The Internet of Things.

You’ve heard of it.

Even used it.

But do you know what it is?

The IoT (Internet of Things) is changing the world in ways that just a few years ago would have been impossible to imagine. Our daily lives are already being affected by it. Sometimes for the better. Sometimes not.

So what is it, this Internet of Things (IoT)?

Do you have a cellphone? A car? A house? A TV? AnyTHING?

These are all “things” that – if they are “smart” – can communicate with each other over the internet.

“Smart” means they have sensors that are capable of reading certain data (light, heat, pressure, measurements, movement, etc.) and then communicating that information to other smart devices over the internet. So your smart phone, smart car, smart house, smart TV or…whatever smart machine you can think of… can communicate this data with other smart devices. The techies call this “M2M” or “Machine-to-Machine” communication.

That’s a basic understanding of the IoT – the interconnectivity of smart machines.

Recently, after returning home from a trip to Florida, I received a text message from my car saying its time for an oil change. The text did not actually come directly from my car to my iPhone but traveled  from my car to a computer at my auto dealership and then from the dealer’s computer to my phone.

That’s M2M in action.

But how did my car, my dealership and my phone connect together to let me know an oil change is needed?

Simple.

The Cloud. You know about the Cloud, right?

So here ‘s what happened. A sensor in the car read the odometer and when the mileage for the next oil change was reached the sensor sent a signal to the Cloud saying my car needed an oil change. The Cloud notified the computer at the dealership of the message. The dealer’s computer read the information sent from the car, identified me as the owner of the car, looked up my phone number in it’s database, and sent me the text.

Bazinga!

The Internet of Things!

Can you imagine the possibilities?

You are driving in a big city and a massive traffic jam occurs on the route ahead. Some of the cars already stuck in traffic have an app that senses speed and motion. These apps send a message about the tie-up to the Cloud. You have the same app in your car so the Cloud downloads the message to you, warning you about the traffic jam and – using data uploaded from apps in other cars in other parts of the city – suggests an alternate route.

Or, you are away on a trip and concerned about security at your house. Did you remember to lock the door? Turn down the heat? Leave a light on? You take your iPhone and open the SmartHome app. Pulling information uploaded to the Cloud from your smart Lock, smart Thermostat and smart Lightbulbs, you use icons on the touchscreen to lock the door, turn down the heat and turn a light on.

Maybe even… you are out for a jog when an ambulance suddenly appears. It stops for YOU! The EMT tells you the Heart app on your phone detected an abnormal heart rhythm and called 911 for you – even before you knew you needed it!

The IoT promises unlimited ways to improve life. It is the most amazing technological advance to date.

But be careful.

With many of the new M2M connections being developed, the possibilities of invading your privacy increase dramatically as do the potential for things like identity theft and other nefarious activities.

We are living at the edge of a new frontier…

…the IoT, M2M and YoU!