Get Started with the Internet of Things for free.

For more than two decades we, at Barcode Products, have worked (not surprisingly) with barcodes. At the simplest level, barcodes are a way of identifying objects so we can manage them. But there’s a new way of identifying and managing objects. Our largest supplier, Zebra Technologies has bet more than three billion dollars on what it thinks is next – the Internet of Things, and because of our close relationship with Zebra, we can help you experiment with this next step.

You may already know what the internet of things is, but if you don’t – here’s a summary.

The internet of things (IoT) is where billions of devices or objects are connected to the internet. Everything from heating controls in our homes, engine management systems in our cars and ‘smart labels’ on our products. Data from these connected devices is analysed using the powerful computing power we currently have at our disposal and made meaningful. The benefits are unlimited. Energy efficiency in our homes and cars and knowing what products are in what locations and what work has been done to them are just scratching the surface – the uses can’t be imagined at the moment.

So how can you use this and how can we help you?

Zebra’s IoT is called Zatar and it’s described as Facebook for things. Each object has a tag that identifies it. In the case of electronics such as TV screens, barcode printers or mobile phones, these are easily identified using existing internal electronics. In the case of less intelligent objects, these need to be identified using ‘smart tags’. Once an object is connected to the internet, it can be connected to Zatar and a profile page is created. You’re able to add whatever you think is important to the profile page – weight, location, serial number, person responsible and so on. You’re also able to add updates such as when the device was used, when it was serviced, when it was last recharged and so on.

Now you have information about your items recorded in a database you can do something with it. You can extract data about items that need servicing in the next month. You can sell items to your clients and tell them what needs servicing this month, adding an efficient and profitable new revenue stream to your business.

We have access to Zebra’s Zatar system and the hardware to build a system. We can help you build a small-scale prototype to prove a positive return on investment. Call us on 01359 271 111. Britain has been described as a productivity backwater, with even the French having higher rates of productivity than the UK. Zatar and the Internet of Things are one thing that can change that – raising productivity and ultimately profitability.