Source: Huaqiang Security Network
What is the “Internet of Things”? 
Internet of Things is an important component of the new generation of information technology and a significant stage in the era of “informationization.” Its English name is: “Internet of Things (IoT).” As the name suggests, the Internet of Things is the internet that connects things. This has two meanings: first, the core and foundation of the Internet of Things is still the internet, which is an extension and expansion of the network based on the internet; second, its user end extends and expands to any item and item for information exchange and communication, which is the interconnection of things. The Internet of Things is widely applied in the integration of networks through intelligent perception, recognition technology, and ubiquitous computing, and is thus referred to as the third wave of world information industry development after computers and the internet. The Internet of Things is an application extension of the internet; rather than saying the Internet of Things is a network, it is more accurate to say that the Internet of Things is business and application. Therefore, application innovation is the core of the Internet of Things development, and user experience-centered innovation 2.0 is the soul of the Internet of Things development.
Status of the Internet of Things
Just like the internet solves the last mile problem, the Internet of Things actually needs to solve the last 100 meters problem, where the density of connectable devices in the last 100 meters far exceeds that of the last mile, especially in homes, where home IoT applications (what we commonly refer to assmart homes) have become a high ground that IoT companies in various countries are striving to seize. As the currently recognized main technical solution for the last 100 meters globally, ZigBee has received unprecedented attention from major countries around the world. This technology is more secure and reliable compared to existing wireless technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth, and 433M/315M, and due to its strong networking capabilities, self-healing abilities, and lower power consumption, these features of ZigBee are very close to the development requirements of the Internet of Things, making it the globally recognized best technical solution for the last 100 meters.
Development Trends of the Internet of Things
The Internet of Things will be the next “important productivity” driving the rapid development of the world, another trillion-level market following communication networks.
Industry experts believe that the Internet of Things can improve economic efficiency on one hand, greatly saving costs; on the other hand, it can provide technological impetus for the recovery of the global economy. The United States, the European Union, and others are investing heavily in researching and exploring the Internet of Things. Our country is also paying close attention to and emphasizing research on the Internet of Things. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, in conjunction with relevant departments, is conducting research on new generation information technology to form policy measures to support the development of new generation information technology.
In addition, after popularization, the number of sensors and electronic tags used for animals, plants, machines, and items will far exceed the number of mobile phones. The promotion of the Internet of Things will become another driver for economic development, opening up infinite development opportunities for industries. According to the demand for the Internet of Things, hundreds of millions of sensors and electronic tags are needed, which will greatly promote the production of information technology components and create a large number of job opportunities.
The Internet of Things has the most complete professional product series in the industry, covering various applications from sensors and controllers to cloud computing. The products serve various fields including smart homes, transportation logistics, environmental protection, public safety, smart fire protection, industrial monitoring, and personal health. It has built a comprehensive advantage of “good quality, superior technology, strong professionalism, low cost, and meeting customer needs,” continuously providing competitive products and services to customers. The Internet of Things industry is one of the strategic high grounds for the development of the world economy and technology today. It is understood that in 2011, the national Internet of Things industry scale exceeded 250 billion yuan, and it is expected to exceed 500 billion yuan by 2015.
On February 18, 2014, the national Internet of Things work television conference was held in Beijing. Ma Kai, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. He emphasized the need to seize opportunities, respond to challenges, and with greater determination and more effective measures, solidly promote the orderly and healthy development of the Internet of Things industry, striving to create an internationally competitive Internet of Things industrial system that makes positive contributions to economic and social development.
Ma Kai pointed out that the Internet of Things is a high degree of integration and comprehensive application of new generation information network technology, an important direction and driving force for a new round of industrial revolution, and has significant importance for cultivating new economic growth points, promoting industrial structure transformation and upgrading, and improving the efficiency and level of social management and public services. The development of the Internet of Things must follow the laws of industrial development, properly handle the relationship between the market and the government, overall and local, innovation and cooperation, development and security. According to the principles of “demand-driven, key breakthroughs, supporting development, leading the future,” efforts should be made to break through a number of core key technologies such as core chips and intelligent sensors; to carry out demonstration applications and large-scale applications of the Internet of Things in industrial, agricultural, energy-saving and environmental protection, trade circulation, energy transportation, social undertakings, urban management, and safety production; to promote the coordinated development of the entire industrial chain of the Internet of Things, forming a good pattern of upstream and downstream interaction and mutual promotion; to strengthen the research and development of Internet of Things security assurance technologies and products, and the construction of legal and regulatory systems, enhancing information security assurance capabilities; and to establish a multi-level and multi-type talent training system, strengthening the construction of the Internet of Things talent team.
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