Everyone is talking about how Big Data and IoT (Internet of Things) are going to combine forces to change the world. The reason it’s being mentioned so much is because it’s true. In fact, it’s already happening right now and a lot of people haven’t picked up on it.
It’s pointless waiting to see what wonders await us a few years down the line. Let’s just look at some real life examples and you’ll be able to imagine the possibilities to come. Here are a few everyone should look at if they want to get excited about the future.
The MagicBand From Disney
Everyone knows about the MagicBand from Disney because the company gambled a billion dollars on it succeeding. Even though Disney are huge the wristband is never really associated with big data of any kind.
Customers just know when they wear it on their wrist they’ll be able to use it for multiple things when they visit the park. They don’t know Disney are in the background using the data to improve their experience.
Sensors On Delivery Vehicles
There are more than 80,000 vehicles in the UPS fleet, so if they were all fitted with sensors you’d expect some serious data. Each one actually records around a couple of hundred data points for their vehicle.
It can help them save on things like money by using less fuel, plus they can cause less damage to the environment by lowering exhaust emissions. They have big surprises in store for their customers soon too.
In Cities Around The World
You would need something more advanced than general NBN internet, but cities around the world will be following the lead of Barcelona. Their parking meters are smart and work with Wi-Fi throughout the city.
This gives anyone in a car the ability to know where they’ll be able to park, which can be payed for easily with their phone. Other cities will definitely help their citizens by using big data to offer something amazing.
Flying Through The Sky
Virgin Atlantic are doing the same sort of thing as UPS, but they’re using the power of IoT in the sky. They say almost half a terabyte of data can be collected after only one plane has flown from A to B.
There will be a lot of things they’ll be able to do with the data, which will focus on the ground and in the air. Fuel efficiency is an example of how it will help in the air, but they’ll even be able to predict maintenance requirements.
Stopping Cannabis Power Thieves
BC Hydro noticed they were losing a hundred million dollars per year because of cannabis thieves. People were stealing power from the grid to grow their farms, so the company ended up installing smart meters in homes.
Customers are now able to examine data in order to improve their energy usage at home, plus BC Hydro collect lots of data too. They can now serve their customers more effectively without spending as much doing so.
It’s Happening Everywhere Right Now
There were a lot more examples we could have used, but we’ve proved one thing. Big data and IoT are already huge. Obviously it will get bigger and better in years to come, so it’s hard to imagine what they’ll come up with.
