Tell us your thoughts about IoT in pest control

Photo: Jae Young Ju/iStock / Getty Images Plus/ Getty Images

There’s a lot of talk these days about how artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining ground in our daily lives, whether it’s messing around with crazy illustration ideas or writing full-blown articles — often riddled with glitches and mistakes. But there’s another big technology out there that is also gaining ground, particularly in the pest management industry. It’s been around a little longer, but becoming more entrenched in our lives each day: the Internet of Things (IoT).

There are subtle variances in how this concept is defined, but basically, it is a network of devices that can connect and exchange data with one another. In professional pest management, this plays out in our routing software (collecting real-time data from the vehicle and sending it to your office), in sensor systems for rodents and other pests, and more.

Benefits of Internet of Things

On its website page about IoT, the U.S. government’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) could “revolutionize the American economy by enabling a fully connected world with on-demand access to data, systems, and each other. Since an IoT product might be defined as including an IoT device and any other product components that are necessary to using the IoT device beyond basic operational features, there are risks that come along with this level of connectivity — especially among so many devices across the globe. We must be able to trust the privacy, security, authenticity, and reliability of these devices, as well as the advanced networks that support them.

“NIST’s collaborative work across IoT focuses on the role we can play to help guarantee our connected future. From developing a fundamental understanding of IoT systems, to supporting trustworthy smart and connected systems and networks, to helping to create IoT standards, to supporting our power grid and cybersecurity work — NIST is constantly exploring new approaches to solve next-generation challenges. We hope to help enable a world where diverse wireless devices and systems coexist without compromise and encourage innovation.”

IoT and pest control

Coming down from this macro level to the micro level of your business, what does IoT mean to you? Are you using it in a significant way, or are costs or other obstacles deterring you from usage? We have a short survey going on for all our readers to weigh in at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9HZBTKF. Please help us gauge what the industry thinks about IoT, so we can bring robust, information-filled content to you and your colleagues for making informed decisions about the topic in the future.