How the Internet of Things changes everything

How often do you think about the technology powering your smartwatch, adjusting your thermostat, or tracking your deliveries? Probably never. Yet, this technology is all around us, changing how we live and work: it’s the IoT.

There are already billions of connected devices worldwide, and this number is projected to increase to 34 billion by 2028,¹ equating to four connected devices for every person on the planet.

Despite its growing presence and the proliferation of wearables and smart home technologies, most people remain unaware of its growing impact on their lives. Beyond consumer use cases, there is a rapidly growing range of industrial applications transforming businesses and industries at scale. From enabling end-to-end goods tracking in logistics to real-time air quality monitoring in smart cities, IoT solutions are making processes more efficient and sustainable, creating a ripple effect of benefits that spread across the globe.

This explosive growth is catalyzed by the development of other key technologies. The rollout of 5G networks and advances in satellite connectivity are enabling secure, flexible, and uninterrupted IoT connectivity, even in the most remote locations. As these technologies mature, they will continue to democratize access to IoT, making it available to more users and businesses, regardless of geography.

Let’s take a look at how IoT is revolutionizing key industries and delivering tangible benefits worldwide.

1. Smart cities

The most compelling example of IoT’s far-reaching impact is the rise of smart cities. While the concept has been around for decades, it’s only in the past 10–15 years that the vision of smart cities has truly become a reality.

At its core, a smart city is an urban environment that leverages interconnected sensors and IoT devices to enhance citizens’ lives, boost sustainability, optimize resource management, and improve governance. By integrating digital technologies into urban infrastructure – such as transportation systems, energy grids, and public services – smart cities can become more efficient, more eco-friendly, and more livable for those who call them home.

Singapore has been at the forefront of smart city innovation since launching its Smart Nation initiative in 2014.² Notable projects, which have since been adopted in other cities around the world, include:

• Smart waste management: Using sensors in public waste bins, collection services can optimize pick-up schedules based on fill levels, rather than following arbitrary schedules, reducing costs and carbon emissions.
• Smart parking systems: Drivers can find available parking spaces using smartphone apps, minimizing congestion and reducing emissions caused by unnecessary driving.
• Smart water meters: IoT-enabled water meters help consumers better track and manage their water usage, so they can save money and conserve resources.

Another notable example of IoT making a tangible difference is Switzerland, where energy demand fell by 50% in cities where smart lighting systems were installed.³ These systems helped reduce the city’s spending on electricity and reduce their carbon footprint, without compromising on citizen safety.

2. Healthcare

Smart wearable tech is all the rage, with 538 million units shipped worldwide by the end of 2024.⁴ Devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers have captured the attention of consumers over the past decade, offering actionable health and performance insights to everyone from dog walkers to elite athletes. In that time, hearable devices, such as wireless headphones, have transcended their role as purely entertainment accessories, now also offering hearing aid functionality for those with impairments. For example, some earphones can monitor vitals like heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and temperature, while boasting fall detection features to keep older people and those with balance impairments safer and speed up response times in emergencies. 

However, the transformative potential of IoT in healthcare goes far beyond consumer gadgets. Smart home technologies – once again pioneered in Singapore and now adopted globally – are redefining elderly care. In smart-enabled housing, sensors monitor elderly residents for falls or prolonged inactivity, automatically alerting caregivers or emergency services. For patients requiring closer attention, wearables give doctors and caregivers the ability to remotely track vitals and health data so they can issue prescriptions, adjust treatment plans, and coordinate medication deliveries – all without hospital visits. This reduces the burden on state care homes and hospitals while ensuring patients receive tailored care from the comfort of their homes.⁵

Another potentially life-saving application is smart insulin pens and pumps for diabetes patients.⁶ Connected to smartphone apps, these devices provide users with insights into blood glucose levels and insulin dosages. By eliminating the guesswork of medication management, they give patients and caregivers peace of mind while improving adherence to prescribed treatments. At any time, healthcare providers can access this data remotely, and issue reminders or adjustments that reduce the risk of complications and preventable deaths.

3. Agriculture

For as long as humans have been tilling the land, agriculture has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of technological innovation – and, by extension, so has humanity. After all, we all depend on the food that agriculture produces. Recent advancements in IoT technology and precision farming have taken agriculture to unprecedented levels, giving farmers more control than ever over their crops and livestock.

California’s wine industry – an $88-billion-per-year sector responsible for 85% of the United States’ wine production – has embraced IoT technologies to address challenges like labor shortages, climate-driven natural disasters, and the persistent threat of crop disease.⁷ These innovations include IoT-enabled sensors deployed across vineyards to monitor environmental factors like temperature, humidity, wind speed, and soil moisture, as well as autonomous tractors equipped with IoT sensors and cameras that detect signs of damage, pests, or disease.

With the data gathered from these solutions, vintners can assess the health of their crops in real time and take the necessary actions to improve yields and ensure the long-term sustainability of their vineyards.

In livestock farming, IoT is helping farmers improve both animal welfare and productivity. Wearable sensors (these aren’t just for humans) and wireless intra-ruminal devices monitor vital health data and detect signs of illness and irregularities, while sensors can track estrus cycles to optimize breeding schedules and improve reproductivity efforts.⁸

4. Environmental monitoring

Our environment affects us all, so protecting it is among the worthiest applications of IoT technology. In cities like Madrid and London, air quality monitoring sensors are tracking pollution levels to help local authorities better understand the city’s air quality so they can take the necessary steps to reduce emissions, ensure compliance, and, most importantly, protect the health of citizens. 

IoT is also improving the accuracy and effectiveness of early warning systems used to reduce the devastating impact caused by natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, and tsunamis.⁹ These systems collect data from seismic sensors, water level sensors, and oceanic buoys and transmit them to centralized platforms that help authorities detect anomalies and issue timely alarms – saving lives and minimizing damage to infrastructure.

However, it’s not all about preserving human life and activities: IoT is also making a significant contribution to wildlife conservation efforts by enabling scientists to monitor endangered species using long-range (LoRa) sensors that track movement, health, and stress levels. These efforts have been further enhanced by developments in non-terrestrial satellite coverage, which improve the feasibility of tracking animals – such as migratory birds – over huge distances, even in the most remote corners of the globe.

5. Transport and logistics

Global supply chains are the backbone of international trade. However, increasing globalization has exposed supply chains to disruptions from natural disasters, geopolitical events, and fluctuating fuel availability.

End-to-end (E2E) asset tracking solutions are addressing these challenges by providing real-time visibility into the location, security, and condition of goods across all modes of transport, whether by road, sea, air, or rail. Solar-powered IoT tracking devices and cost-efficient cellular Smart Labels enable seamless tracking from anywhere in the world, giving logistics managers and fleet managers complete oversight – via a scalable IoT platform – of their assets in transit.

The efficiency and productivity gains of deploying these solutions are significant. Smart battery technologies and route optimization also enhance sustainability efforts by contributing to reduced delays and emissions, while the advanced analytics tools provided by centralized IoT management suites give logistics managers all the data they need to make the right decisions.

Enter the IoT world with confidence

These are just a few of many great examples of how the democratization and expansion of IoT technology are serving as a force for good across all areas of society. But while we’re only beginning to see the full potential of IoT, the adoption of large-scale systems comes with its own set of challenges and considerations. 

Interoperability and regulatory compliance remain significant hurdles across all industries, as does guaranteeing access to reliable connectivity, especially in sectors like healthcare, logistics, and industrial IoT, where any interruptions can disrupt operations and critical processes. Security and privacy concerns are also top priorities for organizations, as IoT networks generate and transmit large amounts of sensitive data that must be protected with robust encryption and regularly updated platforms. 

Juggling all of these demands while scaling and managing an ever-growing number of devices can strain resources and reduce efficiency – the opposite of what IoT systems are designed to achieve. When it comes to tackling these challenges, partnering with a trusted provider like InterFund Solutions is a smart choice.

As a global leader in IoT solutions, InterFund Solutions is supporting customers with IoT deployments across a range of industries, offering a comprehensive suite of secure end-to-end services that simplify the complexities of large-scale IoT deployments, all managed within a single platform. 

Indeed, in order to maximize the potential of IoT – both today and in the future – having a partner to help you simplify and scale your deployments can make all the difference.

Published: 08/07/2025