I have discussed the Internet of Things here before and that in just a few years we are going to see so many more 'things' connecting to the WWW. 

Here is an interesting article about where this growth will happen.









The numbers being forecast for the Internet of Things (IoT) are truly mind-boggling.

BI Intelligence finds that the number of everyday and enterprise devices that will soon be connected to the Internet — from parking meters to home thermostats — will be huge.

• 1.9 billion devices today, and 9 billion by 2018, according to BII estimates, roughly equal to the number of smartphones, smart TVs, tablets, wearable computers, and PCs combined.
• It will drive trillions in economic value as it permeates consumer and business life.

In the consumer space, many products and services have already crossed over into the IoT, including kitchen and home appliances, lighting and heating products, and insurance company-issued car monitoring devices that allow motorists to pay insurance only for the amount of driving they do.  


Here are the top business-to-business and government applications for the IOT:

• Connected advertising and marketing. Cisco believes that this category (think Internet-connected billboards) will be one of the top three IoT categories, along with smart factories, and telecommuting support systems.
• Intelligent traffic management systems. Machina research, in a paper prepared for the GSM Association, sees $100 billion in revenue by 2020 for applications such as toll-taking and congestion penalties. A related revenue source will be smart parking-space management, expected to drive $30 billion in revenue.
• Waste management systems. In Cincinnati, residential waste volume fell 17% and recycling volume grew by 49% through use of a “pay as you throw” program that used IoT technology to monitor those who exceed waste limits.
• Smart electricity grids that adjust rates for peak energy usage. These will represent savings of $200 billion to $500 billion per year by 2025, according to the McKinsey Global Institute.
• Smart water systems and meters. The cities of Doha, São Paulo, and Beijing have reduced leaks by 40 to 50% by putting sensors on pumps and other water infrastructure.
• Industrial uses including Internet-managed assembly lines, connected factories, and warehouses, etc.

Using the collaborative economy business model and Cisco's Internet of Everything IoE, I see an amazing amount of collaboration and new businesses in the not so distant future... 

http://internetofeverything.cisco.com/

Insights into the Internet of Everything from Cisco  - Can you generate Collaborative Economy Ideas using the Internet of Everything?

Insight No. 1: 
Internet of Everything is poised to generate $4.6 trillion in Value at Stake for the global public sector over the next 10 
years (2013-2022).

Insight No. 2: 
Of the $4.6 trillion in Value at Stake for the public sector over the next decade, 70 percent will be agency-specific, while 30 percent will be driven by cross-agency adoption of IoE

Insight No. 3: 
The five primary drivers of IoE Value at Stake for the public sector are: 1) employee productivity, 2) connected militarized defense, 3) cost reduction, 4) citizen experience, and 5) increased revenue.

Insight No. 4: 
More than two-thirds of IoE’s Value at Stake for the public sector will be powered by people (citizen)-centric connections. 

Insight No. 5: 
The $4.6 trillion in IoE Value at Stake for the public sector is equivalent to about one-third of the expected civilian labor 
productivity growth over the next 10 years. 

Insight No. 6: 
IoE is already delivering value for the public sector.

Insight No. 7: 
Ninety-five percent of IoE’s total Value at Stake for the civilian public sector will be driven by just over half (23) of the use cases analyzed by Cisco

Insight No. 8: 
Cities will generate almost two-thirds of IoE’s overall civilian benefits globally. To maximize value, cities should strive to combine use cases, rather than approaching them individually. 

Insight No. 9: 
To realize value from IoE, public-sector organizations must address strategic, cultural, and operational questions.

Insight No. 10: 
Public-sector leaders have a unique opportunity to “act” rather than “react.”