Timeline A breif history the Internet of Things (IoT)

TIMELINE

THE INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT A BRIEF HISTORY OF )

As the supply chain industry becomes increasingly reliant on new data sources, we take a look at the development of the IoT and plot its growth through the decades.

1980s 2002 2012

The dawn of the ‘Internet of Things’

Though Internet of Things, as a concept, wasn’t yet officially named, one of the earliest examples comes from the early 1980s and was a Coca Cola machine. Local programmers would connect through the Internet to the refrigerated appliance, checking to see if there was a drink available and if it was cold, before making the trip to purchase one.

Tracking inventory

In 2002-2003, Walmart and the US Department of Defense were the first large organisations to embrace Ashton’s model of tracking inventory using tagging, RFID, and the Internet of Things.

IoT goes smart

A pilot programme called ‘Smart City Switzerland’ brought representatives from universities, businesses, and public administration together to discuss new ideas for the urban environment. ‘Smart City Switzerland’ has over sixty projects underway, supporting new scientific partnerships and innovation.

2010 2013

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)

The IIoT came into being with several large companies developing their own systems. GE is given credit for creating the term ‘Industrial Internet of Things’ in 2012.

The Internet of Things becomes a part of life

By the year 2013, the IoT had become a system using multiple technologies, ranging from the Internet to wireless communication, and from microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) to embedded systems.

2015

IoT goes mobile

Smartphones are part of the IoT and have become an important communications tool for many individuals. In 2015, they joined the IoT with a high degree of enthusiasm from marketers.