In order to make buildings more efficient and competitive, digitization of housing plays a key role. Here the Internet of Things comes into play, once a building has been digitized, data and information are constantly transmitted about the operation of all the disciplines integrated in a building: from the weather, to protection against fires. For example, there are intelligent management platforms that help the user to manage, directly from the mobile, the environment of their offices according to their needs.

Internet of Things, an area where power relationships are ambiguous and the exact use of technology yet undetermined, is a fruitful realm for the technique of design fiction – or seeing design as a means of speculating about how things could be.

In response to YogaFan

While it is clear that the number and variety of connected devices is exploding, what is less clear is the social impact of this trend.

Optimists would have us believe that the IoT will free us from the mundanities of running a household. You’ll be able to read a book while a driverless car takes you the best route home before arriving home to dinner cooked to perfection in your smart oven.  Pessimists sell us a dystopian vision of an insecure and terrifying world where everything can be hacked – by governments, corporations or other people – including your car, your burglar alarms or even your pacemaker.

In response to Tadeas Economou

It’s predicted that by 2020, 50 billion devices will be connected to the web, from cars and doorbells to your pet dog’s collar and the kitchen stove. Everyday household objects increasingly hold the potential to become, in techno parlance, ‘a gateway to a delta of services’.

While it is clear that the number and variety of connected devices is exploding, what is less clear is the social impact of this trend.

It’s predicted that by 2020, 50 billion devices will be connected to the web, from cars and doorbells to your pet dog’s collar and the kitchen stove. Everyday household objects increasingly hold the potential to become, in techno parlance, ‘a gateway to a delta of services’.

The Internet of Things is transforming every corner of life: the home, the office, city streets and beyond. IoT products give us greater control over door locks, lights and appliances; offer insights into resource consumption habits; streamline business processes; and better connect us to the people, systems and environments that shape our daily lives.

In response to Gunnr Østergård

Blockchain, a form of Distributed Ledger Technology, has been gaining enormous attention in areas beyond its cryptocurrency roots since more or less 2014: blockchain and IoT (the Internet of Things), blockchain and security, blockchain and finance, blockchain and logistics, you name it. 

IBM Blockchain, for instance, already allows to extend (private) blockchain into cognitive Internet of Things. In fact, ultimately it will be the combination of artificial intelligence, IoT and blockchain that will prove most interesting across industries and in myriad possible IoT applications. With blockchain we are pretty much adding to the changing digital infrastructure that powers so many evolutions and impacts so many areas, from analytics to security, in an environment that thus far was centralized.

Blockchain, a form of Distributed Ledger Technology, has been gaining enormous attention in areas beyond its cryptocurrency roots since more or less 2014: blockchain and IoT (the Internet of Things), blockchain and security, blockchain and finance, blockchain and logistics, you name it. 

In the Internet of Things and in several other applications, for instance in the finance industry and even in security, we see a growing attention for blockchain or distributed ledger technology. As the name indicates we are again talking about decentralization.

In response to Elfriede Rothenberg

Cisco’s Internet of Everything newsroom page says: “The Internet of Everything (IoE) brings together people, process, data, and things to make networked connections more relevant and valuable than ever before-turning information into actions that create new capabilities, richer experiences, and unprecedented economic opportunity for businesses, individuals, and countries”.

Elfriede,

For Cisco the Internet of Everything is the next wave of Internet growth which, as an overarching term points at the connection of things, people, processes and data in one vast distributed network.

Cisco’s Internet of Everything newsroom page says: “The Internet of Everything (IoE) brings together people, process, data, and things to make networked connections more relevant and valuable than ever before-turning information into actions that create new capabilities, richer experiences, and unprecedented economic opportunity for businesses, individuals, and countries”.

IoT’s ability to bring personalization to a whole new level is what gets marketers most excited. Not only can you learn from the actions that your audience is taking , but theoretically, you can learn from what they are doing when they took those actions and start to build a rock-solid profile based on the data that is being passed to you on multiple levels. This type of data will not only help you get smarter about what you deliver, when you deliver it, messaging, and positioning, but will help you start to better anticipate what exactly your audience needs so you can get out in front of the decisions they are making.

San Antonio is improving the quality of life in innovative ways. The city is spread out across 460 square miles, so court appearances can entail a long drive for some. The city has eased this problem for residents with video court monitors at court kiosks throughout the metro area. Police officers can also use the system to more quickly obtain warrants when needed.

IoT provides opportunities to glean insight about customers from their "digital trails," said John Stetic, group vice president, products for the Oracle Marketing Cloud. "Connected products enable companies to understand which features are used most and least," said Xively's Duffy. "Instead of waiting to receive feedback, marketers can obtain usage data in real time and proactively educate users on unused features so they can get the most use from the product."

In response to Yevheniy Romero

The goal of pervasive computing is to make devices "smart," thus creating a sensor network capable of collecting, processing and sending data, and, ultimately, communicating as a means to adapt to the data's context and activity; in essence, a network that can understand its surroundings and improve the human experience and quality of life.

Often considered the successor to mobile computing, ubiquitous computing and, subsequently, pervasive computing, generally involve wireless communication and networking technologies, mobile devices, embedded systems, wearable computers, RFID tags, middleware and software agents. Internet capabilities, voice recognition and artificial intelligence are often also included.

The goal of pervasive computing is to make devices "smart," thus creating a sensor network capable of collecting, processing and sending data, and, ultimately, communicating as a means to adapt to the data's context and activity; in essence, a network that can understand its surroundings and improve the human experience and quality of life.

In Helsinki, Finland, the Urbanflow project has mounted a series of interactive kiosks around the city that allow passersby to search out streets, destinations and points of interest. The kiosks also map out the best walking routes, measured not just by distance but also walking time.

IoT analytics applications can help companies understand the Internet of Things data at their disposal, with an eye toward reducing maintenance costs, avoiding equipment failures and improving business operations. In addition, retailers, restaurant chains and makers of consumer goods can use data from smartphones, wearable technologies and in-home devices to do targeted marketing and promotions -- the business side of the IoT's futuristic world of connected consumer gear.

In response to Kolab Pasternak

Increasingly, organizations in a variety of industries are using IoT to operate more efficiently, better understand customers to deliver enhanced customer service, improve decision-making and increase the value of the business.

Kolab,

The internet of things offers a number of benefits to organizations, enabling them to: monitor their overall business processes; improve the customer experience; save time and money; enhance employee productivity; integrate and adapt business models; make better business decisions; and generate more revenue. IoT encourages companies to rethink the ways they approach their businesses, industries and markets and gives them the tools to improve their business strategies.

Increasingly, organizations in a variety of industries are using IoT to operate more efficiently, better understand customers to deliver enhanced customer service, improve decision-making and increase the value of the business.

It is estimated that in the future, successful companies will be able to increase their revenue through Internet of things by creating new business models and improve productivity, exploit analytics for innovation, and transform workforce.

The IoT can assist in the integration of communications, control, and information processing across various transportation systems. Application of the IoT extends to all aspects of transportation systems (i.e. the vehicle, the infrastructure, and the driver or user).

In response to Fabricio Ruiz

I got confused by the role distributed databases will play in the management of all home devices.  Will I be in control of all my devices at all times?  This is an interesting topic I need to research further.

IoT devices are a part of the larger concept of home automation, which can include lighting, heating and air conditioning, media and security systems. Long term benefits could include energy savings by automatically ensuring lights and electronics are turned off.

In response to Thomas Pfeiffer

AI has been around for a while, I think first AI was created in 1940. But we it started being noticable in the recent years. Did you know that google's face recognition is AI, there are many more that google is using right now, we just never cared to notice.

AI is the fastest developing computer-based mechanism nowadays. No wonder if in the next 10-15 years big part of our everyday life gadgets/devices are actually "smart".

Here is an interesting concept related to Neural Networks: Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs).  ANNs, or connectionist systems, are computing systems inspired by the biological neural networks that constitute animal brains. Such systems learn (progressively improve their ability) to do tasks by considering examples, generally without task-specific programming. For example, in image recognition, they might learn to identify images that contain cats by analyzing example images that have been manually labeled as "cat" or "no cat" and using the analytic results to identify cats in other images.

In response to Thomas Pfeiffer

AI has been around for a while, I think first AI was created in 1940. But we it started being noticable in the recent years. Did you know that google's face recognition is AI, there are many more that google is using right now, we just never cared to notice.

I read your comment and I started a little research, then I stumbled upon this article in Wikipedia. It is safe to say that I am intrigued, hope you like it.

In response to Frank Valentine

In the theme of smart refrigerators, I remembered a fun fact that I watched on a podcast with Elon Musk, he said some of the Tesla cars can be made to dance with a certain command. Also the autopilot is using AI, but I am sure you already know this.

AI has been around for a while, I think first AI was created in 1940. But we it started being noticable in the recent years. Did you know that google's face recognition is AI, there are many more that google is using right now, we just never cared to notice.

In response to Анета Владимирова

The Internet of Things is an all-encompassing term that refers to scenarios in which an array of technologies ushers non-digitized objects (coffee machines, ovens, lamps, cars) and creatures (livestock and pets, for example) into the realm of the Internet. Each object becomes uniquely identifiable and can interact with as many other network-connected devices as you want.

Soon, IoT will offer consumers the ability to interact with nearly every appliance and device they own. For example, your refrigerator will let you know when you are running low on milk and your dishwasher will inform you when it is ready to be emptied. It's possible that, in the near future, consumers will be getting more text messages from their devices than human beings.

The Internet of Things is an all-encompassing term that refers to scenarios in which an array of technologies ushers non-digitized objects (coffee machines, ovens, lamps, cars) and creatures (livestock and pets, for example) into the realm of the Internet. Each object becomes uniquely identifiable and can interact with as many other network-connected devices as you want.

Since we are talking about new opportunities, I would like to also add a couple of military applications that the IoT has. 

Logistics: the connected sensors and digital analytics that IoT technology offers can be used to track supplies and equipment from their source to where they are needed on the battlefield.  Smart Bases: Automated security screening increases safety while decreasing manpower, and a network of security cameras connected to their environment via sensors and to a central network via the Internet will also minimize security risks.  Data Warfare: by collecting data from a wide range of military platforms – including aircraft, weapon systems, ground vehicles, and troops themselves – the military can increase the effectiveness of their intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems.

Klas,

You are so right about that.  Here are a few things one can do today with his or her smartphone:

1. start your car
2. manage your blog
3. play mobile games
4. meet your soulmate 
5. tune an instrument
6. watch a video
7. request transportation
8. pay your bills
9. learn a new language
10. book a flight
11. track traffic
12. exercise your brain
13. take photos
14. read a book
15. set an alarm
16. light the way
17. listen to music
18. check the weather
19. talk to distant friends
20. never get lost (using the GPS)

Twenty years ago a phone was only used for calling....

In the theme of smart refrigerators, I remembered a fun fact that I watched on a podcast with Elon Musk, he said some of the Tesla cars can be made to dance with a certain command. Also the autopilot is using AI, but I am sure you already know this.

I love the fact that one day I will be able to electronically track the supply chain for items I order on the Internet.  I am looking forward to keeping track of how those items get to me.

I got confused by the role distributed databases will play in the management of all home devices.  Will I be in control of all my devices at all times?  This is an interesting topic I need to research further.

I wonder with so many devices connected to the IoT, what the energy requirements will be like in the future.  It seems to me this future demand for energy will put a significant strain on the environment.

It seems to me the only device I will need in the near future will be my phone.  Some people claim it is too early to make such a claim but I believe you will agree with me.