IoT Testing | A complete guide | What it is and how it works?

51Testing
7 min readDec 3, 2020

51Testing | Software Testing Service Provider |Thursday, 3rd Dec. 2020

Nowadays, the Internet of Things technology develops at an unimaginable speed, as the top trend technology in 2021, plays a key role in improving our daily life.

Today, we are going to share a completed guide of Internet of Things(IoT) testing to help the fresher and experienced tester to understand IoT testing.

We will talk about IoT testing according to the following parts:

  1. What is the Internet of things?
  2. What technologies make IoT possible?
  3. What are the use cases of the Internet of Things?
  4. IoT, what are we testing?
  5. What skill does an IoT tester need to know?
  6. What are the IoT testing tools you should know?

Let’s get started!

internet of things(IoT) testing-a complete guide-51Testing-what it is and how it works
Internet of Things (IoT) testing-A complete guide-What it is and how it works

What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?

The concept of The Internet of Things was proposed in 1999. Its definition is very simple: connect all items to the Internet through radio frequency identification(RFID) and other information sensing equipment to achieve intelligence identification and management.

The Internet of Things is known as the third wave of the development of the world’s information industry after computers and the Internet through the integration and application of IntelliSense, recognition technology, pervasive computing, and ubiquitous networks.

The Internet of Things is regarded as the application expansion of the Internet. Application innovation is the core of the development of the Internet of Things. Innovation 2.0 with user experience as the core is the soul of the development of the Internet of Things.

What technologies make the Internet of Things possible?

Low-cost and reliable sensors allow more manufacturers to use IoT technology.

  • Connection technology

Numerous Internet network protocols support the easy connection of sensors to the cloud and other items to achieve efficient data transmission.

  • Cloud computing platform

The cloud platform has higher availability to allow enterprises and consumers to use the infrastructure as required for expansion without actually managing all the infrastructure.

  • Machine learning and analysis

With the advancement of machine learning and analysis technology, as well as access to a variety of massive data stored in the cloud, companies can gain insights faster and easier. The rise of these related technologies has further promoted the development of the Internet of Things, and the data generated by the Internet of Things also provides power for these technologies.

Thanks to advances in neural network technology, natural language processing (NLP) has begun to be applied to IoT devices (such as digital personal assistants Alexa, Cortana, and Siri), making IoT devices more attractive and economical, and suitable for home use.

What are the use cases of the Internet of Things(IoT)?

The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT)- Smart House-51Testing
The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) - Smart House-51Testing

Smart House

IoT technology provides many products in the smart house area. Among the best IoT application ideas we can list here, you have the opportunity to improve your space with smart thermostats, air conditioners, speakers, pet feeders, and many other technological innovations created to facilitate daily life. As the most popular field among the Internet of Things applications, it is also the most promising field in the near future.

The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) - Agriculture-51Testing
The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) - Agriculture-51Testing

Agriculture

Nowadays, farmers get used to using smart devices to manage agriculture and animal husbandry. In terms of performance and effectiveness, the best IoT applications in agriculture include drones, various tools for checking soil composition and predicting climate change, and IoT applications for detecting diseases of herds and tracking their location. These work require a tremendous amount of efforts while it becomes easy and effective with the help of the Internet of Thing.

The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) — Industry — 51Testing
The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) — Industry — 51Testing

Industry

The application of the Internet of Things in the industry is quite impressive. The best applications we talk about here include sensors, software systems, and big data analysis. In addition, these applications can increase productivity, find and solve the common human, especially in quality control and sustainability.

The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) — Retail — 51Testing
The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) — Retail — 51Testing

Retail

In the retail industry, we can find many cases that retailers use smart devices to enhance the customer experience. Specifically, various Internet of Things applications stand for the smartphone's ability to facilitate the communication between retailers and buyers — the most needed products and services are showed in front of customers in the right position at the right moment. In addition, smart retail opens up opportunities for IoT applications in terms of accurate advertising, improved supply chain cycles, and actual analysis of demand models. The applications of the Internet of Things already include NFC payment and smart shopping applications, which you can use when purchasing.

The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) — Healthcare— 51Testing
The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) — Healthcare — 51Testing

Healthcare

Most IoT applications in healthcare are around the improvement of care as such with remote monitoring and telemonitoring. The second area is tracking, monitoring, and maintenance of assets by using IoT and RFID. However, these applications are just the beginning and, at the same time, are far from omnipresent. More advanced and integrated approaches within the scope of the digital transformation of healthcare are starting to be used with regards to health data aspects where IoT plays an increasing role, as it does in specific applications such as smart pills, smart home care systems, personal healthcare, robotics, and Real-Time Health Systems.

The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) — Smart Car- 51Testing
The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) — Smart Car- 51Testing

Smart car

Driverless cars boost imagination with IoT, the world in which taxis work based on artificial intelligence will safely and accurately bring passengers to their desired destinations, which seems to be an upcoming reality. What we can already enjoy is the connected car-an Internet of Things application equipped with a large number of sensors and connected to the Internet to ensure maximum driving comfort. The specific IoT applications for cars include Tesla automatic garage door opener and internal temperature control, and an App framework for managing the vehicle’s speed, location, and battery storage.

The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) — Wearable device- 51Testing
The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) — Wearable device- 51Testing

Wearable Device

This application of the Internet of Things combines a set of technical devices that are designed to be worn on the body and authorized by an application on a smartphone. In fact, developments in this field are closely related to various IoT applications in connected healthcare because wearable devices are suitable for checking basic health indicators and improving treatment. Among the major players in this market, IoT applications are mainly designed by Apple, Samsung, and Motorola with fitness bracelets, GPS tracking straps, implantable gadgets, and many other IoT applications.

The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) — Smart City- 51Testing
The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) — Smart City- 51Testing

Smart City

For the city, basic IoT applications include smart parking, structural health monitoring, noise maps, smart lighting, and smart roads. Although this set of IoT applications is in the development stage rather than reality, the prospect of increased safety and the promise of smart transportation and pollution control make life inevitable.

The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) — Supply Chain- 51Testing
The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) — Supply Chain- 51Testing

Supply Chain

The best IoT applications in the supply chain mainly refer to accurate tracking of goods, better freight operations, and transparent information exchange with major stakeholders. In addition, the application of the Internet of Things has great benefits in minimizing the need for manpower, which logically can bring optimized cost-effectiveness and enhanced automation.

The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) — Energy sector- 51Testing
The use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) — Energy sector- 51Testing

Energy sector

The energy sector is undergoing a massive transformation. Along with solar, wind, storage and other technologies, the internet of things is helping to drive this transformation. Specifically, the grid design changes consumption rules by automatically collecting data and providing instant analysis of the power cycle.

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In the next part, we will focus on the topics below, stay tuned!

  1. IoT, what are we testing?
  2. What skill does an IoT tester need to know?
  3. What are the IoT testing tools you should know?

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