What is the Internet of Things? Everything you need to know about IoT

Put simply, the Internet of Things is about connecting internet-enabled devices that relay information back to us, to cloud-based applications and to each other (device to device). These 'smart' devices can be anything from mobile phones, fridges, washing machines to wearables, medical equipment or jet engines. Basically, in the Internet of Things, objects use the web and unique identifiers such as RFID tags or processors in order to exist as part of the internet.
In Britain the most common use of IoT services can be seen in energy: specifically, home heating. British Gas's Hive Active Heating enables consumers to control their home heating from their smartphone, laptop or tablet. It even has the ability to turn off when no one is home by detecting whether your smartphone is in the house or not.
"Smart meters will help consumers better understand their energy usage and at what time energy is more expensive so they can be more judicious with their own usage of energy" says SmartGrid GB executive director and Tech UK associate director, Rob McNamara.