The internet may be the most groundbreaking development since the written word. It has enhanced communication to such a fast and broad level that the ancients would have assumed it to be the method of the gods. Humankind is forever changed as a result of its creation.
Recently, you may have heard a phrase being tossed around. It appears to imply that the internet is more than a system of communications. Like a spirit or Plato’s forms, “the internet of things” seems to reveal a deeper belief. The internet has become so integral in our lives that no longer is it a mere network – it is a characteristic in and of itself.
So, is this some new-fangled animism where everything has a spirit and a .com?
Not quite. In fact, we’re really talking much more about potential here than any kind of spirit. The idea is that the access points for the communications network known as the “internet” no longer needs to be restricted to computer terminals.
Though the language seems to have resurfaced as of late, the idea behind the “internet of things” isn’t new. As far back as 1966, German computer pioneer, Karl Steinbuch predicted that “in a few decades time, computers will be interwoven into almost every industrial product.”
Calling Steinbuch’s proclamation an innovation may be drastic because it seems to be more of a predictive observation than anything else, but the idea behind it is revolutionary.
Whether it was Steinbuch, a science fiction author or someone else who first conceived of the notion of interconnecting life with all-encompassing networks, it was as innovative as one could get! Computer technologies serve as the bridge between life as we know it and fantasy.
And what’s more is that the transition may only be in its early stages.
In the future, all of our “things” may have their internal internetness realized. The idea behind the “internet of things” is that our computers don’t need to be the only access we have to our incredible network of information. The reality, however, is that they have already ceased to be the only way in.
Our telephones, our watches, our books, our vehicles, our televisions, our security systems, our radios and even – in some instances – our nature are already portals to what used to be known as the great Information Highway.
We already speak of “smart” phones and devices. In short, “the internet of things” is the vision for a “smart” version of everything.
The future of the internet and its continued osmosis into everyday life depends heavily on the innovative thinking of many men and women across many industries. In some ways, it will depend on the highly knowledgeable players who must figure out issues with communication, device cooperation, localization, information processing and other complex technical arenas. In other ways, it will depend on creatively-minded individuals who may wonder aloud “do you think our sewers could inform the Department of Sanitation when a backup occurs?”
And that last question is sort of the whole point. Kevin Ashton, largely recognized as the primary thinker behind this vision, wrote in 2009 that “Ideas and information are important, but things matter much more. We would know when things needed replacing, repairing or recalling, and whether they were fresh or past their best. The Internet of Things has the potential to change the world, just as the Internet did. Maybe more so.”