Internet of Things A to Z

Preface

Information and communication technology (ICT) has always been dynamic and evolutionary in nature, leading to the continuous emergence of new technologies and business models. The recent advances in terms of available computing resources, software systems and communication networks, and the continuing miniaturization of hardware components have made it possible to integrate ICT into virtually anything, thus leading to the rise of a new computing paradigm known as the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT aims at realizing an old dream of turning everyday objects into smart ones that are interconnected via the Internet and able to collect and exchange data and to make decisions autonomously. This additional “smartness” covers both the communication infrastructure and applications, including monitoring systems, industrial automation, and ultimately smart cities. In a recent report, Gartner estimates that there will be 11.2 billion connected devices in use in 2018 and 20.1 billion in 2020. ¹ This clearly demonstrates the great potential and importance of this model and is also the motivation behind this book.

The potential of IoT is great and the possible applications of this model are countless. Therefore, uncovering the ins and outs of the IoT is crucial to both technology and business communities. This book seeks to provide a holistic coverage of the IoT model by presenting its principles, enabling technologies, and some of its numerous application domains. Important aspects ...