How to Improve Business Offices Using IoT Devices

CIO Applications| Thursday, April 01, 2021

Intelligent lighting can be used to enhance a business office in a variety of ways. Simple, smart bulbs, such as the white Philips Hue, can learn user schedules and function as motion sensors.

Fremont, CA: The Internet of Things, or IoT, is a growing infrastructure of internet-connected objects ranging from vacuum cleaners to light bulbs, all with the goal of increasing control, automation, and even data collection. When used correctly, IoT can be a huge benefit to a business office.

Tracking Maintenance with IoT Printers

Many offices are already accustomed to internet-connected printers, but a new generation of smart alternatives that offer more than network printing is on the way. They keep track of their paper and ink supplies and can alert a support person when they are running low. They can also connect to inventory systems to determine how much extra ink or paper they have on hand and can even place orders for more without the need for human intervention. Never again will you have to wait for a new toner cartridge to be shipped.

Smart Lighting with Smart Bulbs

Intelligent lighting can be used to enhance a business office in a variety of ways. Simple, smart bulbs, such as the white Philips Hue, can learn user schedules and function as motion sensors. More adaptable multicolored bulbs, such as those from Sengled or LIFX, can be programmed to adjust brightness and color balance throughout the day, reducing eye strain, stress, and discomfort. The initial investment can be high, but these LED bulbs last a long time and often come with excellent warranties.

Smart Assistants Improving Office Awareness

Smart assistants such as Alexa and Cortana are excellent for personal management, but they lack some features required for the business-level organization. That is why there are higher-level systems, such as Amazon's Alexa for Business, that can sync with an entire office's worth of IoT devices to provide anything from weather reports to meeting monitoring to a plethora of custom settings.