Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a scenario in which objects, animals or people are provided with unique identifiers and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human interaction.

5G New Radio (NR) - 5G New Radio, or 5G NR, is a set of standards that replace the fourth-generation wireless (4G) LTE network communications standard.
active RFID (active radio frequency identification) - Active RFID (radio frequency identification) tags are continuously operating, battery-powered sensors that gather and transmit data to a reading device.
active sensor - An active sensor is a device with a transmitter that sends out a signal, light wavelength or electrons to be bounced off a target, with data gathered by the sensor upon their reflection.
Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP) - Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP) is an open source published standard for asynchronous messaging by wire.
agri-tech - Agri-tech, sometimes ag-tech, agtech or digital agriculture, is the application of technology and digital tools to farming.
Amazon S3 bucket - An Amazon S3 bucket is a public cloud storage resource available in Amazon Web Services' (AWS) Simple Storage Service (S3), an object storage offering.
ampere hour (Ah or amp hour) - Ampere hour -- sometimes abbreviated as Ah or amp hour -- is the amount of energy charge in a battery that enables 1 ampere of current to flow for one hour.
ampere per meter (A/m) - The ampere per meter (A/m) is the measure for magnetic field strength, as defined by the International System of Units (SI).
apparent power - Apparent power is a measure of alternating current (AC) power that is computed by multiplying the root-mean-square (rms) current by the root-mean-square voltage.
application service provider (ASP) - An application service provider (ASP) is a company that offers individuals or enterprises access to applications and related services over the internet.
Artificial Intelligence as a Service (AIaaS) - Artificial Intelligence as a Service (AIaaS) is the third-party offering of artificial intelligence (AI) outsourcing.
artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) - Artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) is the combination of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and the internet of things (IoT) infrastructure.
augmented reality (AR) - Augmented reality (AR) is the integration of digital information with the user's environment in real time.
bandwidth (network bandwidth) - Network bandwidth is a measurement indicating the maximum capacity of a wired or wireless communications link to transmit data over a network connection in a given amount of time.
bit (binary digit) - A bit (binary digit) is the smallest unit of data that a computer can process and store.
Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE) - Also marketed as Bluetooth Smart, Bluetooth LE was introduced in the Bluetooth 4.
capacitor (capacitance) - In its simplest form, a capacitor consists of two conducting plates separated by an insulating material called thedielectric.
capacity on demand (COD) - Capacity on demand (COD) is a purchasing option that allows companies to receive equipment with more computer processing, storage or other capacity than the company needs at the time of purchase, and have that extra capacity remain unused and unpaid for until the company actually requires it.
carbon offset - A carbon offset is a credit that a person or organization can buy to decrease its carbon footprint.
Categories of twisted-pair cabling systems - A twisted-pair cabling system is a cable consisting of one or several pairs of copper wires.
Cellular Vehicle to Everything (C-V2X) - Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) is a unified connectivity platform designed to offer vehicles low-latency vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-roadside infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication.
charge (electric charge) - In physics, charge, also known as electric charge, electrical charge, or electrostatic charge and symbolized q, is a characteristic of a unit of matter that expresses the extent to which it has more or fewer electrons than protons.
charge-coupled device - A charge-coupled device (CCD) is a light-sensitive integrated circuit that captures images by converting photons to electrons.
cloud telephony (cloud calling) - Cloud telephony (cloud calling) is a type of unified communications as a service (UCaaS) that offers voice communication services through a third-party host.
cloudlet - A cloudlet is a small-scale data center or cluster of computers designed to quickly provide cloud computing services to mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets and wearable devices, within close geographical proximity.
coexistence testing - Coexistence testing, similar to compatibility testing, is a method of measuring the ability of multiple devices to interact in a single environment with limited bandwidth.
cognitive computing - Cognitive computing is the use of computerized models to simulate the human thought process in complex situations where the answers might be ambiguous and uncertain.
conductor - A conductor, or electrical conductor, is a substance or material that allows electricity to flow through it.
customer acquisition cost - Customer acquisition cost is the fee associated with convincing a consumer to buy your product or service, including research, marketing and advertising costs.
customer premises equipment (CPE) - Customer premises equipment (CPE) is telecommunications and information technology equipment kept at the customer's physical location rather than on the service provider's premises.
data transfer rate (DTR) - The data transfer rate (DTR) is the amount of digital data that's moved from one place to another in a given time.
decentralized application (DApp) - A decentralized application (DApp) is a type of distributed, open source software application that runs on a peer-to-peer (P2P) blockchain network rather than on a single computer.
dielectric constant - The dielectric constant of a substance or material is a measure of its ability to store electrical energy.
digital tattoo - With more than one meaning, a digital tattoo is to a temporary tattoo that is outfitted with electronics, such as sensors or a near field communication (NFC) chip.
distributed energy resources (DER) - Distributed energy resources (DER) are the combination of physical and virtual resources used in the production and storage of energy at or near where it will be used and separate from the main grid.
drone photography - Drone photography is the capture of still images and video by a remotely-operated or autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), also known as an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) or, more commonly, as a drone.
edge analytics - Edge analytics is an approach to data collection and analysis in which an automated analytical computation is performed on data at a sensor, network switch or other device instead of waiting for the data to be sent back to a centralized data store.
EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory) - EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory) is a user-modifiable ROM.
electromagnetic field - An electromagnetic field, sometimes referred to as an EM field, is generated when charged particles, such as electrons, are accelerated.
electromagnetic interference (EMI) - Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is unwanted noise or interference in an electrical path or circuit caused by an outside source.
embedded device - An embedded device is part of a larger computing system and has a specific purpose.
embedded firmware - Hardware makers use embedded firmware to control the functions of various hardware devices and systems much like a computer’s operating system controls the function of software applications.
embedded operating system - An embedded operating system is a specialized operating system (OS) designed to perform a specific task for a device that is not a computer.
embedded software - Hardware makers use embedded software to control the functions of various hardware devices and systems.
embedded system security - Embedded system security is a strategic approach to protecting software running on embedded systems from attack.
embedded systems programming - Embedded systems programming, also known as embedded programming, facilitates the development of consumer-facing devices that don't use conventional operating systems the way that desktop computers and mobile devices do.
Energy Star - Energy Star is a government-backed labeling program that helps people and organizations save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by identifying factories, office equipment, home appliances and electronics that have superior energy efficiency.
EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory) - EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory) is memory that does not lose its data when the power supply is cut off.
farad (F) - A farad (F) is the standard unit of capacitance in the International System of Units (SI).
faraday - The faraday is a dimensionless unit of electric charge quantity, equal to approximately 6.
Faraday constant - Faraday's constant, symbolized by the italic uppercase letter F, is the physical constant representing the electric charge in a mole.
firmware - Firmware is programming that's written to a hardware device's non-volatile memory.
fixed wireless - Fixed wireless networking refers to the operation of wireless devices in fixed locations such as homes and offices.
fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) - Fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) is the trend towards seamless connectivity between fixed and wireless telecommunications networks.
flux - In physics, flux is a measure of the number of electric or magnetic field lines passing through a surface in a given amount time.
Fourth Industrial Revolution - The Fourth Industrial Revolution is the current and developing environment in which disruptive technologies and trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) are changing the way modern people live and work.
FPV drone (first-person view drone) - An FPV drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a camera that wirelessly transmits video feed to goggles, a headset, a mobile device or another display.
frame relay - Frame relay is a packet-switching telecommunications service designed for cost-efficient data transmission for intermittent traffic between local area networks (LANs) and between endpoints in wide area networks (WANs).
frequency - For an oscillating or varying current, frequency is the number of complete cycles per second in alternating current direction.
frequency-shift keying (FSK) - Frequency-shift keying (FSK) is a method of transmitting digital signals using discrete signals.
fuel cell - A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that derives its energy from combustible substances such as hydrogen, methane, propane, methanol, diesel fuel or even gasoline.
gateway - A gateway is a network node used in telecommunications that connects two networks with different transmission protocols together.
GPS jamming - GPS jamming is the act of using a frequency transmitting device to block or interfere with radio communications.
ground - A ground is a direct electrical connection to the earth, a connection to a particular point in an electrical or electronic circuit, or an indirect connection that operates as the result of capacitance between wireless equipment and the earth or a large mass of conductive material.
Hamming code - Hamming code is an error correction system that can detect and correct errors when data is stored or transmitted.
headless system - A headless system is a computer that operates without a monitor, graphical user interface (GUI) or the typical peripherals used to control it, such as a keyboard and mouse.
iBeacon - iBeacon is a small-scale network device that uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and acts as a transmitter to detect and track smartphones.
industrial control system (ICS) - In industrial settings, industrial control system (ICS) is a term used to describe the integration of hardware and software with network connectivity to support production processes in manufacturing or critical infrastructure.
industrial internet of things (IIoT) - The industrial internet of things (IIoT) is the use of smart sensors, actuators and other devices, such as RFID tags, to enhance manufacturing and industrial processes.
injectable ID chip (biochip transponder) - An injectable ID chip, also called a biochip transponder, is an electronic device that is inserted under the skin of an animal to provide the animal with a unique identification number.
intelligent system - An intelligent system is an advanced computer system that can gather, analyze and respond to the data it collects from its surrounding environment.
International System of Units (SI) - The International System of Units is a global standard for expressing the magnitudes or quantities of important natural phenomena.
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) - The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is an agency of the United Nations (UN) whose purpose is to coordinate telecommunication operations and services throughout the world.
Internet of Everything (IoE) - The Internet of Everything (IoE) is a concept that extends the Internet of Things (IoT) emphasis on machine-to-machine (M2M) communications to describe a more complex system that also encompasses people and processes.
internet of medical things (IoMT) or healthcare IoT - The internet of medical things (IoMT) is the collection of medical devices and applications that connect to healthcare IT systems through online computer networks.
internet of things (IoT) - The internet of things, or IoT, is a network of interrelated devices that connect and exchange data with other IoT devices and the cloud.
internet of things device management (IoT device management) - Internet of things device management (IoT device management) involves remotely registering, configuring, provisioning, maintaining and monitoring connected devices from a centralized platform that IT administrators can access with an internet connection from anywhere on any device.
internet of things privacy (IoT privacy) - Internet of things privacy is the special considerations required to protect the information of individuals from exposure in the IoT environment.
intranet of things - An intranet of things is a closed network that includes smart sensors and actuators.
IoT devices (internet of things devices) - Internet of things (IoT) devices are nonstandard computing hardware -- such as sensors, actuators or appliances -- that connect wirelessly to a network and can transmit data.
IoT gateway - An internet of things (IoT) gateway is a physical device or software program that serves as the connection point between the cloud and controllers, sensors and intelligent devices.
IoT security (internet of things security) - IoT security (internet of things security) is the technology segment focused on safeguarding connected devices and networks in IoT.
IPv6 address - An IPv6 address is a 128-bit alphanumeric value that identifies an endpoint device in an Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) network.
Kessler Syndrome - The Kessler Syndrome is a theoretical scenario in which Earth's orbit is overpopulated with objects and debris, preventing the use of satellites in certain sections of Earth's orbit.
LPWAN (low-power wide area network) - Low-power WAN (LPWAN) is a wireless wide area network technology that interconnects low-bandwidth, battery-powered devices with low bit rates over long ranges.
machine authentication - Machine authentication is the authorization of an automated human-to-machine or machine-to-machine (M2M) communication through verification of a digital certificate or digital credentials.
machine-to-machine (M2M) - Machine-to-machine, or M2M, is a broad label that can be used to describe any technology that enables networked devices to exchange information and perform actions without the manual assistance of humans.
man in the browser (MitB) - Man in the browser (MitB) is a security attack where the perpetrator installs a Trojan horse on the victim's computer that is capable of modifying that user's web transactions.
man-in-the-middle attack (MitM) - A man-in-the-middle (MitM) attack is a type of cyber attack in which the attacker secretly intercepts and relays messages between two parties who believe they are communicating directly with each other.
meet-in-the-middle attack - Meet-in-the-middle is a known plaintext attack that can greatly reduce the number of brute-force permutations required to decrypt text that has been encrypted by more than one key.
MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) - A MEMS (micro-electromechanical system) is a miniature machine that has both mechanical and electronic components.
mesh network topology (mesh network) - A mesh network is a network in which devices -- or nodes -- are linked together, branching off other devices or nodes.
micro-location - Micro-location is the process of pinpointing a person's placement to within a few inches or feet using various technologies.
Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit - Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit is a free utility IT can use to determine whether its infrastructure is prepared for a migration to a new operating system, server version or cloud-based deployment.
MQTT (MQ Telemetry Transport) - MQTT (MQ Telemetry Transport) is a lightweight open messaging protocol that provides resource-constrained network clients with a simple way to distribute telemetry information in low-bandwidth environments.
N+1 UPS - N+1, also called parallel redundancy, is a safeguard to ensure that an uninterruptible power supply (UPS)system is always available.
narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) - Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) is a wireless internet of things (IoT) protocol that uses low-power wide area network (LPWAN) technology.
Nest Labs - Nest Labs was a home automation specialist company that produced programmable Wi-Fi-enabled products that can be remotely controlled through a Web service or an associated smart home app.
network slicing - Network slicing is a technique that creates multiple virtual networks on top of a shared physical network to provide greater flexibility in the use and allocation of network resources.
North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC CIP) - The North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC CIP) plan is a set of standards aimed at regulating, enforcing, monitoring and managing the security of the Bulk Electric System (BES) in North America.