Despite having existed for some time now, the Internet of Things is still in frantic and continuous adoption by consumers and companies, who are exploring the concept in both creative and really useful ways in everyday life.
With its first uses recorded in the 1980s, IoT — even before the term was coined — was already attracting the attention of technology enthusiasts.
Therefore, if you want to know what the Internet of Things is, its history, first applications, and achievements to this day, keep reading in order to understand more about this fascinating subject. Enjoy!
What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the technology that allows everyday objects to be connected to the Internet and exchange data, both with each other and with other devices.
This allows objects to be controlled and monitored remotely, which can be useful in many applications, such as home automation, monitoring of industrial equipment, and efficient resource management in companies.
IoT has been increasingly used and adopted in many areas, and can have a significant impact on our lives, both personally or professionally.
A little history of the Internet of Things
The term “Internet of Things” was first used in 1999 by Auto-ID Center co-founder Kevin Ashton. His project, applied in leading universities in the use of technology, had support from large companies at the time, such as Unilever, Xerox and Gillette.
The Auto-ID Center aimed to develop a global network of objects with automatic identification, in order to allow them to be tracked and monitored efficiently. This included the development of radio frequency (RFID) sensors, barcodes and other identification technologies.
Thus, Auto-ID Center was responsible for some of the most important innovations in automatic identification technologies, including the development of communication standards for RFID devices, as well as the establishment of a global automatic identification information management system.
Before the term IoT existed…
Despite its pioneering nature, the concept of IoT was already being used well before 1999. In the mid-1980s, a Coca-Cola machine at Carnegie Mellon University was the first device to be connected to the internet.
Back then, by having the Coca Cola machine connected to the web, programmers were able to check on its status by using the internet in order to see if there was a cold drink still available, in case they decided to head towards it and purchase it.
There have also been cases of UK retailers starting to experiment with loyalty cards that had a small chip that could be used via radio. This chip allowed small pieces of information to be transmitted, without the need for wires or a reader.
Evolution over time
If in the early years the use of IoT was extremely limited, it was from 2010 that the technology began to gain even more momentum, thanks to the increase in popularity of mobile devices and the emergence of new technologies.
This newly found need to make hardware more “intelligent” has allowed the evolution up to the present day, where Bluetooth communication, Wi-Fi and, more recently, the 5G network, allow thousands of applications to be linked to the Internet of Things.
With that premise in mind, IoT has advanced to many other areas, such as heavy industry, agriculture and healthcare. Whether in purely residential or business use cases, the connection with the devices facilitates the life of human beings by bringing ease and convenience to many everyday tasks.
However, there is still a lot of room for the evolution of IoT technology, and many opportunities for its use in new areas.
What is the future of IoT?
As we can imagine, the future of the Internet of Things is quite promising, and the technology has great potential to significantly change many areas of society.
Some of the future trends and developments expected in IoT include:
- Increased use of low-energy communication technologies: IoT devices consume a lot of energy and one of the main areas of research today is the search for low-energy communication technologies that can extend the shelf life of these devices.
- Even greater integration with the cloud: The cloud is an essential component of IoT, where the integration between these two technologies is expected to increase further in the future, allowing devices to access and share even more data.
- Increased security: Security is a growing concern when it comes to IoT devices, and there is expected to be a greater emphasis on the security of these devices in the future. This includes security measures such as encryption and authentication.
- Greater integration with artificial intelligence: Artificial intelligence and IoT can be complementary technologies, and AI is expected to become increasingly integrated with IoT in the future, enabling devices to be even smarter and able to make assertive decisions.
However, these are just some of the expected future trends and developments for IoT. It has great potential to significantly change many areas of society and is expected to continue to evolve rapidly in the coming years.
Also take the opportunity to read: Internet of Things in companies: benefits, examples and a success case in the market
