Multifaceted Applications of the Internet of Things

Background

The IoT is a paradigm where everyday objects can be equipped with identifying, sensing, networking, and processing the capabilities that will allow them to communicate with one another and with other devices and services over the Internet to accomplish the strategic goals (Whitmore, Agarwal, & Xu, 2015). Mashal et al. (2015) indicated that different types of smart devices are interconnected and communicate via Internet Protocol that creates a worldwide ubiquitous and pervasive network called the IoT.

With the emergence of Internet Protocol-related IoT devices (Shelby & Bormann, 2009) and the concept of embedded Web services (Shelby, 2010), enterprise level applications (e.g., business processes) are extended (Caracas, 2012) to optimize their execution by collecting the real-time information provided by the IoT devices. Business process modeling (BPM) methodologies provide business users with the ability to model their business processes and to implement business models (Kasemsap, 2016a). Logistics efficiency (Guinard, Trifa, Karnouskos, Spiess, & Savio, 2010), safety processes for storing hazardous materials (Mahlknecht & Madani, 2007), and the remote patient monitoring (Yao, Chu, & Li, 2012) are the major IoT applications.