| | SEPTEMBER 202319CIOReviewCXO INSIGHTSBy Erin Byrne, Chief Technology Officer, TE Connectivity The Internet of Things (IoT) is nothing new. In fact, many might be surprised to know that the birth of IoT happened over 30 years ago in 1990 when a man named John Romkey developed a toaster, wired to a computer, that could turn on and off over the internet. That toaster became the first "thing" of the Internet of Things. Today, IoT connections are rapidly improving productivity and efficiency across several industries. We're at a point in the world's technical transformation where the connectivity of everything, everywhere has never been more achievable. However, the evolution of the Internet of Things and where we are today simply would not be possible without sensors. Sensors are essential to the operation of the Internet of Things as they provide precise assessments of the status and performance of many types of assets, sending signals from billions of endpoints to hubs which interpret the data for action.Focusing in on the industrial and medical industries, sensors play a crucial role in the next industrial revolution as well as the future of medicine. New sensor technology has accelerated the transition to Industry 4.0 by playing a major role in the automation and integration of complex production processes. In healthcare, innovative sensors are helping to prevent issues before they arise, and they also enable better care to help keep people healthier. Sensors are Fast-Tracking Industry 4.0 Industrial condition monitoring has been around for some time, but it is evolving significantly with the Internet of Things. Take for example, machine maintenance. Traditionally, factories have employed a preventive maintenance strategy based on a set schedule, such as every 6 months, whether it is necessary or not. TRANSFORMING INDUSTRIAL AND MEDICAL INDUSTRIES WITH RELIABLE SENSORSErin ByrneToday, using advanced, reliable sensors, factories are now able to shift to a predictive maintenance structure. Sensors offer an optimized way to keep high value assets in good working order by measuring and communicating the status of various performance indicators. Predictive maintenance allows for less frequent offline maintenance checks of high value assets, or additional intermittent intervention when necessary, which results in less downtime, and ultimately, significantly improved productivity and cost efficiency.For predictive maintenance to be effective, asset monitoring is crucial and thanks to sensor networks, this can happen virtually anywhere ­ from a computer on site to a smartphone in a person's pocket. For example, sensors integrated into a pump or pipeline can send a signal when the equipment is on or offline, which is especially important for remote operation. Sensors also provide real-time measurements when there is a slowdown in output or the equipment is impaired or deteriorating, allowing issues to be addressed quickly. Predictive maintenance and asset monitoring ensure that high value assets improve the return on their owners' investments, creating value for customers and delivering profits to the business. As Industry 4.0 advances and machine-to-machine communications become more prevalent, traditional factories are evolving into smart factories. Many of the assets
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