What is the internet of things

It has been a while since the Internet of Things was born, over 15 years, but from last year it has become one of the most popular development options in technology world.

During these two months of 2014, in some of the most important technology meetings such as the Consumer Electronic Show or the Mobile World Congress, the Internet of Things (IoT) has been widely renowned and has also achieved the top five on the list of technology trends for the future, made by the Consumer Electronics Association.

But the question around users’ minds is: what is the Internet of Things? Because big companies are talking about it but no one gives an explanation.

Simplifying, the IoT is a computing concept, in which everyday physical objects will be connected to the Internet and be able to identify themselves to other devices, and communicate by transferring data.

Why is this is so amazing? Easy, we will be able to manage some of our most used objects with our mobile devices: smartphones or tablets. A quick example: Samsung has developed a washing machine that includes WIFI, so users are allowed to control their laundry options from the mobile.  Pretty cool isn’t it?

Actually there are between 8,000 and 10,000 million devices connected to the internet, but this is just the beginning. By Google acquiring Nest , this IoT is going to growing fast, and by 2020 this number will be 4 o 5 times more.

How is this IoT going to affect mobile devices? It is an important question, since we will need them to manage most of the devices that will be connected to the Internet. They will need to be more powerful, since they are going to support lots of apps for managing different things, as in the example we have seen before, we will need an app in our smartphones or tablets to control the laundry.

As you probably know, last week’s Mobile World Congress took place in Barcelona, and the Internet of Things has almost eclipsed the launch of new mobile devices, and the conclusion for all known brands who where there was the same: bring technology to daily life.

Furthermore, some of these large corporations showed their new products related to IoT during the event, even if it’s not clear how popular are they going to be, such as the Oral B toothbrush connected to a mobile.

So, as a conclusion, we have to put our attention in the big companies and how they are improving their products, because in five years from now they will become part of our normal day, and we will have to be up to date because we are going to need some tips about how to use this new kind of technology .

By: Tlta