There are 3 different versions of the IoT

We talk about the IoT like it’s a monolithic thing, but I’ve realized that in my head I often break it down into three different components, each with different characteristics. There’s consumer IoT, enterprise IoT, and industrial IoT. I suspect many others have a similar breakdown that they haven’t defined.

Consumer IoT devices need an interface via an app, website, or screen on the device; they should moreover provide a service as opposed to simply remote access. So a Wi-Fi-connected oven that I can turn on or pre-heat from an app isn’t really consumer IoT unless it also has the ability to gauge my food’s temperature in order to better cook it, or if it can share its energy consumption data with the grid to help adjust the demand for energy in my home or in my neighborhood.