The term the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) sounds a bit non-descript at first but today this is actually a very real concept. The term itself was developed in 1999 and it is attributed to digital innovator Mr. Kevin Ashton. The concept first appeared in an article Ashton wrote for the RIFD Journal. The RFID Journal is an independent media company devoted solely to radio frequency identification and its business applications.

The IoT presents great opportunities for tech companies around the world to tap into in order to become a part of this information hungry world. On the other side, it also presents a fantastic prospect of making people’s lives easier in terms of mundane everyday tasks. The IoT means that we can save time and effort in the home or office and allows us to focus that time on other tasks or allowing for extra leisure time.

With the IoT, we can look forward to something as frivolous as a steaming hot cup of tea ready in the morning that is made possible through controls on our phones or something such as your fridge telling you when you are low on milk so as to not ruin your morning cereal. It can also serve to allow an individual be more efficient for example with a thermostat control system tying in with your phone. This would allow you to alter your home or office thermostat remotely for example if you wish to reduce heating if a day is particularly warm. This will have a knock on affect for your heating costs in that you won’t waste when you don’t require it.

This info-graphic from Half Price Shutters in Australia covers the topic of the Internet of Things in the home and gives some examples for the home that are available right now.