There is much anticipation of what predictive algorithms will deliver. Although predictive analytics may be the holy grail of the IoT, the journey towards using this tool starts with something more mundane: sensors.

Sensors deployed on the factory floor are the source of the data needed for taking actions in real time and for longer-term predictive analytics. While discussing sensors might not be as cutting edge as discussing other topics around IoT, they are a vital component of an IoT network. If the sensors are inaccurate and unreliable, the resulting data may not mean anything, or worse, may cause you to make the wrong decisions. This paper addresses the important characteristics to consider when selecting sensors.