What the hell does #IoT means?

The Internet of Things is a concept, a cool one I would say. The problem is that people love to complicate things. Thus, there are different definitions describing this concept. Conclusion? Just a "little" confusion, making the Internet of Things a concept trying to describe everything, and consequently resulting in nothing. But let's take a step back. What the hell does Internet of Things mean?

A world where physical things are reflected onto the web

This is the final definition we came up with. It apparently does not say too much, right? Well, not really. It completely describes the concept in all its simplicity. So, why this simple concept is so exciting? Because the #IoT power comes out from the combination of the physical objects which can affect the real world, and the web which is the fastest growing technology platform available today. Just two concepts, but two really powerful ones, that combined can definitely change our lives.

Think about the web as it is today. Lot of services, mashups, developers and new ideas popping up every day. Now, apply all of this to the Internet of Things and try to imagine all the possible new solutions. Smart meters, smart cities and smart houses are only some of them.

Still, I've many doubts. First, I keep reading the word “smart” too many times, and I think there is little smart in the #IoT right now. Second, the #IoT is for sure a nice concept, and I love the idea behind it, but I can't really trust something that can do "everything", just because there is nothing like that.

Our personal opinion is that we don't have to start from the #IoT to make it successful. We must start from some of its real applications, building new services on top of it. The one we bet on is the Connected House, but there are lot more out there. Just find the one you love the most and make the Internet of Things real. And for you, what's the #IoT?

If you want to learn more about #IoT you should read postscapes and check out some articles on ReadWriteWeb, NY Times, The Guardian and The Economist.