How the Cloud Fuels Innovation in AI and IoT

In just one decade, cloud computing has begun to extensively change the way businesses are run and has helped connect the world into one expansive marketplace.

While many may only think of the cloud in connection with servers and storage, there are new features made possible by the cloud that are revolutionizing technology. Once considered niche, these features of IoT Architecture are quickly expanding and boosting innovation in the cloud computing industry.

How Two Buzzwords Lead to Innovation in IoT Architecture and AI Apps

The first of these features is artificial intelligence. AI refers to computer systems that are able to accomplish tasks that previously required human interaction. These tasks often include complex analysis, perception, and decision-making. Current industry advancements have now allowed cloud AI to evolve into everyday use with larger computing power and data storage.

The Internet of Things is another growing sector largely powered by the cloud. IoT refers to Internet-connected everyday objects that facilitate data collection — everything from wearable medical devices that collect health information to in-home assistants like Amazon’s Echo. On a larger scale, IoT architecture supports “smart” warehouses that streamline business production and even “smart” city grids that better distribute utility resources.

Data shows that both IoT and AI are perhaps more popular among businesses than many think.

Clutch, a B2B research firm located in Washington, D.C., recently conducted their Second Annual Cloud Computing Survey, which screened 283 IT professionals from businesses across the United States who currently use a cloud computing service. The survey found that –

• Nearly 1 in 5 businesses using a cloud computing service are using artificial intelligence features.
• Nearly 1 in 4 businesses on the cloud use IoT features.

This significant usage indicates that IoT architecture and AI apps are not a passing trend in cloud computing.

How Does the Cloud Support IoT Architecture and AI Apps?

Business Analysis

AI can be used to monitor for security with more precision and less human oversight.

Stratalux, Inc., a managed service provider, does just that: “As a managed service provider, we monitor customers’ system utilization, availability, and workloads while providing 24/7 support,” said Jeremy Przygode, CEO of Stratalux.

He continued, “AI is a really good use case for finding the signal in the monitoring noise, because sometimes there might be alerts for an activity that is perfectly normal. But, by using AI, we can filter alerts through machine learning algorithms and reduce false positives before they get escalated to our team. This makes for happier employees and customers.”

Medical Industry

Wearable medical devices make use of IoT architecture and arm patients with better tools to take control of their health and well-being. For example, these new tools can help diabetics track their insulin levels or monitor patients who struggle with unpredictable seizures.

Mark Jaffe, CEO of the anomaly detection company Prelert, describes how medical devices can sift through complex data and learn from it for better patient analysis.

“In order to analyze the data immediately as it’s collected to accurately identify previously known and never-before seen new patterns, machines that are capable of generating and aggregating this big data must also be used to learn normal behaviors for each patient and track, uncover and flag anything outside the norm that could indicate a critical health issue,” he explains.

New AI technology offers the computing capability for this critical analysis that was previously only thought possible by human minds.

Virtual Personal Assistants

Siri, Google Now, Amazon’s Alexa and Cortana are now simplifying life as alarm clocks, calendars, appointment makers and so much more. While the average person may just assume the technology applies the verbal request to find information on the Internet or stores data, it in fact has scalable IoT architecture.

“Microsoft says that ‘Cortana continually learns about its users and that it will eventually develop the ability to anticipate users’ needs,” according to Beebom.com. “Virtual personal assistants process a huge amount of data from a variety of sources to learn about users and be more effective in helping them organize and track their information.”

AI’s capability to grow and improve on its own offers massive potential for both personal and business users alike, no matter the industry.

Fraud Detection

Having your credit card information stolen is a real and present danger for many. Fortunately, more and more security measures have become available, such as microchip embedded credit cards, RFID blocking wallets and purses and credit card security codes that are printed on the back of the cards. Better yet, many banks and financial institutions implement AI to monitor your spending habits to spot and alert you if there is a potential fraudulent purchase.

Making Homes Smarter?

Similar to virtual personal assistants, smart home devices are now learning the patterns of their residents. Let’s say you leave for work at 8:30 am, come home at 5:30 pm and fall asleep at 11:00 pm. You can conserve energy when the thermostat regulates itself in the hours that you’re not home or asleep and the lights in the front rooms can on and off based on your routine. (And while you can program your thermostat and add a timer to your lights, why would you want to? That’s so 2015.)

IoT Architecture, AI Apps, & the Cloud: Enabling Innovation

There are countless ways that IoT architecture and AI apps can work in tandem as they leverage cloud computing’s expanding impact on personal and business users alike.

IoT architecture allows us to collect data in ways we didn’t think previously possible. AI apps offer intelligent and streamlined means of analyzing that data, or accomplishing tasks without human interaction. These abilities, combined with the cloud’s scalable and powerful structure, promise continued technological innovation and improved products and services for private users and businesses alike.