1.1 Getting Started: About Cloud-Enabled Devices

Technological Trends That Are Enabling IoT

There is certainly a lot of buzz about the "Internet of Things" these days. But looking past the hype, there are some powerful technological trends at play that are changing the way we interact with physical devices:

• Cheap, small, & efficient processors: Demand from the smartphone industry has driven down the cost, size, and power consumption of embedded microprocessors.
• The Cloud: The maturity and commoditization of cloud infrastructure has made it easier than ever to build scalable, highly-available cloud-based services.
• Improved Wireless: New technologies like Bluetooth LE, 6LOPAN, and Thread are simplifying RF communications and bringing down the cost and power consumption of wireless interactions.

The Result is IoT

These trends together are fundamentally changing how consumers interact with products. It continues to become cheaper and easier for manufacturers to create "smart" Internet-connected products. The incremental cost to build a "smart" product vs "traditional" product is trending towards zero. When you add the cloud and apps to the picture, it is easy to imagine a world where nearly every device has a physical interface (mechanical) as well as a virtual interface (software).

The Cloud's Role

The cloud is an important piece of the IoT puzzle because it enables remote control and monitoring of devices over the web. Without it, only local/proximal interactions are possible.

IoT "Design Patterns"

There are many paths an IoT device can take to get to the Internet. Some examples:

• Device → WiFi router → Internet
• Device → Zigbee hub → Wifi router → Internet
• Device → GSM cell tower → Internet
• Device → Bluetooth smartphone → cell tower → Internet