IoT: Different Visions, Different Truths

We all know about the Internet of Things (IoT), but its name has led us astray. The Internet of Things should really be called the "Network of Things," and our first problem with IoT comes from the difference in these terms.
Most vendors take the term "IoT" literally; they see all of our "things" directly on the Internet. Cisco is one example; it has always seen the IoT as being explicitly about the Internet. Network operators are opportunistic, too; Verizon sees IoT even more narrowly, as evidenced in its recent IoT announcement. In Verizon's view, IoT is "things on LTE." You can understand both companies' perspective would suit their own business goals, but the danger is that these views threaten IoT's underlying business case.