Crowdsourced data: Smart Objects and the Power of the Crowd

According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) “crowdsourced” is a relatively new word, its first recorded use being as recent as 2005. So, it is ironic that the compilation of the OED is itself one of the most impressive crowdsourcing projects in history. In 1857,...

Interoperability and the Internet of Things

The Internet is arguably the most significant technological and social development in human history. By connecting people the world over, it has transformed our societies in innumerable ways. While Internet access increases in ubiquity via our smart phones, cars and...

Internet of Things: Empowered by Auto-ID Technologies

We are at the dawn of the Internet of Things. In less than a decade’s time, sensors, trackers and network devices that form the infrastructure of the Internet of Things (IoT) will permeate every aspect of our lives. It is imminent that interests in solving business...

What is the Internet of Things? and What is it Not?

In our first Insights article on the Origin of the Internet of Things (IoT), Prof McFarlane posed a question about whether Kevin Ashton’s vision of the IoT has in fact shrunk over the years. One would be naturally puzzled by this question given that the IoT has been...

The Origin of the Internet of Things

Most of you have probably heard the Internet of Things, or the IoT, mentioned but have you ever wondered what it means and where it all began? Well here’s my version of it: In 1999, the Auto-ID Centre was founded, which subsequently formed a unique partnership...