The IoT is perhaps best understood as a set of related technologies that can be used together to achieve exciting ends, and it can be defined in terms of its contributing technologies, including the use of sensors, RFID chips, nanotechnologies and identification systems (chips, cards, SIMs), among others. https://vimeo.com/109695615

The concept of a network of smart devices was discussed as early as 1982, with a modified Coke vending machine at Carnegie Mellon University becoming the first Internet-connected appliance,\able to report its inventory and whether newly loaded drinks were cold or not.

The term "Internet of things" was likely coined by Kevin Ashton of Procter & Gamble, later MIT's Auto-ID Center, in 1999. At that point, he viewed Radio-frequency identification (RFID) as essential to the Internet of things, which would allow computers to manage all individual things.

The World Bank in its report, “Internet of Things – The New Government to Business Platform” defines Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a growing range of Internet-connected devices that capture or generate an enormous amount of data every day along with the applications and services used to interpret, analyze, predict and take actions based on the information received” IBM) and ‘‘IoT as a term is used to describe the set of physical objects embedded with sensors or actuators and connected to a network”. (World Bank, 2017).

Internet of Things (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3ur8wzzhBU) is defined by the OECD as “an ecosystem in which applications and services are driven by data collected from devices that sense and interface with the physical world” and includes: ... devices and objects whose state can be altered via the Internet, with or without the active involvement of individuals. This includes laptops, routers, servers, tablets and smartphones, often considered to be part of the “traditional Internet”. However, these devices are integral to operating, reading and analysing the state of IoT devices and frequently constitute the “heart and brains” of the system.

A 2015 study by Accenture suggests IoT can add $10.6 trillion to the cumulative GDP of 20 developed and emerging economies that represent over 75% of the world's economic output. Another study by the McKinsey Global Institute estimates an IoT economic impact of $2.7-6.2 trillion annually by 2025.

An IOT comprises three elements – Connected “things”, Networks, and Analytics/Applications:

Data Volume: The amount of data on the planet is set to grow 10-fold in the next six years to 2020 from around 4.4 zettabytes (1021 bytes) to 44ZB. For example, a jet engine generates 1TB of data per flight as does a large refinery producing raw data every day. As cars get smarter, the number of sensors is projected to reach as many as 200 per car

Data Variety: The data captured by IoT devices is produced in a mix of data formats, including structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data. This data might include discrete sensor readings, device health metadata, or large files for images or video. Because IoT data is not uniform, no one-size-fits-all approach exists for storing IoT data.

Data Velocity: Real-time sensors can quickly send text, image and video data generated by cellphone cameras, social media and devices like smart watches.

Data Veracity: In its raw form, IoT data is “not filtered, validated, profiled or cleansed. Making IoT data trustworthy so it can be used as the basis for data driven decision making calls for data management standards like data quality and data governance. Newer technologies, such as blockchain, can also be used to ensure the original data sources can be trusted.

Networks: The following are common network technologies used in IoT systems:

• Mobile Communications and Wireless Wide Area Networks (up to 10 km)
1. 3G/4G: The “G” represents the next-generation technology development in mobile data communication, mostly focused on data speed, security, and more robust communication in the mobile networks. Most advanced features in smartphones, such as video calling, were introduced in 3G and are being improved with 4G technology.
2. LTE: Long Term Evolution (LTE) is an international mobile communication standard for enabling high-speed wireless mobile communication networks to meet the increasing demand of data communication.
3. LTE Advanced: This is a more advanced LTE standard that targets 4G mobile technology network speeds. It is also known as LTE 4G. LTE advanced is expected to provide a faster communication link with more robust connections.
4. GPRS (General Packet Radio Service): A packed-based mobile communication service with low data rate communication.
5. CDMA: It is a cellular network standard primarily used in the United States.
6. GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication): It is the world’s most used standard system. Both GSM and CDMA standards are used in 3G/4G and LTE technologies.
7. Sigfox: It is a low-power wide area network that has become popular for addressing the connectivity of low-energy remote objects (for example, smart meters). It is a narrowband technology with low-data network link, carrying up to 12 bytes.
8. LoRaWAN: LoRaWAN is a low-power wide area network system maintained by the LoRa Alliance. It is currently the most popular network used to connect objects in IoT applications. Unlike mobile communication networks, LoRaWAN has data rates from 0.3 kbps to 5 kbps and uses gateways to improve the coverage.
9. Weightless: Weightless is another low-power wide area network technology, delivering a solution for wireless connectivity of smart machines (for example, machine to machine [M2M] communications).
10. Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT): It is a recently developed standard for IoT projects, to form a low-power wide area network using small amounts of data communication over long distances.

LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, Weightless, and Sigfox are similar in providing connectivity solutions for IoT technologies; however, they use different wireless communication techniques, frequency bands, and network protocols.

• Wireless Metropolitan Area Network (up to 10 km)
  1. EEE 802.16 (WiMAX): WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a broadband wireless network system established for the deployment of wireless network systems in metropolitan areas around the world.
• Wireless Local Area Network (IEEE 802.11) (0.5 km)
  1. Wi-Fi: This is a wireless local area network standard (for example, IEEE 802.11 standard) used to connect smart devices such as smartphones, computers, smart TVs, and smart appliances to the Internet.
• Wireless Personal Area Networks/Short-Range Device Networks (up to 100 m)
  1. Bluetooth: Bluetooth is a wireless standard for data transfer between fixed and mobile devices. Bluetooth was initially developed to eliminate cables used with personal devices.
  2. Zigbee/XBee: This is a wireless standard used by radio devices to low-power wireless connection. It uses the ISM band as the communication frequencies. Like LoRa systems, XBee/Zigbee is a popular low-power area network protocol for IoT applications.
  3. UWB (Ultra Wideband): The UWB standard is used for low-power high-data-rate wireless connection for personal devices. It uses a transmission frequency different than XBee and Bluetooth.
  4. Wi-SUN (IEEE 802.15.4g): Wi-SUN is a global wireless alliance that has been chosen by utility companies to enable interoperable wireless standards–based solutions.
  5. 6LoWPAN (IPv6 over Low-Power Wireless Personal Area Networks): Its purpose is to apply Internet protocol to small devices to establish wireless Internet connectivity. It is another popular protocol for IoT applications.
  6. Z-Wave: Z-Wave is a low-power wireless communications protocol, targeting mainly home and office automation applications.
  7. Thread: Similar to XBee and Z-Wave, Thread is based on 6LoWPAN to enable IoT applications. Its wireless protocol uses mesh communication like XBee.
  8. ANT: This is a wireless technology similar to Bluetooth.
• Wired Connections
  1. Powerline: It provides data transmission on the existing electrical wiring in home and offices without any additional network cables.
  2. Local Area Network (LAN)/Ethernet: This is a wired-based network that links computing devices within a building.
  3. Cable modem, dial-up, DSL, SONET: These are wired communication links used to connect the Internet to devices using either optical fiber (SONET) or cables.
• Short-Range Communications (up to a few cm)
  1. RFID: RFID devices are contactless systems that are widely used to track items and objects in many industrial environments. RFID uses electromagnetic waves with low bandwidth and low-data communication.
  2. NFC: This is a communication protocol established to provide a very short (for example, 4 cm) connection between small devices. It is implemented in contactless devices such as key cards and contactless payment systems. NFC technology is also widely used in smartphones to utilize them like a smart card.
• All-IP or Next-Generation Network:
  1. Mobile subscribers and Internet users demand access to the Internet, placing enormous load on the network infrastructure. Mobile communications (LET, 4G/3G), M2M, and IoT technology will all be IP-based communication systems to access the network communication infrastructure for the Internet. Users of these new technologies require mobility, speed, easy access, and security for all possible new services. Operators of services demand high speed and increased revenue to establish new services and reach more customers, with reduced operating cost. As the number of devices and applications centered on IoT has grown, so has the IoT marketplace. Many existing large electronic and IT companies are key industry players for IoT hardware developments.

The following organizations and consortia are working to establish standards of practices across the various aspects of IoT-based systems:

• Industrial Internet Consortium: The goal of this consortium—formed in March 2014 by AT&T, Cisco, GE, IBM, and Intel—is to accelerate IoT growth by coordinating initiatives to define common architectures, provide interoperability, and influence the global standards for Internet and industrial systems. The group creates tests for real-world applications and creates IoT solutions to facilitate industry through intelligent, interconnected objects that dramatically improve performance, lower operating costs, and increase reliability.
• IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers): IEEE has designated several initiatives and formed IoT groups with members from multidisciplinary backgrounds. IEEE has a working group (IEEE P2413 Working Group) focusing on IoT standards to define an architectural framework for the IoT. It presents solutions and recommendations for some of the challenges discussed in this report for IoT applications in key areas such as transportation and health care.
• OneM2M: This group is also a global standards initiative that defines architecture, API specifications, security, and interoperability for M2M and IoT technologies. It was formed in 2012 by eight global standards development organizations (ARIG, ATIS, CCSA, ETSI, TIA, TSDSI, TTTA, and TTC) and seven industry groups.
• Wi-SUN Alliance: The Wi-SUN Alliance promotes open industry standards for using wireless smart networks, and provides solutions to the interoperability challenge of IoT technology. Wi-SUN is becoming a global wireless alliance, chosen by utility companies enabling interoperable wireless standards–based solutions for advanced metering and home energy management of IoT applications. It contains the required solutions of interoperability among existing wireless standards that can be used in IoT technologies. Although it is mainly developed for utility and smart grid applications, Wi-SUN Alliance solutions are being adapted for a wide range of IoT applications, including agriculture, structural health monitoring and asset management, street lighting, parking systems, and more.
• These existing alliances and consortia have outlined recommendations for governments and others. Some recommendations include funding local governments, funding large-scale national projects in certain cities, identifying economic and social impacts that could benefit social impacts, and eliminating policy hurdles that restrict the ability of international device manufacturers to enter the market. With regards to the security and privacy domain, according to a survey undertaken by IoTUK, it has become apparent that governments should be regulating these to minimize the abuse and maximize benefits. Therefore, a national strategy for IoT and well-established partnerships and relationships between public and private sectors are recommended.APPENDIX D. IoT in Social Media, Social Groups, Meeting Groups, Alliances

IoT devices are expected to have the biggest impact on social life. It is important for each government to discuss the developments and deployment of this technology with the public in mind. Many social groups in many countries are already meeting and discussing the implications of IoT platforms. Such social media groups give members the chance to network, share knowledge and experiences, and develop business opportunities. There are many IoT alliances in developed countries, and similar activities are beginning to appear in developing countries.

As with the decline in the cost of computing power, the costs per unit of sensors have dropped steadily over time. Today, sensors are found in many everyday devices, and some of the latest smartphones come with at least ten embedded sensors, for example: a microphone to capture sounds, camera(s) to capture images (front and back), a fingerprint sensor, global positioning system (GPS), accelerometer, gyroscope, thermometer, pedometer, heart rate monitor, light sensor, touch screen, and barometer (not to mention the various connectivity technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GSM/CDMA, LTE and NFC).

Decision Support through data analytics and applications: In addition to connecting things, collecting and analyzing data from the connected things IoT ecosystems also facilitate automated decision making. IoT based solutions span across multiple sectors including industrial, smart cities, retail, education, health care, agriculture, transportation and others. This involves activities such as capture (data, information), connect (things, products, systems), transfer (data over cloud, within premises), store (cloud-based, local), analytics (software, apps), report (dashboards, emails, SMS, notifications), and action (automated responses, decisions).

The billions of sensor devices connected through the Internet generate a huge amount of digital data (so-called big data) that are generally stored in the digital domain using cloud computing services via the Internet. Advanced analytics helps generate meaningful information and actionable intelligence from these huge streams of data. This is an exciting opportunity for policy makers, governments, and industrial business owners to utilize analytics to predict, optimize, and improve business and operations of public infrastructure.

IoT has the potential to advance many of the SDGs. Below are some examples of areas of applications across a wide variety of sectors.

The IoT is not just a story for industrialized economies or industrial applications but is equally relevant for developing countries. The IoT and connected sensors are driving improvements to human wellbeing in healthcare, water, agriculture, natural resource management, resiliency to climate change and energy (as reflected in the UN’s post-2015 sustainable development agenda).