The Internet of Things – What Is It
Posted June 14th, 2013
The Internet of Things is the idea that any physical object can connect to the Internet and communicate with other objects.
This development (also known as Machine to Machine [M2M] communication) is well underway and encompasses many aspects of life – from connected homes, cars and roadways to devices that analyze consumers’ profiles and use that information to “push” products and services to them. These devices all contain sensors, actuators and microprocessors and are connected to the Internet through both wired and wireless networks – often using the same Internet Protocol that connects the Internet. These networks churn out huge volumes of data (“big data”) that then flows to computers for analysis. When objects can both sense the environment and communicate, they become cost reduction tools – creating new business models and improving business processes.
Lighting exchanges can tell city maintenance crews when lights are out, vending machines can inform distributors when they are out/low are products, and micro cameras (for example) can study a patient’s digestive tract and send thousands of images back to diagnostic equipment to pinpoint a source of illness.
The widespread adoption of the Internet of Things will take time, but the time line is advancing thanks to improvements in underlying technologies.
This includes
- Connectivity advances (including wireless, Bluetooth and 4G) and greater standardization of communications protocols that make it possible to collect data from these sensors almost anywhere at any time.
- Ever-smaller silicon chips that are gaining new capabilities. While still challenging, it is easier and cheaper than ever before to produce hardware.
- Big data tools, some of it available via cloud computing, make number crunching possible at a very large scale and at declining cost.
- A wide array of new sensors that are making their way into our smartphones (the main portal to access the Internet of Things). New moisture, pressure, light and temperature sensors will be integrated onto a wider variety of devices.
The number of devices will continue to grow. For example, a report from OECD dealing with “smart networks” in the home – estimates that a family of four will go from having an average of 10 devices connected to the Internet to 25 in 2017 and 50 by 2022.
Companies can begin taking steps now to position themselves for these changes by embracing these new technologies to optimize business processes in which traditional methods have not brought satisfactory returns.
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