The Internet of Things (IoT) is the ubiquitous deployment of sensors, actuators, networking and small computers into the physical world.

Networking is now cheap and widespread (Zigbee, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WiFi, Near Field Communication, 4G etc), and easily programmable computers are smaller and cheaper than ever. These technical advances open up many new business models and opportunities to rethink how we interact with everyday objects and situations. The use cases and opportunities are vast: from insurance, to healthcare, to home security, to transportation.

I will be exploring the technical capabilities of IoT platforms in later articles, however here is a recent press release from IBM that conveys the breadth of use cases.

The IoT will change how we live, and companies operate, in fundamental ways. However it also poses privacy, security and ethical challenges that we have only just begun to understand.