More and more “intelligent objects”
that create, use and store data are being connected to the Internet. Such Internet-enabled objects include telephones and laptops, but also vehicles (electric trains, cars, buses etc.), household appliances and even parts of our body!
Until recently the Internet was seen as a way of connecting people, or connecting people to information. Facebook’s success is a prime example. So are Amazon, Twitter, Google and Groupon. The Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to be the next Internet revolution.
The Internet of Things is about connecting smart objects that create, use and store data. By attaching or embedding tiny chips inside any objects, basic information (when and where an object was made, who designed it, where it has been, its current physical location etc.) can be obtained and shared. Internet-connected objects can also communicate with one another and exchange data with no human intervention. Many everyday household objects already possess embedded microchips and have self-monitoring, analysis and reporting capabilities as well as the ability to control or monitor other devices and even monitor people. These intelligent objects will usually communicate autonomously via an automatic and seamless Internet connection (Wi-Fi or 3G).
For example, the next generation of networked electric vehicles (such as electric buses, tramways/streetcars) will be able to perform real-time sanity checks and send data about the health of their batteries and other vital parts to the manufacturers’ centralized maintenance systems. The possibilities are endless. The monitoring and recording of data in objects such as these is not only useful for preventative maintenance, it is also a wonderful source of information for manufacturers from both a technical and marketing perspective.
Other examples include television set-top boxes that can be administered remotely by Internet providers and which possess intelligent functions that enable information to be sent directly to the provider over the Internet. New-generation electricity, water and gas meters are also capable of communicating directly with providers, helping the latter to predict the consumption of each household more accurately while at the same time allowing consumers to intelligently manage the resources they use (heating, watering the garden, turning a service on and off, etc.).
The IoT will therefore interconnect multiple networks and information systems all over the world. These large, shared networks, Web technologies and communities are the future of the Internet.
OpenTrust has spent several years developing solutions to secure all types of interconnected devices. Our products support numerous enrollment protocols and also include enrollment agents for smart terminals.
By securing the identities of all devices and all intelligent objects within a chain of trust, OpenTrust solutions ensure a secure and safe Internet of Things.