Internet-of-Things – A Layered Model for Business Environment

Abstract

The new concept of Internet of Things (IoT) will increase the pace of globalization in business, overcoming spatial and temporal barriers, language and economic development. But, as any new concept emerged, it still has no widespread functional models and standards and, moreover, companies are not ready to accept all the changes proposed by IoT in the business environment. In this paper, as a case study, we propose an IoT model, based on collaboration between Fog/Edge and Cloud Computing, for developing a business in distribution and retail domain, with a multi-stores and multi-warehouses structures. The entire system is monitored by a hierarchical synchronization model, having the master clock server placed in the Cloud layer, and then, in subordinate relation, to the next level, the Fog/Edge layer, from which start signals simultaneously to the servers in the warehouses and to stores.