A new generation of digital devices is transforming the planet

by Troy Smith, Intel® Embedded and Communications Alliance

Connected intelligent devices are taking over the planet.
And not just taking it over. They're transforming it.

According to the research firm IDC, there are five billion connected devices today and this total could reach 15 billion by 2015.1When that happens, there will be more connected devices than people on the planet. These connections will remove all kinds of boundaries in how we relate with information, automation, and the operation of devices. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is calling this the next generation of the Internet: the "Internet of Things."2 And the transition is already in high gear. Through the Internet, millions of connected intelligent devices are today communicating with and controlling each other without human intervention. This trend is only going to grow as the advantages of having devices and people always connected everywhere redefines human-machine relationships, spawns new usage models, and enhances people's lives, work, health and safety.

Imagine, for instance, a smart shopping cart with a video display that syncs up with an RFID chip in a customer's Frequent Shopper Card to collect data on buyer preferences and makes suggestions on current specials. Systems could even provide shoppers with their "typical shopping list" based on the aisle they're at and automatically take items with RFID tags off the list as they're placed in the cart. Another good example is a home dashboard that would control intelligent household appliances and enable smart metering with the utility company. Monitoring signals from the power grid, the dashboard could recognize when energy demand and prices are high and adjust appliance operation. It could signal a refrigerator, for instance, to delay its defrost cycle to ease energy demand, take advantage of lower rates during off-peak hours, and help prevent blackouts. The fact is, the world is well on its way to exploring what can be done when intelligent devices are connected through the Internet and communicating constantly with each other and with people.

Intel is calling this new era the "Embedded Internet." Everywhere you look there are devices, appliances and systems that could be enhanced by the addition of embedded intelligence and an IP connection that enables remote monitoring and control, information exchange, automated operation, and environmental or contextual awareness. The Embedded Internet is the new digital frontier and can offer enormous opportunity to companies that get involved in developing solutions that take advantage of a continuously connected world based on Internet-compatible standards, seamless connectivity, and scalability...