Connected devices. Sprawling networks. Massive amounts of data. In a nutshell, that’s the Internet of Things. And there’ve never been more things in the ever-expanding IoT ecosystem. From smart cities and cars to smart stethoscopes and dog collars, the world is becoming more interconnected every day.
“What the Internet of Things is really about is information technology that can gather its own information,” British tech pioneer Kevin Ashton said a few years ago. “Often what it does with that information is not tell a human being something, it [just] does something.”
Top Internet-of-Things (IoT) Examples to Know
Former Google and Alphabet executive chairman Eric Schmidt made this bold IoT prediction: "[T]he Internet will disappear. There will be so many IP addresses, so many devices, sensors, things that you are wearing, things that you are interacting with, that you won't even sense it. It will be part of your presence all the time."
We’re not there yet, but we could be soon — or soon-ish. In the meantime, check out these real-life Internet of Things examples and the companies behind them.
RelatedList of Internet of Things Companies in the US
Connected Cars
AirbiquityView ProfileFollowLocation: Seattle, Washington
How it's using IoT: Airbiquity is a software and engineering company that provides over-the-air (OTA) updates and data management services for connected cars.
Industry impact:Airbiquity users can choose to have family or friends automatically and immediately notified in the event of a crash.
Get Alerted for Jobs from AirbiquityZubieView ProfileFollowLocation: Bloomington, Minnesota
How it's using IoT: Zubie offers real-time GPS fleet tracking while monitoring vehicle health and driver performance.
Industry impact: If a driver is in the habit of braking hard or accelerating rapidly, that information can be used to have them avoid potential accidents and increase fuel efficiency.
Get Alerted for Jobs from ZubieTovalaView ProfileWe are hiringLocation: Chicago, IL
How it’s using IoT: Tovala provides users with an effortless, mess-free way to cook food, creating a smart oven and meal-kit delivery service that does all the hard work and gives time back to the user.
Industry impact: Whether using Tovala’s own chef-inspired meals or the more than 750 compatible grocery items, Tovala’s smart oven works by scanning QR or bar codes and connecting to WiFI, which it then uses to determine the best temperature and time to cook the food at to avoid undercooking or burning. The Tovala smart oven is also capable of cooking user-prepared meals, making it an excellent option for those with varying degrees of patience in the kitchen.
They're Hiring | View 42 JobsTovala is Hiring | View 42 JobsWyzeView ProfileWe are hiringLocation: Kirkland, WA
How it’s using IoT: Wyze produces a wide-range of IoT controlled devices and appliances designed to allow users to control the products they interact with more seamlessly.
Industry impact:From connected home products like light strips, cordless vacuums and color-changing bulbs to smartwatches, indoor/outdoor cameras, headphones and more, Wyze makes high quality smart products that are accessible and enriching to many people.
They're Hiring | View 33 JobsWyze is Hiring | View 33 JobsJosh.aiView ProfileFollowLocation: Denver, Colorado
How it's using IoT: JOSH.AI provides voice-controlled home automation using a variety of devices.
Industry impact: Got your amp cranked to 11 when an important call comes in and can't find the remote? No problem. You can turn down the volume using your watch, phone, tablet or computer.
Get Alerted for Jobs from Josh.aiInsteonView ProfileFollowLocation: Los Angeles, California
How they’re using IoT: In addition to controlling lighting and appliances, Insteon lets users monitor windows, doors, water leaks, smoke and more via sensors.
Industry impact: Ever gone on vacation and wondered if you left a window open for thieves and rain to breach? With Insteon, you'll know if that's actually the case so you can return home or call a neighbor to shut it.
Get Alerted for Jobs from InsteonWinkView ProfileFollowLocation: New York, New York
How it's using IoT: Using a single app, Wink users can monitor and control nearly everything in their homes.
Industry impact: With the Dropcam Wireless Video Monitoring Camera, you can remotely monitor your property to check for damage or intruders.
Get Alerted for Jobs from WinkSecurity/Privacy
Verkada IncView ProfileWe are hiringLocation:San Mateo, CA
How it’s using IoT: Verkada operates a connected, around-the-clock security system that keeps buildings, and more importantly, to people within as safe as possible.
Industry impact:Offering a variety of security cameras available in different sizes and configurations for easy mounting ability, as environmental sensors, integrated alarm panels and access control devices like door controllers and door readers, Verkada maximizes control over security throughout the building’s entire infrastructure. Every device is controllable through Verkada’s Command platform, which delivers actionable insights in real-time and delivers automatic updates to all cloud connected devices.
They're Hiring | View 232 JobsVerkada Inc is Hiring | View 232 JobsSimpliSafeView ProfileWe are hiringLocation: Boston, Massachusetts
How it's using IoT: SimpliSafe makes wireless/cellular home security systems that are disaster-ready, protected against power outages, operate on extra-secure networks and employ deep encryption.
Industry impact: The company's Glassbreak Sensors can differentiate between types of shattering — say, a broken bottle versus a broken window pane.
They're Hiring | View 83 JobsSimpliSafe is Hiring | View 83 JobsEyelockView ProfileFollowLocation: New York, New York
How they’re using IoT: Eyelock creates iris-based identity authentication technology. It's suite of IoT products serves the automotive, financial, mobile and healthcare sectors.
Industry impact: Eyelock recently integrated its embedded iris recognition technology into ViaTouch Media's vending solution VICKI.
Get Alerted for Jobs from EyelockAI Home SolutionsView ProfileFollowLocation: Oswego, Illinois
How it's using IoT: AI Home employs IoT tech to provide home security, smart lighting and climate control products.
Industry impact: While you're away, AI's technology enables you to see who has entered and exited your home based on user-specific codes.
Get Alerted for Jobs from AI Home SolutionsJohn DeereView ProfileFollowLocation: Moline, Illinois
How it's using IoT: John Deere recently acquired Silicon Valley-based Blue River Technology to further the company’s goal of applying IoT, machine learning and other technology to agriculture. Deere's equipment monitors important agricultural factors like moisture levels, air and soil temperature and wind speed and convey the collected data to farmers.
Industry impact: The company's tractors and other types of equipment are outfitted with satellite-connected guidance and tracking systems that cull data allow for what's called "precision farming," which greatly increases the efficiency of fertilizers and pesticides.
Get Alerted for Jobs from John DeereHerdDoggView ProfileFollowLocation: Ashland, Oregon
How it's using IoT: HerdDogg makes lightweight sensors that are attached to the ears of herd animals to collect herd data and transmit it to the cloud, where it can then be accessed via the company's app.
Industry impact: HerdDogg recently partnered with a drone company to test its technology on free range cattle in California's San Joaquin Valley.
Connected Retail/Hospitality
Engage3View ProfileWe are hiringLocation:Davis, California
How it's using IoT:Engage3 provides actionable intelligence using data science, deep domain expertise and innovative technology. It's MissionControl SaaS platform enables companies to increase visibility and maximize ROI by employing predictive analytics and an historical pricing and product database containing millions of UPCs and billions of annual price updates.
Industry impact: C&S Wholesale Grocers recently partnered with Engage3 to find even greater success with more competitive retail pricing using the company's data and analytics.
They're Hiring | View 13 JobsEngage3 is Hiring | View 13 JobsEnevoView ProfileFollowLocation: Boston, Massachusetts
How it's using IoT: Enevo uses IoT-enabled container sensors to manage waste and recycling services for a variety of sectors, including retail.
Industry impact: The company's sensors collect Dumpster data that can then be compared with collection schedules so waste haulers can't bill you for collections that weren't made.
Get Alerted for Jobs from EnevoSPECTRALINKView ProfileFollowLocation: Boulder, Colorado
How it's using IoT: Spectralink employs IoT-linked mobile technology to improve customer care, operational efficiency, omni-channel sales and sales associate knowledge.
Industry impact: The London-based flagship hotel of the Langham Hotels and Resorts chain recently installed the company's Pivot enterprise smartphones so staff could communicate more efficiently.
Get Alerted for Jobs from SPECTRALINKRead More15 Examples of How IoT is Making Retail Smarter
Connected Health
EndotronixView ProfileFollowLocation:Lisle, Illinois
How it's using IoT: Endotronix's Cordella Heart Failure System connects patients and doctors via proactive monitoring whose end goals are early detection of heart failure, better informed medical interventions, more efficient patient management and much more.
Industry impact: For patients with heart issues, doctors can implant a tiny Endotronix sensor to monitor pulmonary arterial pressure instead of doing a much more invasive heart catheterization.
Get Alerted for Jobs from EndotronixNexleaf AnalyticsView ProfileFollowLocation: Los Angeles, California
How it's using IoT: Nexleaf provides data analytics tools and lightweight sensor services to those in the global public health and climate change sectors. A nonprofit company, its team of computer scientists, software engineers, public health experts and many others works extensively in low-and middle-income countries.
Industry impact: NexLeaf's StoveTrace project facilitates loans for Indian women in the state of Odisha to buy clean-burning (and therefore less harmful), more energy-efficient stoves that register usage via thermal sensors and send data to a wall-mounted monitor, from which it is later downloaded via bluetooth.
Get Alerted for Jobs from Nexleaf AnalyticsLocation:Madison, Wisconsin
How it's using IoT:By attaching Propeller's sensor to an inhaler, users can learn more about what triggers asthma attacks while staying connected to friends, family and healthcare providers.
Industry impact: Using digital data to assess asthma control has been shown to more accurately determine how many inhaler puffs were needed to control an attack which in turn could influence usage guidelines and improve patient health.
Get Alerted for Jobs from PropellerRead MoreBetter care and lower drug costs: How IoT in healthcare is changing medicine
Connected Manufacturing
TulipView ProfileWe are hiringLocation:Somerville, MA
How it’s using IoT: Tulip is a fast, intuitive platform designed to help frontline operations teams build functional and user-friendly apps that integrate with hardware throughout the factory.
Industry impact:Tulip’s I/O Gateway and Edge MC facilitates easy connection to devices, sensors and machines in any factory, allowing them to provide real-time production insights and visualizations of shop floor data. The platform allows users to create and customize reports, dashboards and visualizations to best fit their needs with the self-service analytics tool, allowing production managers to stay consistently in-the-know of their operation.
They're Hiring | View 67 JobsTulip is Hiring | View 67 JobsStrongArm TechnologiesView ProfileWe are hiringLocation: Brooklyn, NY
How it’s using IoT:StrongArm Technologies produces a line of IoT connected safety wearables that utilize a massive industrial data set to provide workers with athlete-level attention and keep them safe while on the job.
Industry impact:The company’s wearables collect gigabytes of data per day from each worker, calculating metrics on motion, time at work, machine data, CCTV activity and more to form a safety score that can uncover safety weaknesses or blind spots, leading to a 60% reduction in ergonomic injuries in the first year since StrongArm Technologies launched.
They're Hiring | View 22 JobsStrongArm Technologies is Hiring | View 22 JobsAMPER TECHNOLOGIESView ProfileFollowLocation: Chicago, Illinois
How it's using IoT: Amper employs its Factory OS system to make efficient use of Web-connected sensors and data science to enhance the manufacturing process.
Industry impact:Sensors register a variety of important facets, including energy use and downtime, so factory owners and supervisors can plan better, cut costs and pinpoint areas of growth.
Get Alerted for Jobs from AMPER TECHNOLOGIESPalleTechView ProfileFollowLocation: San Francisco, California
How it's using IoT: PalleTech makes cloud-connected pallets for manufacturing. Pallet providers can keep track of their products and recycling opportunities while users can receive important data such as temperature and shock reading via their smart phones.
Get Alerted for Jobs from PalleTechAxzonView ProfileFollowLocation: Austin, Texas
How it's using IoT: Axzon sensors provide crucial real-time data during the automotive manufacturing process, and its predictive maintenance technology monitors the condition of factory equipment to help prevent breakdowns and time-consuming repairs.
Industry impact:Keeping constant tabs on equipment temperature can prevent overheating, which could melt motor windings or cause bearings to break and ultimate cause failure.
Get Alerted for Jobs from AxzonConnected Cities
SuperpedestrianView ProfileWe are hiringLocation:Boston, Massachusetts
How it's using IoT: Superpedestrian develops human-powered mobility for cities.
Real-life impact: Superpedstrian’s Copenhagen Wheel is compatible with nearly all bikes and greatly boosts pedaling power.
They're Hiring | View 38 JobsSuperpedestrian is Hiring | View 38 JobsEverywhere WirelessView ProfileFollowLocation: Chicago, Illinois
How it's using IoT: Everywhere Wireless's Gigabit Internet Network provides ultra-high-speed wireless to Chicago communities. Speeds are as high as 1 Gbps — that's mega-fast.
Industry impact:While EW’s wireless services can co-exist with other providers’ Internet services, it also enables customers to cut the cord and stream instead.
Get Alerted for Jobs from Everywhere WirelessUrbanFootprintView ProfileFollowLocation: Berkeley, California
How it's using IoT: UrbanFootprint’s urban planning software is used to design sustainable cities.
Industry impact: The city of Madison, WI enlisted the company to model the impacts and benefits (on things like transit accessibility, public health and emissions) of enhancing its bus rapid transit system as part of a 2040 Comprehensive Plan update.
Get Alerted for Jobs from UrbanFootprintRead MoreHow the IoT smart city is reducing waste, saving money and improving our quality of life
Images via social media, Shutterstock and screenshots of company web pages.
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