What is the Internet of Things?The Internet of Things refers to embedded devices that are able to communicate electronically through

networks such as the Internet. These devices may contain sensors that continuously detect and transmit

information (such as temperature, location, or motion), or they may respond to electronic commands to

perform actions (such as opening a lock or turning on a light). They are built using tiny microprocessors that run

embedded software, along with a network interface (usually wireless) that allows them to communicate

through the Internet or private networks.

In May 2013 the McKinsey Global Institute named the Internet of Things one of twelve disruptive technologies

that have the potential to transform life, business, and the global economy. The full report can be found here.

Along with devices and networks, the Internet of Things includes an ecosystem of back-end systems, data

collection, data processing and analytics, and software applications that are used by end users. This ecosystem

works together to provide benefits to decision making, process and resource optimization, quality of life, and

other factors in the healthcare, manufacturing, energy, lifestyle, and other sectors both public and private.

As mentioned in the McKinsey report, more than nine billion devices around the world are currently connected

to the Internet and that number is expected to increase dramatically over the next decade. McKinsey growth

estimates range from 50 billion to one trillion. That is a lot of connected devices! Advances in electronics,

software, sensors, miniaturization, cloud computing, wireless networking, data analytics, and open source

hardware and software have all contributed to the steady growth and utility of the Internet of Things.