Transitioning from the Internet Of Things to the Internet of Everything

Just a few year ago, the internet of things - or IoT - was a buzzword that didn’t seem to have much relevance to people’s lives. But with the proliferation of new connected devices, it's quickly taking over the world. While some objects, like internet-enable kettles, might seem gimmicky, the IoT does provide real value, especially in emerging market segments like semi-autonomous vehicles, home thermostats and industrial machinery and logistics.

But now there’s a new kid on the block: one that is often confused with the Internet of Things - the Internet of Everything. While the Internet of Things is the internet which connects physical objects to one another, whether that’s cars, mobile phones or refrigerators, the Internet of Everything - the IoE - encompasses all the non-physical aspects of the web as well.

That sounds a little abstract, so what does it mean in practice? Well, think about a company like Instagram. Instagram is clearly part of the internet - it’s there when you type in "Instagram" in your search box - but you couldn’t argue that the social media website was a “thing” in the physical sense. Rather it’s more of a concept contained in the wires and circuitry of billions of devices across the planet. Another good example is customer data. Customer data is surely a part of the internet, but it’s not a “thing” like an IoT device. Instead, it’s an ethereal part of what makes the Internet, and what makes it so valuable. Thus, the IoE includes not only physical objects but all of the immaterial content of the web as well.

Transitioning From The IoT to the IoE

The IoT already presents a host of problems to companies. For starters, because of different application programming interfaces, it’s often difficult to get different objects talking to each other. But with the IoE, these difficulties are even more challenging.

The biggest problem is getting all connected things to talk to each other using the same language. Though you might expect the language of data to be standardized, it’s not, creating all sorts of cross-compatibility issues for those organization who want to make the move.

The solution here is to use the same protocols across all applications. One part of the system needs to be able to talk to another to communicate effectively. But with competing standards and different sources of data, making sense of the Internet of Everything can be a challenge.

What’s needed is an API that integrates the entire approach - a system where all data, devices, and services can talk to one another in a common language. Unfortunately, given the way the current IoE landscape is set up, that’s a challenge. Every time a developer creates a new product, that product is designed as a standalone with its own features and language. If a company wants to integrate that product into its application stack, it has to do the legwork, creating the code that will allow it to work seamlessly within its existing framework.

Transitioning to the IoE from the IoT, therefore, requires two fundamental changes. One: it means ensuring that data are standardized - (for instance, rather than reporting in kilograms and pounds, architects need to choose one unit of measure and stick with it). And two: new SaaS applications need to be written in such a way that everything else on the IoE can talk to them.