The Internet of Everything (IoE): Simply Explained

... sneak peek
The Internet of Everything (IoE) can be defined as the interconnection of devices, data, people, and processes to create new capabilities and leverage information to improve society's standards. Technology is fast evolving as electronic components get smaller while increasing their processing power and enhancing their functionalities. Further, new applications are being created to analyze data in real-time and incorporate the reports into personal, professional, and social life. Devices and new applications have enabled increased automation across multiple fundamental industries including health, agriculture, manufacturing, and transport and communication. This research paper explores the four building blocks of IoE and discusses the major concerns of heavily adopting new technology.

Today, the world is continuously witnessing exponential growth in information technology and the adoption of computers and computing technology in diverse industries. As of 2019, about 47.1% of the world's households had a computer, and a substantial share was actively engaged online (Alsop, 2021). Although the number significantly drops in developing nations, a high mobile penetration rate and the emergence of internet-enabled mobile devices have boosted the number of people interconnected through the internet. The fundamental reason behind the growth in technology is automation. As technology advances fast, more and more aspects of human life are automated across different industries including health, transport and communication, agriculture, manufacturing, and more.

Further, this growth is being experienced not only in hardware but also in software. Applications running on both mobile and desktop architectures are being developed daily, with succeeding applications being superior in complexity and functionality.
As of 2020, over 6,000 applications were being developed and tested across multiple mobile application stores daily, and this number is constantly growing (Statista Research Department, 2021). It is imperative to note that the development of these applications is not only increasing in number but increasingly becoming structurally complex as they are being integrated with robust systems and processes.

Internet of Everything (IoE) vs Internet of Things (IoT)

Development in information technology is primarily focused on supporting multiple devices and increasing their capabilities. The concept of the Internet of Things (IoT) describes a network of physical devices that access the internet to increase their functionalities. However, behind the functionalities, different pillars enhance device connectivity and capabilities. The Internet of Everything (IoE) is described as an intelligent connection of people, processes, data, and things - the four core pillars. Although IoT has existed for some time, IoE takes a deeper dive and a broader view of internet connectivity and extends the ecosystem around IoT.

Internet of Things in the Internet of Everything

As stated herein, the Internet of Things (IoT) describes the physical devices that can connect to the internet and exchange data. These devices' primary functions are to sense, process, and report real-world information in real-time. The fundamental purpose of IoT is to incorporate the internet into personal, professional, and social life. The physical devices are integrated with high-end sensors tasked with collecting data and the internet to send this data to computing systems that process this data.
The evaluation and analysis of the data help make real-time and intelligent decisions. While IoT explores internet-powered devices, IoE broadly includes the data collected, the people providing the data, and the processes taking place to deliver and analyze the data (Miraz et al., 2015).

IoT devices range from ordinary household objects such as fridges and microwaves to complex and sophisticated industrial systems such as quality controllers (Langley et al., 2020). It is estimated that 127 devices globally hook up to the internet for the first time every second (Letić, 2019). The concept of IoT has introduced the 'smart' keyword in devices such as smart television, smartwatches, and smart power grids (Zielinski, 2015).
A collection of recent advances can be attributed to the practical growth of IoT including access to low-cost, low-power sensor technology, seamless connectivity, cloud computing, machine learning and analytics, and conversational artificial intelligence (https://www.oracle.com/internet-of-things/what-is-iot/, nd). Traditionally, computing technology was accessed through personal computers and business mainframes; however, technology has led to the development of notably small devices with powerful computing capabilities (Langley et al., 2020). Technology companies are in a fast race for who develops the next disruptive technology supporting IoT.

Smart wearable devices such as watches and health bracelets took the world by storm. This activity-tracking technology can monitor and relay real-time health indicators to doctors and other key players in the health industry such as insurance companies. The technology's use in the health industry is limitless. The trackers can collect data on sleep patterns, oxygen levels, blood pressure, and more and leverage robust cloud technology to make intelligent decisions on a user's daily diet and routines to mitigate any issues. Further, wearable technology is tethered to applications that ensure users access key health data on their mobile devices and provides timely alerts when a concern arises (Langley et al., 2020).

Sensory technology has been adopted in diagnostic medicine as ingestible sensors equipped with microprocessors are swallowed to collect data on a patient's gastrointestinal tract. The latest advancement in the transport and communication industry is self-drive technology. Giant technology and automobile manufacturers such as Google and Tesla Motors have made extensive investments in developing driverless vehicles both for personal and commercial use (Coelingh et al., 2018). Although most current technology is limiting this technology, companies such as IBM and Google are exploring computing technology such as quantum computing and artificial technology that brings to the innovation table superior processing technology (Snyder & Byrd, 2017). This technology is critical in developing intelligent decision management systems, a key concept in human-free automation.

Cloud technology is attributed to the development of IoT. Through cloud networking, small internet-enabled devices can send data to cloud services, where it is processed and analyzed. Cloud vendors such as Amazon have provided robust computing architecture consisting of hardware¸ software, and applications to collect, store, and process large volumes of data. Two cloud computing technologies have revolutionized IoT – fog computing and edge computing. While the former describes decentralized computing located between the cloud and data-generating devices, the latter identifies technology enabling data to be processed locally within the devices themselves. Edge computing reduces the resources and amount of time required to transmit and process data thereby increasing the performance of IoT devices (Escamilla-Ambrosio et al., 2017).

People in the Internet of Everything

Internet connectivity has enabled people to connect regardless of their geographical locations. Through internet-enabled devices, people engage with other people in similar social or professional environments (Russom, 2011).
Today, people engage intentionally or otherwise with devices by being connected to them and providing data with or without the possibility of a report on the data. As discussed herein, the Internet of Everything (IoE) comprises the people whose data is collected for processing. By integrating with devices, people have enabled quality data to be collected for analysis on their health, social habits, financial well-being, and more. Across multiple industries, data collected from people has helped shape innovations such as complex, and less invasive surgical procedures.

Wearable technology is gaining traction in society as more complex and highly robust technology is being adopted. From fitness bracelets to health monitoring watches, to ingestive diagnostic capsules and smart glasses, the health industry can be described as one of the largest beneficiaries of IoT in relation to people (Langley et al., 2020). Health-related wearable technology can be used to detect the early onset of medical conditions and relay the findings to doctors and users for corrective actions. Further, by assessing a person's data, the user can be provided with beneficial nutritional information that can be demonstrated as proactive. This data is not only meant to benefit single users but can be used to provide a broad analysis of a wider demographic. For instance, if a high percentage of young people using wearable technology in a specific region have an unfit nutritional lifestyle, through sampling, it can be concluded that the large demographic within the variables bears the same trait. This conclusion can help in developing relevant workshops and policies as a mitigation strategy to help improve nutritional value among the demographic.

IoT devices are not only integrated externally but can be located inside a human body to collect key data. Devices such as pacemakers can automate data collection of a recipient's health over a period of time. This data can be useful in monitoring, maintaining, and controlling the operations and performance of the devices. Bluetooth insulin devices have enabled patients to get data on smartwatches and phones concerning their sugar levels and generate alerts when an action is required. As stated herein, it is imperative to consider IoT devices as fundamental technology that enables people to automate critical aspects of their lives (Snyder & Byrd, 2017).

Furthermore, IoT is not only adopted for health-related cases but also for business operations or merely for an individual's convenience. Devices such as radio-frequency identification chips (RFID) have in recent days been used to track people's movement in organizations, automatically logging their performance data, and providing their authorization and access controls. Further, technology enthusiasts are using implanted RFID for a variety of reasons from automatically opening house doors in proximity or unlocking the computer system. These smart systems have largely contributed to the amount of data collected, how it is processed, and the resulting impact on people's daily lives, both socially and professionally. This contribution makes people a critical pillar in the concept of interconnectivity.

Data in Internet of Everything

Data is described as a core pillar in the Internet of Everything (IoE) concept. Data is collected from people and other sources by devices and then transmitted to powerful computer systems for processing and analysis. It is estimated that an average internet user generates about 1.7 MB of data every second as of the year 2020 (O'Dea, 2021). This data comprises that created on the internet through browsers and applications as well as that generated through IoT devices, including smartwatches.

The data collected is either structured or unstructured, requiring powerful computing resources to store and process it and produce intelligent and actionable reports.
With cloud computing, the necessary storage space and robust computing resources are availed to companies engaging in IoE to store large volumes of data and process it on a real-time basis (Russom, 2011).

In addition to the data created through people's interaction on the web, the Internet of Everything generates a wide array of objects, all generating real-time unstructured and structured data. The volume and nature of the data introduce the big data concept, with companies spending vast sums of money not only to store the data but leverage it to boost a business's competitive edge. The need for businesses to turn to big data is the need to compete with unprecedented business and industry velocity and agility (Russom, 2011). Processed data is often used in predictive analysis and decision management systems (DMS) to provide intelligent solutions to existing problems. One of the greatest beneficiaries of data today is the transport industry.

Traffic monitoring systems contain internet-enabled sensors and cameras that can capture real-time traffic data, analysis reports to manage traffic lights, and other automated traffic-controlled elements to adjust traffic routes depending on the demand and usage. The agricultural sector is relying on modern technology to help adopt new and efficient farming practices. Devices and sensors are being employed to provide real-time weather patterns to help predict the best farming solutions at any given time. Further, farmers are installing smart agricultural devices to collect data on different elements including humidity, soil contents, and more to ensure maximum results from farming. Agricultural reports made on the collected data can be evaluated to develop intelligent models on a nation's food security and allow time for corrective actions if any are required (Langley et al., 2020).

Process in the Internet of Everything

The process is a major component of the Internet of Everything. The process focuses on ensuring that the correct data is delivered to the correct device or person, at the correct time, and in the most appropriate way. In a nutshell, the process is tasked with determining how the Internet of Things, people, and data must work together to provide great value (Snyder & Byrd, 2017). Through active interconnectivity, people, processes, devices, and data are used to generate actionable reports. A device-to-device connection is often done through the internet to enable sharing of information. IoT devices rely purely on their physical connections to the network to enable the transmitting data for storage and processing as well as receive instruction reports on the processed data. People, being part of IoE must be socially or professionally connected to help increase the data pool. With their connection to the devices, people often generate the needed data, which is then transmitted through the other devices and the internet for evaluation and analysis (Miraz et al., 2015).

Concerns in the Internet of Everything

The Internet of Everything, and particularly the Internet of Things, is useful and has a large impact on people's daily lives. As stated herein, it is evident that internet-enabled devices have firmly been integrated into people's social and professional lives, and help in providing critical solutions to dynamic problems. Nonetheless, there are clear concerns that make people hesitant when seeking mitigation alternatives from IoT - privacy and security, over-reliance on technology, and loss of jobs.

Security of Data in Internet of Everything

How secure is the data? Most of the unstructured data provided is sensitive and impacts core aspects of people's lives such as health. Security of data may focus on its safety from malicious actors; however, it broadly touches on unauthorized access to data for legitimate purposes. In the recent past, illegally acquired health and fitness data from wearable technology and other devices have been used by insurance companies to revise or cancel policy terms, or worse deny claim payments.

Companies must develop an ethical policy on how to treat the data collected and the reports generated. Privacy is also a key concern for people in the modern age of technology. The thought that systems are monitoring people's actions casts a shade of doubt on the privacy boundary exercised by the systems. Security and privacy concerns have been raised as consumers seek to understand how much of their lives are exposed to the internet.

Previously, smart homes have been used by malicious actors to harass occupants driving them to extreme extents.

Is society over-relying on the internet?

The current generation has comfortably adapted to the idea that life is better when the population is connected to the internet. As people's lives are plugged into the internet and key aspects are automated, when will people exercise their decisive power or free will? Technology attempts to eliminate errors by weighing different options and providing the most applicable solution through decision management systems.

Technophobic people argue that the basic element of human free will is withdrawn as people allow technology to make even the basic decisions such as what to wear by simple weather observations or even when to switch on lawn sprinklers. Other people are skeptical about the extent to which technology has disrupted people's lives. Some argue that it would be better for technology to focus on solving global warming, climate change, world hunger, facilitate space exploration, and facilitate the development of treatment solutions for diseases compared to alerts when one is sitting using the wrong position or a fridge notifying when there's less-than-average stock.

... Conclusion
Technology is growing exponentially as more devices connect to the internet as IoT devices. Further, robust computing power is continuously being integrated into physically smaller electronics rapidly boosting their capabilities. It is evident that through innovation, automation of key components in various industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, and agriculture has improved the quality of life, thanks to the Internet of Everything (IoE). Similarly, IoE is being adopted into people's social lives and disrupting previous manual tasks for necessity or convenience. People are the biggest sources of data, which plays a key role in IoE. As large volumes of data are processed, the probability of providing intelligent and informed decisions increases significantly. Further, increased processing power has improved how information is processed in real-time and reliable reports are provisioned timely. As the morality of the disruption of basic living by technology is questioned, criticism cannot be disregarded as genuine concerns for privacy and security have been actively raised. The future's technology will indeed facilitate living; however, society must maintain high moral and ethical standards to prevent IoE's abuse.

References
a) Alsop, T. (2021). How many people have access to a computer 2018 | Statista. Statista.
b) Coelingh, E., Nilsson, J., & Buffum, J. (2018). Driving tests for self-driving cars. IEEE Spectrum, 55(3), 40-45. https://doi.org/10.1109/mspec.2018.8302386
c) Escamilla-Ambrosio, P., Rodríguez-Mota, A., Aguirre-Anaya, E., Acosta-Bermejo, R., & Salinas-Rosales, M. (2017). Distributing Computing in the Internet of Things: Cloud, Fog and Edge Computing Overview. NEO 2016, 87-115. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64063-1_4
d) Langley, D., van Doorn, J., Ng, I., Stieglitz, S., Lazovik, A., & Boonstra, A. (2020). The Internet of Everything: Smart things and their impact on business models. Journal Of Business Research, 122, 853-863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.12.035
e) Letić, J. (2019). Internet of Things statistics for 2020 - Taking things apart | DataProt. DataProt.
f) Miraz, M., Ali, M., Excell, P., & Picking, R. (2015). A review on Internet of Things (IoT), Internet of Everything (IoE) and Internet of Nano Things (IoNT). 2015 Internet Technologies And Applications (ITA), 219-224. https://doi.org/10.1109/itecha.2015.7317398
g) Number of monthly Android app releases worldwide 2021 | Statista. Statista. (2021).
h) O'Dea, S. (2021). Mobile data usage per user worldwide by region 2019-2025 | Statista. Statista.
i) Russom, P. (2011). BIG DATA ANALYTICS [Ebook] (pp. 6-11). TDWI RESEARCH.
j) Snyder, T., & Byrd, G. (2017). The Internet of Everything. Computer, 50(6), 8-9. https://doi.org/10.1109/mc.2017.179
k) What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?. Oracle.com. (2021).
l) Zielinski, J. (2015). Internet of Everything (IoE) in Smart Grid. Przeglad Elektrotechniczny, 1(3), 159-161. https://doi.org/10.15199/48.2015.03.37