The industrial internet of things or IIoT is an extension of IoT applied to the industrial sectors and applications. The focus of IIoT is on machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, big data, and machine learning. IIoT enables industries and enterprises the ability to have increased efficiency and reliability in their day-to-day operations. The IIoT encompasses industrial applications that include, but are not limited to, robotics, media devices, and software-defined production processes.
IIoT is unique in that it goes beyond the normal consumer devices and inter-networking of physical devices that are usually associated to IoT. What makes it distinct is the intersection of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT).
In context with the fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0, IIoT is integral to how cyber-physical systems and production processes are set to transform with the help of big data and analytics. The real-time data from sensors and other information sources that are available help industrial devices and infrastructures make decisions and inform actions. Machines are then enabled to take on and automate tasks the previous industrial revolutions could not handle. the IIoT is crucial to use cases related to connected ecosystems or environments.
