Internet Of Things (IoT)

Vacker UAE is a well-known IOT integrator company in UAE involved in various aspects of automation sector. We provide Internet of Things solutions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The Internet of Things which is simply known as IOT consists of interlinking devices such as computer devices, digital machines, vehicles or any other physical objects having their own unique identifiers. They are capable of sending data through a network without person to person or machine to machine conversation. For example, researchers implant animals with microchip locating devices which have an IP address to know the whereabouts of the animal. Another example can be people with heart monitors which is specifically used to monitor the heart rate of the patient in the health sector. The scope covered by Vacker as an IOT company is depicted in the following image. An Internet of Things company carries out hardware and software integration and also is known as an IOT system integrator. The components are manufactured by other specialist companies.

IOT is used in our household purposes with great effect. It has created smart homes with a great security system and other positive features. One key use is automation compatible with mobile devices. A homeowner can control basic items like light bulb or fan and even the security system from his/ her smartphone. Components integrated through the Internet of Things also helps save energy with climate control option which leads to less electric bills. We can even control the house temperature from a remote place so that the temperature is at a comfortable level when we arrive. We also can control light or house lock. Hence it is getting very much popular in Dubai and other emirates of UAE. People of UAE are getting dependent on IOT day by day for their comfort. Now we can spend a vacation without getting bothered about a burglary in the house.

IOT also has enhanced industries by creating new services, increasing production and offering new solutions to common problems. Especially it has revolutionized the automotive field healthcare sector retail setting and manufacturing facilities. IOT has given customers a whole new digital experience through connected cars. These vehicles are 4G connected which allow for a car-to-mobile connection. Also, it is expected to expand into vehicle-to-vehicle connection and beyond.

Internet of Things has a huge role to play in the healthcare field. It has provided people with heightened access and low-cost quality care. Now it is easier for the health staff to monitor a patient’s health over the internet. For example, an elderly person can wear an ultrasound sensor device so that his or her activities are monitored while living his independent life.

Such a system also benefits the retail sector. It offers new products for smart homes. It also helps them to remain connected to supply chains and prevent inventory shortages. It helps in analyzing the market, sales, staff performance, customer demand, etc. It can also analyze internet browsing and store video surveillance to predict consumer behavior. The manufacturing industry is set to gain the most from the internet of things. They are able to obtain vital information from equipment and suppliers. They can analyze the data and increase their efficiency, maintain smooth production and lower the cost. This has led the top manufacturers in the world to take help from the IOT and stay in the competitive market.

Roles of an IOT Solutions provider

Any IoT solution basically has two separate segments viz, hardware supplier and software supplier. An IOT system consists of numerous sensors for taking input readings of various systems. All these signals are routed through a central gateway and transferred to a software platform. This software platform will be internet based. The hardware components have been in existence for the past couple of decades. The integration of these signals into a web-based software platform is the basis of an IOT system. This is the challenge of the whole system especially when two-way communication is involved. An IOT system provider should be capable in both the software and hardware segments of the system. Similar to a BMS System, such companies can be termed as IOT integrator, IOT system provider, IOT solution provider, etc.

IOT supplier for hardware & software

There will be a hardware supplier for supplying numerous type of sensors and associated gateways. A software supplier develops and maintains the software system for taking data from all these sensors. The software will need additional modules or modifications based on the expansion of the hardware components. A complete IOT supplier is able to take care of both hardware and software systems. The customer should be able to freely add sensors as and when required. The software should incorporate these additional sensors without much of software modification. While selecting a suitable IOT supplier, the customer has to look into these aspects.

Solutions by Vacker as an IOT System Integrator

A system integrator integrates various elements of a BMS system or similar automation systems. Such elements include all aspects of software and hardware components required for the entire system. Hence we are capable of undertaking the We as a system integrator have been carrying out design and implementation of various such automation projects. Normally There are many manufacturers who supply the hardware components. We are associated with world-class manufacturers for their control components, PLCs, HMIs, etc. The software developer can be a third party or the hardware manufacturer. We have our own software division as well as associated IOT software providers. Hence we are capable of undertaking a complete IOT project and execute the same as a complete IOT system integrator.

Examples of Internet of Things (IoT) applications

We are explaining a few different types of applications of IoT.

IOT implementation for lighting

IOT has a wide range of applications associated with lighting systems. Few of the examples are given below.

In interior lighting, we can connect all lights through a WiFi system. These lights then communicate with each other independently as well as to ca central IOT platform. Also, the IOT will take signals from different sensors such as an occupancy sensor, light sensor, temperature sensor, etc. By taking all such inputs, we can efficiently control the indoor lighting. We can connect controlling options such as Dali (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface), dimmer, KNX control, etc. through a single platform.
For external lighting also, we can similarly connect numerous external lights to a single platform. We can provide various control signals based on input signals.
For street lighting, we can connect hundred of street lighting through WiFi repeaters. We are supplying transmitters which can operate at an environment temperature of up to +70°C. Since the street poles do not have any interruption between each of them, it has a highly efficient communication range.

IOT implementation for a GAS/Petrol station

IOT is especially cost-effective in applications where there are numerous input signals similar to a gas station. In a petrol station, there are a huge number of parameters such as lights, environment temperature, the temperature of the tank, the pressure inside the tank, fuel levels in the tanks, gas content in the vicinity, counting the number of vehicles per day, daily consumption, peak hour consumption, etc. The list of such input parameters is endless. The difficulty in combining into a single platform is that the types of sensors are different from each other and will have a different communication protocol. In order to have an effective IOT (Internet of Things) platform, it is essential to have a central software which can take inputs from any type of sensors. It will require different hardware also to convert the signals into a common type. There will be a lot of new requirements always coming up in the future and you should select an IOT supplier who can add any type of sensors in the future.

Internet of Things (IoT) application example in a hospital

In order to explain with examples, we are briefing the possible applications in a hospital.

a. For managing a hospital

Implementing an IoT in a hospital will be a massive task in the present stage of the technology. However, this example will be useful to understand the concept.

In a hospital, there are a lot of different equipment, sensors, machinery, etc. Few of them are as below:

HVAC systems of the hospital.
Gas systems of the hospital supplying different gases around the hospital.
Refrigerators for storing medicines, blood, plasma, body tissues etc.
Fire prevention and protection systems throughout the building.
Nurse calling system in patient rooms.
Car parking system in the basement of the hospital.
Monitoring of Carbon monoxide and managing proper air circulation etc.

The above will be only 10% of the entire systems. Presently the monitoring and coordination of all of them are managed through different monitoring and control systems. Building Management Systems help to a certain extent but mainly are through a desktop computer and a control station.

With an extensive IoT platform, the following options are available:

There will be only one software with different modules. eg. Separate module for HVAC, Gas systems, etc.
The software modules operate across all platforms such as MS Windows, Android, IOS etc.
The software can take inputs from all types of sensors for all the above systems. Also, the software will be able to give control commands to all those systems irrespective of make and type of those sensors and controls.
This will effectively become a single software platform for any type of control and monitoring across the entire hospital
You can define a lot of conditional actions. eg. If a particular patient’s car reaches the car park, his appointment can be generated and approximate waiting time can be informed to him even before he parks his car. This will be achieved through measuring numerous parameters including the number of waiting for patients, whether the doctor is in the room etc.

b. For managing the patients

All activities of delivering a great customer service can be managed from the moment of his arrival until departure seamlessly.

Eg. If the patient carries a phone which is already registered with the hospital, his entire visit to the hospital can be coordinated. Few of the examples are:

As soon as he reaches the doors, he can see the direction as to which floor he has to go
If he has already pre-authorised, he need not go to the reception to complete appointment process.
If he has to purchase medicine, he can authorize the payment from his smartphone instead of going to the pharmacy.
He can go to his car instead of going to the pharmacy.
He will know how many more minutes it will take to collect medicine.
Depending on the location of his parked car, he will be directed to the drive-in window of the pharmacy.
He can drive to the drive-in window and the medicine can be collected.
The rush at the exit gate and at the pharmacy window will be continuously monitored. The customer will be given advance notice so that the approximate time of his reaching the window and the readiness of the medicine is coordinated.

Internet of Things (IoT) and Data Analytics

As IoT platforms collect a huge amount of data there is an obvious need to analyze the data. Hence data analytics will become an integral part of the IoT systems. As an example, we can consider an IoT platform of a shopping mall. It is possible to collect the following details through numerous sensors across the shopping mall and connect to a cloud-based platform:

Temperature at various places across the mall.
Humidity at various places across the mall.
Counting the number of people at any given time.
The level of Carbon dioxide in the shopping areas.
Level fo Carbon monoxide in the basement parking.
No. of people in each shop.
The intensity of light at each section of the shopping mall.
The traffic at the entrance to the shopping mall.
No. of cars in each area of the basement parking.

A data analytics software can collect all these data and generate lot of patterns. The possibilities of data collection and data analysis are huge for this shopping mall to increase revenue by suitably focusing on the customers. By carrying real time and historical data analysis, few of the following possibilities can be explored to drive more business.

Based on the real-time data analysis, HVAC systems at different areas can be suitably adjusted to save energy.
Real time in-mall advertisements can be generated to draw the attention of the visitors to less crowded areas.
The outside advertisements can be suitably changed depending on the traffic outside, time of the day, etc.
Each shop can vary the type of promotions every hour based on the number of visitors, type of visitors, etc.
Based on the real-time data, online advertisements can be changed across different social media.
We can carry out data analysis across multiple shopping malls for further user engagement.
If you have data of the traffic on the road for the past couple of days, you can predict the traffic on the weekends, thus generating some promotional offers to attract customers into the shopping mall.

Thus the possibilities of combining data analysis into IoT is enormous. The data analytics software can pick up all the data from the cloud platform through API integration.

Vacker UAE is a complete supplier of IOT components, hardware, and software. Also, we have tied up with Data analysis companies for providing complete solutions for different industries. We as an IOT system integrator understands the entire requirement and hence provides our custom designed services.

In the Middle East, we serve the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Tunisia, etc.
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Also, we supply to India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Srilanka, Maldives, and Cyprus.