Women in the Internet of Things (IoT)
Women can easily understand customers’ technological and emotional needs, even though women hold only 30% of STEM degrees in the world. There was the presence of things in society called things of the internet, but not connected to the internet in the past. The first Internet of Things (IoT – a device must be connected to the internet) was a toaster created in 1990 by John Romkey. After this, many more devices arrived on the market then IoT became common and the internet ubiquitous. Smart fridges, watches, phones, GPS all were entered and changed the way humans look at life.
Women-led startups which are innovating in the IoT space hold a 2% portion of the global share. Now many women are founding IoT startups worldwide. The IoT space gives opportunities to all, including those without technical backgrounds. The IoT space encloses software development, hardware development, product management, commerce, and other entrepreneurial skills. Women in IoT are more concerned and dedicated to creating spaces to uplift other goal-oriented women and girl students looking to enter into the IoT spaces like engineers, developers, and entrepreneurs.
Women in the IoT and the Middle East
The heavy digitization across the Middle East leads businesses to concentrate on IoT spaces fully. Companies with advanced level digitization will reach 100% participation in the third decade of the 21st century. Women who develop the technological space with their IoT contributions find another level in the region. Dr. Manahel Thabet, with her Financial Engineering expertise, STEM degrees, and entrepreneurial expertise, is one of the most exemplary leaders in the region in the IoT space. Empowering new women in digital entrepreneurship programs, STEM programs, Education and Skill development programs through her researches in IoT developments are notable examples.
Dr. Manahel Thabet
Dr. Manahel Thabet writes blogs and articles related to the IoT fields, explaining the field in detail and encouraging newcomers in the IoT space. She writes, “We find it in the form of smart audio aids that sometimes work on sound commands. IoT devices, at another time, form a vision associated with the developments in the world of artificial intelligence or speech recognition techniques, natural language processing, machine learning or cloud computing”.
Internet of Things all began in the 1990s when Kevin Ashton coined the phrase “Internet of Things” during a presentation he made at a company where he worked and then researched radio wave identification technology by which he could find out where and send a signal from, a special signal, which was the first step on the way to the Internet of Things.
In the words of Dr. Manahel Thabet, The IoT modus operandi can divide into three main sections. The first and easiest consists of the different radio waves that help transmit information and connect devices to the internet, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, RFID, etc. The second is about the devices themselves, motion sensors, door locks, or even room lights. Sometimes several devices connect to the primary device, allowing them to exchange information to perform tasks in the best way. The third is Cloud services, i.e., internet services that would enable data to be collected and analyzed and allow access to the internet to be possible from any device, phone, or app that uses the internet.
The Future of Internet of Things (IoT)
Dr. Manahel Thabet’s vision on the future of IoT is appreciable. The world owes to her views on developing a digital world with the extraordinary participation of women. She writes, “There may also be a development in things from computerized technology to implanted technology in the body, and we will see the integration of the body and machine together with smart slides, eye lenses, and advanced brains.” Computing in learning will be a big breakthrough on the Internet of Things because the curriculum will evolve to be automatically intelligent according to the scientific development of the student. There are a lot of companies that have produced and continue to develop this section of products and devices significantly. When we reach a stage where these devices from different manufacturers can cooperate and communicate smoothly, we will go beyond many simple and routine tasks, which these devices will perform instead of us. These devices will be able to read their surroundings and communicate with other devices to get the data they need to do their tasks to the fullest. In the future, houses will not be the only place where this technology works. Imagine a smart city connected to the internet, where the streets talk to each other, telling us how long it will take to get to work, or maybe show us a better path in the event of a traffic accident. Smart traffic lights will immediately prioritize ambulances and fire engines and lead you to an alternative route to your original destination. In a world where self-driving cars are spread, communication will be much easier, and we may be able to consider these because the vehicle is also part of the IoT world. Governments are expected to focus on increasing productivity, reducing costs, and improving the quality of life for their citizens. Governments will be the second-largest adopter of IoT solutions, as in the creative emirate of Dubai.”
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