.            Mobile Software:

Mobile Software is the software program that is
developed specifically to be run on mobile hardware.  This is usually the operating system in mobile devices. These operating systems provide features such as touchscreen, cellular connectivity, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS mobile navigation, camera, video camera, speech recognition, voice recorder, music player, near field communication, and sensors. The device sensors and other hardware components can be accessed via the OS.
 

iii.          Mobile Communication: Mobile Communication refers to the exchange of data and voice using existing wireless networks. The data being transferred are the applications including File Transfer (FT), the interconnection between Wide Area-Networks (WAN), facsimile (fax), electronic mail, access to the Internet, and the World Wide Web. The wireless networks utilized in communication are IR, Bluetooth, W-LANs, Cellular, W-Packet Data networks, and satellite communication system. It is the mobile communication infrastructure that takes care of seamless and reliable communication between mobile devices.
 
Principles of Mobile Computing
The following factors have been identified as the Principles of Mobile Computing.
i.               Portability: Devices/nodes connected within the mobile computing system should facilitate mobility. These devices may have limited device capabilities and limited power supply but should have a sufficient processing capability and physical portability to operate in a movable environment.

ii.            Connectivity: This defines the quality of service of the network connectivity. In a mobile computing system, the network availability is expected to be maintained at a high level with a minimal amount of lag downtime without being affected
by the mobility of the connected nodes.

iii.          Interactivity: The nodes belonging to a mobile computing system are connected with one another to communicate and collaborate through active transactions of data.

iv.           Individuality: A portable device or a mobile node connected to a mobile network often denotes an individual; a mobile computing system should be able to adopt the technology to cater to the individual needs and also to obtain contextual information of each node.
 
 
Advantages of Mobile Computing
 
1- Increase in Productivity-Mobile devices can be used out in the field of various companies, therefore reducing the time and cost for clients and themselves.
 
2- Entertainment- Mobile devices can be used for entertainment purposes, for personal and even for presentations to people and clients.
 
3- Portability- this would be one of the main advantages of mobile computing, you are not restricted to one location in order for you to get jobs done or even access email on the go
4. Cloud Computing- This service is available for saving documents on a online server and being able to access them anytime and anywhere when you have a connection to the internet and can access these files on several mobile devices or even PCs at home. 
 
Disadvantages of Mobile Computing
 
1.      Quality of connectivity- as one of the disadvantages, mobile devices will need either Wi-Fi connectivity or mobile network connectivity such as GPRS, 3G and in some countries even 4G connectivity that is why this is a disadvantage because if you are not near any of these connections your access to the internet is very limited.
 
2.      Security concerns- Mobile VPNs are unsafe to connect to, and also syncing devices might also lead to security concerns. accessing a Wi-Fi network can also be risky because WPA and WEP security can be bypassed easily.
 
 
3.      Power Consumption- due to the use of batteries in these devices, these do not tend to last long, if in a situation where there is no source of power for charging then that will certainly be a disappointment.
 
Internet of Things (IoT)

A few years earlier only computers and servers were able to communicate with each other by sharing data and information. Due to advancements in technology, the computer-like device can be integrated with any electronic device enabling these devices to share and communicate data to intended users and systems. Devices that can sense or read the values of their surrounding environment are more likely to have application for sharing/ communicating information. Such devices
when connected with server to communicate data from their surrounding are called Internet of Things (IoT). In a simple way, you have things (devices) that can collect data and are capable to send these data via Internet to Server or any intended users. For example, a car with a GPS sensor (thing) continuously transmits its location information to any user via Internet. A temperature sensor (thing) that is reading a temperature of a particular location and transmitting that data via Internet to a Web Server so that anyone from the world can know the temperature of that location/place.
Over the past few years, IoT has become one of the most important technologies of the 21st century. Now that we can connect everyday objects—kitchen appliances, cars, thermostats, baby monitors—to the Internet via embedded devices, seamless communication is possible between people, processes, and things.
By means of low-cost computing, the cloud, big data, analytics, and mobile technologies, physical things can share and collect data with minimal human intervention. In this hyper-connected world, digital systems can record, monitor, and adjust each interaction between connected things. The physical world meets the digital world—and they cooperate.
 
Issues and Challenges in IoT

1.    Issues with security
In cybersecurity terms, IoT devices greatly expand the “attack surface” or the number of potential areas for cybercriminals to penetrate a secure network. Cybercriminals don’t have to crack an IoT device’s plastic enclouser to access sensitive materials. They can simply finesse their way in through one of the many security vulnerabilities that are found throughout the IoT. Many IoT devices have default passwords left unchanged, unpatched software, and other major security vulnerabilities.

2. Lack of regulation about IoT
Another common characteristic of technological innovations is that government regulation often takes a long time to catch up with the current state of technology. With the rapid evolution that’s happening every day in IoT, the government is taking its time in catching up and businesses are often left without the crucial information they need to make decisions.
The lack of strong IoT regulations is a big part of why the IoT remains a severe security risk, and the problem is likely to get worse as the potential attack surface expands to include ever more crucial devices. When medical devices, cars, and children’s toys are all connected to the Internet, it’s not hard to imagine many potential disaster scenarios unfolding in the absence of sufficient regulation.
Quality control in IoT can be particularly tricky from a regulatory perspective. With huge numbers of IoT devices now being imported from countries like China that have different standards of quality and security, many experts are calling for strong and universal security standards for IoT technology.
 
3. Challenges with compatibility
New waves of technology often feature a large stable of competitors jockeying for market share, and IoT is certainly no exception. This can be good news since competition creates increased choices for consumers, but it can also create frustrating compatibility issues.
Home mesh networks are one area where compatibility trouble is looming. Bluetooth has long been the compatibility standard for IoT devices. In fact, it was named after an ancient king, Harald Bluetooth, known for unifying warring tribes. But when it comes to home automation using mesh networking, several competitors have sprung up to challenge Bluetooth’s mesh network offerings, including protocols such as Zigbee and Z-Wave. It could be years before the market settles enough to crown a single universal standard for home IoT.
Continued compatibility for IoT devices also depends upon users keeping their devices updated and patched, which, as we’ve just discussed, can be pretty difficult. When IoT devices that have to talk to each other are running different software versions, all kinds of performance issues and security vulnerabilities can result. That’s a big part of why it’s so important that IoT consumers keep their devices patched and up to date.
 
4. Limited bandwidth
Connectivity is a bigger challenge to the IoT than you might expect. As the size of the IoT market grows exponentially, some experts are concerned that bandwidth-intensive IoT applications such as video streaming will soon struggle for space on the IoT’s current server-client model.
That’s because the server-client model uses a centralized server to authenticate and direct traffic on IoT networks. However, as more and more devices begin to connect to these networks, they often struggle to bear the load.
Thus, it’s important for IoT companies to carefully examine their IoT connectivity providers and to choose one with a strong record of service and innovation. Features like intelligent switching between mobile network operators (MNOs) are particularly useful for creating a more reliable and user-friendly IoT product for your customers.

5. Customer expectations
It’s often said that it’s better to under-promise and over-deliver. Many IoT manufacturers have learned this the hard way, with IoT start-ups failing often and leaving bewildered customers in their wake. When customer expectations and product reality don’t match, the results can be system failures, orphaned technologies, and lost productivity.
With such strong competition in the IoT market, customers whose expectations aren’t met won’t hesitate to go elsewhere. Businesses looking to enter this competitive and innovative sector should be prepared for a market that never sits still and customers who always want a smoother and more advanced experience.
IoT is an exciting sector with a lot of potentials to change the way we live, work, and play. But the tech industry, government, and consumers alike must get on the same page about issues of security and performance to ensure that the IoT remains safe and productive to use.
 
 Applications of Internet of Things(IoT)
 
1. Smart Gadgets.
Virtual glasses, fitness bands to monitor for example calorie expenditure and heartbeats, or GPS tracking belts, are just some examples of wearable devices that we have been using for some time now. Companies such as Google, Apple, Samsung, and others have developed and introduced the Internet of Things and the application thereof into our daily lives.
These are small and energy-efficient devices, which are equipped with sensors, with the necessary hardware for measurements and readings, and with software to collect and organize data and information about users.
 
2. Health.
The use of wearables or sensors connected to patients, allows doctors to monitor a patient's condition outside the hospital and in real-time. Through continuously monitoring certain metrics and automatic alerts on their vital signs, the Internet of Things helps to improve the care for patients and the prevention of lethal events in high-risk patients.
Another use is the integration of IoT technology into hospital beds, giving way to smart beds, equipped with special sensors to observe vital signs, blood pressure, oximeter, and body temperature, among others.
 
3. Traffic monitoring.
The Internet of things can be very useful in the management of vehicular traffic in large cities, contributing to the concept of smart cities.
When we use our mobile phones as sensors, which collect and share data from our vehicles through applications such as Waze or Google Maps, we are using the Internet of Things to inform us and at the same time contribute to traffic monitoring, showing the conditions of the different routes, and feeding and improving the information on the different routes to the same destination, distance, estimated time of arrival.
 
4. Fleet management.
The installation of sensors in fleet vehicles helps to establish effective interconnectivity between the vehicles and their managers as well as between the vehicles and their drivers. Both driver and manager/ owner can know all kinds of details about the status, operation, and needs of the vehicle, just by accessing the software in charge of collecting, processing, and organizing the data. Even, receive alarms in real-time of maintenance incidents without having been detected by the driver.
The application of the Internet of Things to fleet management assists with geolocation (and with it the monitoring of routes and identification of the most efficient routes), performance analysis, telemetry control and fuel savings, the reduction of polluting emissions to the environment and can even provide valuable information to improve the driving of vehicles.
 
5. Agriculture.
Smart farms are a fact. The quality of soil is crucial to producing good crops, and the Internet of Things offers farmers the possibility to access detailed knowledge and valuable information of their soil condition.
Through the implementation of IoT sensors, a significant amount of data can be obtained on the state and stages of the soil. Information such as soil moisture, level of acidity, the presence of certain nutrients, temperature, and many other chemical characteristics, helps farmers control irrigation, make water use more efficient, specify the best times to start sowing, and even discover the presence of diseases in plants and soil.
 
6. Hospitality.
The application of the IoT to the hotel industry brings with it interesting improvements in the quality of the service. With the implementation of electronic keys, which are sent directly to the mobile devices of each guest, it is possible to automate various interactions.
Thus, the location of the guests, the sending of offers or information on activities of interest, the realization of orders to the room or room service, the automatic charge of accounts to the room or the request of personal hygiene supplies, are activities that can be easily managed through integrated applications using the Internet of Things technology.
With the use of electronic keys, the check-out process is automated, disabling the operation of doors, offering information about the rooms immediately available, and even assigning housekeeping tasks to maintenance personnel.
 
7. Smart grid and energy saving.
The progressive use of intelligent energy meters, or meters equipped with sensors, and the installation of sensors in different strategic points that go from the production plants to the different distribution points, allows better monitoring and control of the electrical network.
By establishing bidirectional communication between the service provider company and the end-user, information of enormous value can be obtained for the detection of faults, decision making, and repair thereof.
It also allows offering valuable information to the end-user about their consumption patterns and about the best ways to reduce or adjust their energy expenditure.
 
8. Water supply.
A sensor, either incorporated or adjusted externally to water meters, connected to the Internet and accompanied by the necessary software, helps to collect, process, and analyze data, which allows understanding the behavior of consumers, detecting faults in the supply service, reporting results, and offer courses of action to the company that provides the service.
Likewise, it offers final consumers the possibility of tracking their own consumption information, through a web page and in real-time, even receiving automatic alerts in case of detecting consumption out of range to their average consumption record, which could indicate the presence of a leak.
 
9. Maintenance management.
One of the areas where the application of IoT technology is most extensive is precisely maintenance management. Through the combination of sensors and software specialized in CMMS/EAM maintenance management, a multifunctional tool is obtained whose use can be applied to a multiplicity of disciplines and practices, with the purpose of extending the useful life of physical assets, while guaranteeing asset reliability and availability.
When the characteristics of the software in charge of processing and arranging the data collected by the sensors are designed to specifically address the maintenance management needs of physical assets, their application is almost unlimited.