internet of things

The Internet of Things is the network of physical objects—devices, vehicles, buildings and other items embedded with sensors, and network connectivity that enables these objects to collect and exchange data The IoT allows objects to be sensed and controlled remotely across existing network infrastructure creating opportunities for more direct integration of the physical world into computer-based systems, and resulting in improved efficiency, acuracy and economic benefit when Iota is augmented with sensors and actuators, the technology becomes an instance of the more general class of cyber-physical systems, which also encompasses technologies such as , smart homes, intelligent transportation and smart cities. Each thing is uniquely identifiable through its embedded computing system but is able to inter-operate within the existing In infrastructure. Experts estimate that the Iota will consist of almost 50 billion objects by 2020

British entrepreneur first coined the term in 1999 while working at Auto-ID Labs (originally called Auto-ID centers, referring to a global network of objects connected to radio-frequency identification, or RFID). Typically, Iota is expected to offer advanced connectivity of devices, systems, and services that goes beyond (M2M) communications and covers a variety of protocols, domains, and applications The interconnection of these embedded devices (including smart objects), is expected to usher in automation in nearly all fields, while also enabling advanced applications like a smart grid and expanding to the areas such as 

"Things," in the Iota sense, can refer to a wide variety of devices such as heart monitoring implants, biochip transponders on farm animals, electric clams in coastal waters,automobiles with built-in sensors, DNA analysis devices for environmental/food/pathogen monitoring or field operation devices that assist firefighters in rescue operations. Legal scholars suggest to look at "Things" as an "inextricable mixture of hardware, software, data and service". These devices collect useful data with the help of various existing technologies and then autonomously flow the data between other devices Current market examples include systems and washer/dryers that use Wi-Fi for remote monitoring.

As well as the expansion of Internet-connected automation into a plethora of new application areas, Iota is also expected to generate large amounts of data from diverse locations, with the consequent necessity for quick aggregation of the data, and an increase in the need to index, store, and process such data more effectively. Iota is one of the platforms of today's Smart City, and Smart Energy Management Systems.