Ensuring Quality in the Internet of Things

An illustrated lecture by Michael Scofield, M.B.A., Asst. Professor, Loma Linda University

The “internet of things” is described as a collection of devices (appliances, vehicles, etc.) which are imbedded with electronics and software, sensors, and can be connected (generally in some wireless technology) to exchange data without human intervention. Is that good?  Perhaps.  

Experts suggest that some 30 billion objects will be connected by 2020. This talk focuses on the purpose of web-supported events in the objects around us, and warns of consequences and potential problems in quality assurance. While modern communication network infrastructure seems to be well-developed and reliable, the semantics and business logic about what we want to accomplish in the outcomes and transactions between devices is still in its infancy.

• When one device issues a command to another, there may be context and contingencies to that command.  All this suggests a far more complex transaction than a single “blip” of a message from one device to another.
• When devices share data (sometimes about us!) there are privacy and security concerns.  A major business publication recently described the potential for malicious hacking of hospital infusion pumps.  A hack could kill a patient.  How do we prevent that?

This talk raises questions that quality professionals should be asking about their responsibilities for quality assurance and improvement in any IOT-supported process or product.

 We feel this is a great way to kick off the year 2018…we are forging into an area that has been increasingly affecting our daily activities…yet, not many of us QA professionals are involved in examining the quality end of these developments.