Internet of things defination, Explanation Internet of things, Internet of things

1. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a scenario in which objects, animals or people are provided
with unique identifiers and the ability to automatically transfer data over a network without
requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. IoT has evolved from the
convergence of wireless technologies, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and the
Internet.
A thing, in the Internet of Things, can be a person with a heart monitor implant, a farm
animal with a biochip transponder, an automobile that has built-in sensors to alert the driver
when tire pressure is low -- or any other natural or man-made object that can be assigned an
IP address and provided with the ability to transfer data over a network. So far, the Internet of
Things has been most closely associated with machine-to-machine (M2M) communication in
manufacturing and power, oil and gas utilities. Products built with M2M communication
capabilities are often referred to as being smart. (See: smart label, smart meter, smart grid
sensor)
IPv6’s huge increase in address space is an important factor in the development of the
Internet of Things. According to Steve Leibson, who identifies himself as “occasional docent
at the Computer History Museum,” the address space expansion means that we could “assign
an IPV6 address to every atom on the surface of the earth, and still have enough addresses
left to do another 100+ earths.” In other words, humans could easily assign an IP address to
every "thing" on the planet. An increase in the number of smart nodes, as well as the amount
of upstream data the nodes generate, is expected to raise new concerns about data privacy,
data sovereignty and security.
Although the concept wasn't named until 1999, the Internet of Things has been in
development for decades. The first Internet appliance, for example, was a Coke machine at
Carnegie Melon University in the early 1980s. The programmers could connect to the
machine over the Internet, check the status of the machine and determine whether or not there
would be a cold drink awaiting them, should they decide to make the trip down to the
machine.
Kevin Ashton, cofounder and executive director of the Auto-ID Center at MIT, first
mentioned the Internet of Things in a presentation he made to Procter & Gamble. Here’s how
Ashton explains the potential of the Internet of Things:
“Today computers -- and, therefore, the Internet -- are almost wholly dependent on human
beings for information. Nearly all of the roughly 50 petabytes (a petabyte is 1,024 terabytes)
of data available on the Internet were first captured and created by human beings by typing,
pressing a record button, taking a digital picture or scanning a bar code.
The problem is, people have limited time, attention and accuracy -- all of which means they
are not very good at capturing data about things in the real world. If we had computers that
knew everything there was to know about things -- using data they gathered without any help
from us -- we would be able to track and count everything and greatly reduce waste, loss and
cost. We would know when things needed replacing, repairing or recalling and whether they
were fresh or past their best.”

2. Definition - What does Internet of Things (IoT) mean?
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a computing concept that describes a future where everyday
physical objects will be connected to the Internet and be able to identify themselves to other
devices. The term is closely identified with RFID as the method of communication, although
it also may include other sensor technologies, wireless technologies or QR codes.
The IoT is significant because an object that can represent itself digitally becomes something
greater than the object by itself. No longer does the object relate just to you, but is now
connected to surrounding objects and database data. When many objects act in unison, they
are known as having "ambient intelligence."
Techopedia explains Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet of Things is a difficult concept to define precisely. In fact, there are many
different groups that have defined the term, although its initial use has been attributed to
Kevin Ashton, an expert on digital innovation. Each definition shares the idea that the first
version of the Internet was about data created by people, while the next version is about data
created by things. In 1999, Ashton said it best in this quote from an article in the RFID
Journal:
"If we had computers that knew everything there was to know about things - using data they
gathered without any help from us - we would be able to track and count everything, and
greatly reduce waste, loss and cost. We would know when things needed replacing, repairing
or recalling, and whether they were fresh or past their best".
Most of us think about being connected in terms of computers, tablets and smartphones. IoT
describes a world where just about anything can be connected and communicate in an
intelligent fashion. In other words, with the Internet of Things, the physical world is
becoming one big information system.

3. What Is the Internet of Things?
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical objects accessed through the Internet, as
defined by technology analysts and visionaries. These objects contain embedded technology to
interact with internal states or the external environment. In other words, when objects can sense
and communicate, it changes how and where decisions are made, and who makes them.
Why Does It Matter?
The IoT is connecting new places–such as manufacturing floors, energy grids, healthcare facilities,
and transportation systems–to the Internet. When an object can represent itself digitally, it can be
controlled from anywhere. This connectivity means more data, gathered from more places, with
more ways to increase efficiency and improve safety and security.
How to Get Started
A common first step toward the IoT is converting networks on proprietary protocols to IP-based
networks. For enterprises, it requires partnerships between operational technology (OT) and IT to
address security, performance, and interoperability. Cisco has a long history of partnering with
customers to achieve business goals. We have recently introduced the Cisco Industrial Smart
Solution to help converge OT and IT.
Why Partner with Cisco

4. The network plays a critical role as the connectivity platform for control and operational systems,
sensors, machines, and devices. It must provide a secure infrastructure that can support billions of
context-aware devices, people, processes, and data. Cisco connects the unconnected with an open
standard, integrated architecture, from the cloud to end devices.