What is the “Internet of Things”?

IT’S the buzzword, errr, term/phrase/thing for 2015. ‘Internet of Things’. It all sounds very ambiguous and confusing, so what does it actually mean?

IT’S the buzzword, errr, term/phrase/thing for 2015. Internet of Things. It all sounds very ambiguous and confusing, so what does it actually mean?

The concept of the Internet of Things came about initially in 1999 when it was used to describe RFID. A technology that wirelessly transfers small amounts of data. However, the Internet of Things we know today only really took off over the last four or five years. It has now become a priority for everyone, from the Chinese government to the world’s biggest technology companies like Apple and Samsung.

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To put it simply, The Internet of Things is the idea that all our objects and devices are connected. When we say all, we really mean all. Door locks, fridges, power-points, washing machines, vacuums, airconditioners. You name it, if it’s in your house, some company somewhere wants to wirelessly connect it to a network.

It’s not just about getting those devices to connected either, it’s about making them work together to automate your life and ultimately make it easier.

A current example is light bulbs and power-points that can be remotely controlled from your phone, but that’s just the beginning of this digital revolution.

People crowd around a Golf R Touch during a Volkswagen news conference at the International CES on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Earlier today at technology conference CES, LG showed off its Wellness system, which after monitoring your sleeping habits, heart rate and movement can make your living environment better. It does this by controlling your lighting, appliance settings and air conditioner to the ideal settings for your body and health.

Imagine your child arrives home from school and their detected smartphone automatically disables the TV or gaming console for a certain amount of time to make sure they do their homework.

Or imagine you need to do some washing but don’t want to do it before you leave work and have it sitting in the machine wet all day. You can use an app to set it to wash later in the day so it’s done just as you get home.

Unexpected guests coming over one night and the floor is filthy? No problem, remotely turn on your robot vacuum to get the place tidy.

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It’s not just in your house either. Car companies like Tesla now let you control your car’s air conditioning from your phone so the temperature is nice and cold the moment you get in.

The success of the Internet of Things though relies on companies working together with an open standard. LG talked about their compliance to industry standards at its keynote this morning, while Samsung held a whole keynote devoted just to that topic.

Samsung Electronics CEO BK Yoon said that “the Internet of Things has the potential to transform our society, economy and how we live our lives.”

He emphasised that for the Internet of Things to work, companies must think more about people because more than anything, the Internet of Things is about using technology that adapts and changes to people’s lifestyles.

This is truly the future of technology, and it’s going to be here sooner rather than later.

The reporter is at CES as a guest of LG.

TOPSHOTS Attendees get their first hands-on look at the new LG G Flex2 smart phone, at the LG press conference at 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Nevada January 5, 2015. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK

Originally published as What is the “Internet of Things”?