IoT_IBSG_0411FINAL.pdf

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White Paper
The Internet of Things
How the Next Evolution of the Internet
Is Changing Everything
Author
Dave Evans
April 2011
Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG)
Cisco IBSG © 2011 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
04/11
White Paper
The Internet of Things
How the Next Evolution of the Internet Is Changing Everything
The Internet of Things (IoT), sometimes referred to as the Internet of Objects, will change
everything—including ourselves. This may seem like a bold statement, but consider the
impact the Internet already has had on education, communication, business, science,
government, and humanity. Clearly, the Internet is one of the most important and powerful
creations in all of human history.
Now consider that IoT represents the next evolution of the Internet, taking a huge leap in its
ability to gather, analyze, and distribute data that we can turn into information, knowledge,
and, ultimately, wisdom. In this context, IoT becomes immensely important.
Already, IoT projects are under way that promise to close the gap between poor and rich,
improve distribution of the world’s resources to those who need them most, and help us
understand our planet so we can be more proactive and less reactive. Even so, several
barriers exist that threaten to slow IoT development, including the transition to IPv6, having a
common set of standards, and developing energy sources for millions—even billions—of
minute sensors.
However, as businesses, governments, standards bodies, and academia work together to
solve these challenges, IoT will continue to progress. The goal of this paper, therefore, is to
educate you in plain and simple terms so you can be well versed in IoT and understand its
potential to change everything we know to be true today.
IoT Today
As with many new concepts, IoT’s roots can be traced back to the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT), from work at the Auto-ID Center. Founded in 1999, this group was working
in the field of networked radio frequency identification (RFID) and emerging sensing
technologies. The labs consisted of seven research universities located across four
continents. These institutions were chosen by the Auto-ID Center to design the architecture
for IoT.
1
Before we talk about the current state of IoT, it is important to agree on a definition. According
to the Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG), IoT is simply the point in time when
more “things or objects” were connected to the Internet than people.
2
In 2003, there were approximately 6.3 billion people living on the planet and 500 million
devices connected to the Internet.
3
By dividing the number of connected devices by the
world population, we find that there was less than one (0.08) device for every person. Based
on Cisco IBSG’s definition, IoT didn’t yet exist in 2003 because the number of connected
things was relatively small given that ubiquitous devices such as smartphones were just
being introduced. For example, Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, didn’t unveil the iPhone until
January 9, 2007 at the Macworld conference.
4
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Explosive growth of smartphones and tablet PCs brought the number of devices connected
to the Internet to 12.5 billion in 2010, while the world’s human population increased to 6.8
billion, making the number of connected devices per person more than 1 (1.84 to be exact) for
the first time in history.
5
Methodology
In January 2009, a team of researchers in China studied Internet routing data in six-month
intervals, from December 2001 to December 2006. Similar to the properties of Moore’s Law,
their findings showed that the Internet doubles in size every 5.32 years. Using this figure in
combination with the number of devices connected to the Internet in 2003 (500 million, as
determined by Forrester Research), and the world population according to the U.S. Census
Bureau, Cisco IBSG estimated the number of connected devices per person.
6
Refining these numbers further, Cisco IBSG estimates IoT was “born” sometime between
2008 and 2009 (see Figure 1). Today, IoT is well under way, as initiatives such as Cisco’s
Planetary Skin, smart grid, and intelligent vehicles continue to progress.
7
Figure 1.
The Internet of Things Was “Born” Between 2008 and 2009
Source: Cisco IBSG, April 2011
Looking to the future, Cisco IBSG predicts there will be 25 billion devices connected to the
Internet by 2015 and 50 billion by 2020. It is important to note that these estimates do not
take into account rapid advances in Internet or device technology; the numbers presented
are based on what is known to be true today.
Additionally, the number of connected devices per person may seem low. This is because the
calculation is based on the entire world population, much of which is not yet connected to the
Internet. By reducing the population sample to people actually connected to the Internet, the
number of connected devices per person rises dramatically. For example, we know that
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approximately 2 billion people use the Internet today.
8
Using this figure, the number of
connected devices per person jumps to 6.25 in 2010, instead of 1.84.
Of course, we know nothing remains static, especially when it comes to the Internet. Initiatives
and advances, such as Cisco’s Planetary Skin, HP’s central nervous system for the earth
(CeNSE), and smart dust, have the potential to add millions—even billions—of sensors to the
Internet.
9
As cows, water pipes, people, and even shoes, trees, and animals become
connected to IoT, the world has the potential to become a better place.
“With a trillion sensors embedded in the environment—all connected by computing
systems, software, and services—it will be possible to hear the heartbeat of the Earth,
impacting human interaction with the globe as profoundly as the Internet has revolutionized
communication.”
Peter Hartwell
Senior Researcher, HP Labs
IoT as a Network of Networks
Currently, IoT is made up of a loose collection of disparate, purpose-built networks. Today’s
cars, for example, have multiple networks to control engine function, safety features,
communications systems, and so on. Commercial and residential buildings also have various
control systems for heating, venting, and air conditioning (HVAC); telephone service; security;
and lighting. As IoT evolves, these networks, and many others, will be connected with added
security, analytics, and management capabilities (see Figure 2). This will allow IoT to become
even more powerful in what it can help people achieve.
Figure 2.
IoT Can Be Viewed as a Network of Networks
Source: Cisco IBSG, April 2011
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Interestingly, this situation mirrors what the technology industry experienced in the early days
of networking. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Cisco, for example, established itself by
bringing disparate networks together with multi-protocol routing, eventually leading to IP as
the common networking standard. With IoT, history is repeating itself, albeit on a much
grander scale.
Why Is IoT Important?
Before we can begin to see the importance of IoT, it is first necessary to understand the
differences between the Internet and the World Wide Web (or web)—terms that are often
used interchangeably. The Internet is the physical layer or network made up of switches,
routers, and other equipment. Its primary function is to transport information from one point to
another quickly, reliably, and securely. The web, on the other hand, is an application layer that
operates on top of the Internet. Its primary role is to provide an interface that makes the
information flowing across the Internet usable.
Evolution of the Web Versus the Internet
The web has gone through several distinct evolutionary stages:
Stage 1.
First was the research phase, when the web was called the Advanced Research
Projects Agency Network (ARPANET). During this time, the web was primarily used by
academia for research purposes.
Stage 2.
The second phase of the web can be coined “brochureware.” Characterized by the
domain name “gold rush,” this stage focused on the need for almost every company to share
information on the Internet so that people could learn about products and services.
Stage 3.
The third evolution moved the web from static data to transactional information,
where products and services could be bought and sold, and services could be delivered.
During this phase, companies like eBay and Amazon.com exploded on the scene. This phase
also will be infamously remembered as the “dot-com” boom and bust.
Stage 4.
The fourth stage, where we are now, is the “social” or “experience” web, where
companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Groupon have become immensely popular and
profitable (a notable distinction from the third stage of the web) by allowing people to
communicate, connect, and share information (text, photos, and video) about themselves with
friends, family, and colleagues.
IoT: First Evolution of the Internet
By comparison, the Internet has been on a steady path of development and improvement, but
arguably hasn’t changed much. It essentially does the same thing that it was designed to do
during the ARPANET era. For example, in the early days, there were several communication
protocols, including AppleTalk, Token Ring, and IP. Today, the Internet is largely standardized
on IP.
In this context, IoT becomes immensely important because it is the first real evolution of the
Internet—a leap that will lead to revolutionary applications that have the potential to
dramatically improve the way people live, learn, work, and entertain themselves. Already, IoT
has made the Internet sensory (temperature, pressure, vibration, light, moisture, stress),
allowing us to become more proactive and less reactive.
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