[CAnet - news] The Internet of Things: ITU Internet Reports 2005

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[From a posting by John Wilson on Dave Farber's IPer list. I agree with the
report's findings except I don't think RFID will be the driving rationale.
This vision of the Internet was predicted by Mike O'Dell over a decade ago.
Nice to see the ITU catching up --BSA]

[A landmark report from the ITU. - JW]

http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/publications/internetofthings/

ITU Internet Reports 2005: The Internet of Things

Written by a team of analysts from the Strategy and Policy Unit (SPU)  
of the ITU, the report takes a look at the next step in "always on"  
communications, in which new technologies like RFID and smart  
computing promise a world of networked and interconnected devices  
that provide relevant content and information whatever the location  
of the user. Everything from tires to toothbrushes will be in  
communications range, heralding the dawn of a new era, one in which  
today's Internet (of data and people) gives way to tomorrow's  
Internet of Things.

(...) It seems that we are standing on the brink of a new computing  
and communication era, one that will radically transform our  
corporate, community, and personal spheres. With continuing  
developments in miniaturization and declining costs, it is becoming  
not only technologically possible but also economically feasible to  
make everyday objects smarter, and to connect the world of people  
with the world of things. Building this new environment however, will  
pose a number of challenges. Technological standardization in most  
areas is still in its infancy, or remains fragmented. Not  
surprisingly, managing and fostering rapid technological innovation  
will be a challenge for governments and industry alike. But perhaps  
one of the most important challenges is convincing users to adopt  
emerging technologies like RFID. Concerns over privacy and data  
protection are widespread, particularly as sensors and smart tags can  
track a user's movements, habits and preferences on a perpetual  
basis. Fears related to nanotechnology range from bio-medical hazards  
to robotic control. But whatever the concern, one thing remains  
clear: scientific and technological advances in these fields continue  
to move ahead at breakneck speed. It is only through awareness of  
such advances, and the challenges they present, that we can reap the  
future benefits of a fair, user-centric and global Internet of Things.

+ related BBC news item:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4440334.stm

Changes brought about by the internet will be dwarfed by those  
prompted by the networking of everyday objects, says a report by a UN  
body.

The study looks at how the use of electronic tags and sensors could  
create an "internet of things".

The report by the International Telecommunications Union was released  
at the UN net summit in Tunis.

Thousands of delegates are discussing ways of narrowing the  
technology gap between rich and poor.

"It would seem that science fiction is slowly turning into science  
fact in an 'Internet of Things' based on ubiquitous network  
connectivity," said the report.

"Today, in the 2000s, we are heading into a new era of ubiquity,  
where the 'users' of the internet will be counted in billions and  
where humans may become the minority as generators and receivers of  
traffic."

(...)






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