Internet of Things and Data Analytics Handbook

FOREWORD

It has been almost 2 years since I met Mr. Hwaiyu Geng for the first time at the SmartAmerica Expo in Washington D.C., a program I established with Geoff Mulligan when we were serving as White House Presidential Innovation Fellows. I still have a vivid memory of Mr. Geng then, as he was one of the few in the audience who sat through more than 8 h of presentations, from 24 teams, without pausing for lunch. At the event, I could see his deep passion for the new technologies—Internet of things (IoT) and cyber–physical systems (CPS)—and his desire to understand how they can help improve everyone’s quality of life. Now, I am glad to see his passion for IoT and CPS bear fruit through this book.

IoT is an emerging concept and enabler that has the potential to completely reshape the future of industry. To be exact, IoT is not a completely new concept. It has been around for decades, as can be found in many traditional centralized building‐control systems dating back to the 1980s. However, its significance was rediscovered with the emergence of big data analytics, low‐cost sensors, and ubiquitous connectivity powered by many modern‐age communication technologies. Most importantly, businesses started to realize that new revenue models can be created by adding the IoT concept to their existing product lines, an approach that has fueled the adoption of IoT technologies.

Many people think IoT means “connecting devices.” Connectivity is just one piece of the puzzle that defines IoT, ...