Can IOB be the prolongation of IOT!
Can IOB be the prolongation of IOT!
It is found that in last 5 Years, the number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has doubled. We are using these gadgets in our everyday routine, right from wearable technologies that track your capability 24/7 to remote access to embedded devices present in home or we are using. With the advent of new mobile devices has changed the way we interact with the world around us. The gathering of conventional data and data by these IoT devices provides valuable information about users’ behaviour, interests, and their likings. Due to this reason, the concept of Internet of Behaviour (IoB) was born.
Now Questions arises, how to turn all the data collected from users’ online activities into something useful usually means profit for companies. These query is now answered by a new concept: the Internet of Behaviour (IoB).
What is the Internet of Behaviour (IOB)?
The purpose of the IoB is to capture, analyse, understand and respond to all types of human behaviours in a way that allows tracking and interpreting those behaviours of people using emerging technological innovations and developments in machine learning algorithms. People’s behaviours are monitored and incentives or disincentives are applied to influence them to perform towards a desired set of operational parameters. What is really relevant about IoB is that it is not only descriptive (analysing behaviour), but proactive (detecting which psychological variables to influence to bring about a certain outcome).
It is cited that Year 2012 as the opening date of IOB when psychology professor Gothe Nyman described the possibility of obtaining detailed data on customers’ use and behaviour as they interact with the Internet of Things (IoT). But the impression of analysing data received from consumers for business purposes is not new. Many Research work already done in past on consumer behaviour and habits, we now have an mechanized ecosystem of analytic processes that track, collect, and attempt to interpret the vast amounts of data we generate through our online and Internet activities.
The main Idea behind the concept of IoB is to understand data properly and apply that thoughts to create and promote new products – from a human psychology perspective.
As per Gartner, The Internet of Behaviour collects the digital dust of people’s lives from a variety of springs, and public or private organizations can use this information to stimulus behaviour.
It not only impacts on consumer choices but also redesigns the value chain. While some users are distrustful while providing their data, many others are happy to do so as long as it adds value – data-driven value. Suppositionally, most of the information is collected by considering all likes and dislikes of user, with an eventual goal of improving efficacy and value.
Fundamentally, if any company wants to adopt IoB in its marketing department, the following features are necessary. Firstly, While designing any application, it is significant to imagine the user’s interaction patterns and touch points. Involve them in the creation process, learn about their wishes, make it unified and interconnected, make navigation more simple and evocative so that relevancy reflect in the app. Once the app is running, convey its purpose, create a user guide and reward by gamifying the CX in the app. It is require to make strong bonding with user.
Secondly, tools like multi-format support platforms (XML, JSON, PHP, CVS, HTML, etc.), which interacts with API and in turn upload data to the cloud which are fundamental features of many platforms such as Google or Facebook. Platforms should allow for multi-channel personalisation, centralised updates that are replicated, sending unique notifications that turn users into contributors to the personalisation of the app, allow for social media integration and maintain an interactive interface.
Finally, it is the data captured through the app that serves to model user behaviour. And in turn, this is the actionable data that can be sent in the form of pop-ups and notifications to the customer to encourage and incentivise them to adhere to a desired behaviour. Analytics are necessary so that essential information can be extracted from all the data.
Security Issues and Ethical use of IOB
Since different platforms and sources from where data is collected, analysed and stored, controlling its access level by big companies like Amazon, Flipkart, Google etc becomes enormously difficult. These marketing giants companies store user data such as browser history, preferences, cookies and even location data. The purpose is to provide personalised content and target advertisements. Hypothetically, all this data is to be confidential, but data breach are daily news.
The leaked data can be used for different immoral and unlawful work, which in turn sometime put great impact on person everyday life since they can now be targeted with certain opinions, feelings or products which they might never need but if blasted with multiple times, can change views in favour of a particular organisation, product or ideology. Even different political parties, terrorist organisations, or even intellectuals can use the targeted advertisements of opinions to influence people wrongly.
If any company developing or implementing an IoT solution, consumer privacy should be paramount, particularly as we are entering an era in which consumer data will primarily concern. Most people respond positively to product suggestions and sales funnels tailored to their unique preferences and needs. And yet, consumers have their confidentiality.
In such an approach, it is essential to strike a balance between personalized offers and intrusiveness to avoid an adverse reaction from the consumer. It is also necessary to demonstrate a high level of security and protect the consumer information you analyse.
Data collection via IOT Devices provides valuable information about customer behaviours, interests and preferences which in turn referred to as the Internet of Behaviour (IoB). The IoB attempts to understand the data collected from users’ online activity from a behavioural psychology perspective. It seeks to address the question of how to understand the data, and how to apply that understanding to create and market new products, all from a human psychology perspective.
IOB then refers to a process by which user-controlled data is analysed which informs new approaches to designing a user experience (UX), search experience optimisation (SXO), and how to market the end products and services offered by companies. Consequently, for a company to conduct IOB is technically simple, but psychologically complex because of consumer privacy for ethical and legal reasons.
Atlast, IOB be the adjunct of IOT, however these days IOT is widespread technology but research suggests that by 2025, IOT will be ruling the industry.
From
Amandeep Sandhu
Dept of IT