What is the Internet of Things, what are the benefits it brings to everyone's life, and the trends in the sector. And finally, what is the most important challenge that the technology will have to face.

Smart objects that communicate with each other. They exchange information, conduct transactions, with the aim of simplifying our lives. The Internet of Things encompasses a set of technologies that allow each object to assume a second life by connecting to the Network.

Here is how the Internet of Things works and why it revolutionizes the existence of us all.

The father is Kevin Ashton

The first to have coined the term is Kevin Ashton, an American engineer currently leading the Auto-ID Center at MIT. Kevin facilitated the creation of RFID, low-power chips that communicate wirelessly.

The RFID tag is the foundation that enabled the Internet of Things to emerge. Subsequently, other innovations would arise that allowed the model to scale.

Fundamental is the adoption of IPv6, the new protocol that effectively allows a greater number of users and devices to communicate on the Internet, increasing the possibility of creating IP addresses.

11 billion connected devices

The number of connected devices is truly impressive: 11 billion according to Forbes to date. The term "devices" truly encompasses everything: appliances, cars, cameras, furniture, anything can be connected to the Network and become smart.

What are the advantages of the Internet of Things? They are endless. Objects through sensors can provide information and data to users and, for example, inform them about malfunctions and breakdowns in real-time, thus optimizing maintenance costs.

And there are also advantages that impact everyday life, such as sensors that detect the city's smog levels, the crowd density in a place, the traffic situation, and send messages to those who can make use of this data.

Opportunities for companies

The Internet of Things is the foundation of Industry 4.0, a new way of producing that improves performance, optimizes resources, and reduces waste.

Sensors allow companies to have more data on their products and internal systems. Data that can then be used to understand when a component needs to be replaced, for example. And to do so before it can cause any damage.

The data is also used for other purposes, such as making supply chains more efficient by enabling real-time monitoring and verification of activities.

Not only manufacturing, but also agriculture. The Internet of Things inaugurates "smart agriculture" which, by equipping cultivation systems with sensors, improves soil yields and promotes a more efficient use of natural resources, such as water and other forms of energy.

Opportunities for all

The advantages we have described of the Internet of Things are not limited to entrepreneurs but bring well-being to everyone. One of the most debated topics within the sector is that of smart cities.

In a world where objects are connected, it will be possible to improve the life of our cities. Here too, there are many examples. The Internet of Things will improve the use of public resources. Consider public lighting, with street lamps that intelligently manage urban brightness.

Or to the range of possibilities that open up with "smart mobility," with connected vehicles and transportation means that exchange information over the Network and better manage transfers, connections, and parking systems.

Opportunities are not limited to the public sector but extend into the private sphere of each of us, right at home. With home automation systems that help optimize energy consumption, avoid waste, especially in the management of heat sources and household appliances.

Trends and the privacy issue

The keyword to understand the Internet of Things is integration. The technology indeed works if combined with other innovations present today.

Let's talk about artificial intelligence. Advances in this field facilitate dialogue between objects, promoting the transfer of information. At the same time, enabling more effective communication between humans and machines.

We are considering the new evolutions of chatbots, machines that learn human language and interact with Internet users, as a real person would.

Another fascinating integration is the one that connects the Internet of Things to the blockchain, the peer-to-peer network underlying the functioning of bitcoin.

Blockchain can ensure data security by recording every transaction and exchange on its shared database. that cannot be modified. A perfect mechanism in the supply chain, to store and verify in real-time the accuracy of the exchanges that occur.

As with any technology, all that glitters is not gold. The challenge of the Internet of Things is called privacy. With smart objects, from toothbrushes to coffee machines to refrigerators, there will be billions of data on user habits circulating on the Internet.

What will be done to protect these data and user privacy is the field in which the Internet of Things will play the game to become a mass technology.