Cisco Launches Alliance For the \'Internet of Things\'

Tag : light switches

IP addresses are a virtual commodity. if we run out of IPv4/IPv6addresses, we'll simply create new address spaces as needed. that'snot really a problem. it's like complaining about p2p file-sharersusing too much bandwidth--these are infrastructure problems thataren't limited by physical resources. instead, this type oftechnological infrastructure naturally grows to meet demand.
it's not like we're facing an IP address shortage. AFAIK we haven'thit any technological hard limit regarding the maximum number ofdevices the internet is capable of supporting. and using more IPaddresses doesn't pose any detrimental effects, so why not give ita try? if people find this concept useful, then it will be adopted;if not, it won't.
personally, i think it's a great idea. with the growingavailability of wi-fi access (and the ubiquity of internet accessin general), there's no better method for smart devices tocommunicate with each other or to be managed remotely. thedevelopment of the Internet of Things could also spur the adoptionof municipal wi-fi or other public wi-fi infrastructure.
lots of smart devices already have wi-fi/internet capabilities, butthere's not really enough wide-spread adoption to make full use ofthese capabilities. having a cross-industry consortium oflike-minded organizations facilitates collaboration ondevelopmental strategy and helps establish a concerted effort totake the technology in an organized direction.
imagine having a portable media player that can access your medialibrary anywhere with wi-fi access, or maybe it can automaticallydownload new music from your favorite artists via the internet. orperhaps you can remotely program your PVR to record a show whileyou're at work or on vacation, or check your fridge contents to seeif you need to pick up some eggs on the way home from work. youcould even check your answering machine or faxes over the internet.there are millions of ways in which this concept could make lifemore convenient.