Question: When (and by whom) was the term “Internet of Things” first coined?
Answer: In 1999 by Kevin Ashton, an entrepreneur and one of the founders of the Auto-ID Center at MIT (News - Alert).
(If you didn’t know that, you aren’t alone; I write about IoT on a near-daily basis, and even I’m consistently learning little tidbits like these.)
However, while Ashton may have ignited the use of this term, the concept of M2M interconnectivity has been around for much longer. (Like, even well before ARPANET, a precursor to the internet as we know it.) IoT devices are everywhere; personal smartwatches and healthcare wearables, RFID inventory-tracking chips, real-time sensors used in agriculture and massive industrial settings alike, software-defined vehicles, smart city-based implementations, you name it. No longer relegated to mere buzzword status, with “IoT” comes the backable promise of positive developments for health and safety, business operations, Industry 4.0, and refined sustainability efforts on the global stage.
This, in a sense, is why the SAS IoT Partner Ecosystem exists.
SAS is all in on the future of tech-driven insights and well-harnessed analytics, and the SAS (News - Alert) IoT Partner Ecosystem is chock-full of names I’d bet most of us are familiar with; Microsoft Azure, Intel, Cisco, HPE, Siemens, HTEC Group, Deloitte, Lenovo, Semtech, Accenture (News - Alert) and at least a dozen others. SAS partners like these inspire industry progress, helping other businesses embrace what makes IoT both the Internet of Things and “the Intelligence of Things” via solutions that transform data into intelligence and – in due time – intelligence into powerful tools wielded to foster IoT progress around the world.
Furthermore, as SAS describes, “The data that flows through your business has a unique story to tell, and that story is constantly changing. With our fully integrated, open source, cloud-native SAS technology platform, you can understand what’s happening now, predict how to pivot seamlessly, and drive your own momentum.”
Made evident by the above list of partners, so many businesses today are of a similar mind. (As am I, readers; it’s clear that intelligent use of data is the path forward. Data itself becomes the story; whether it’s being utilized by data scientists, farmers, doctors, statisticians, operators in manufacturing or AI specialists, data is the key when it comes to staying agile and advancing IoT in actually meaningful ways.)
Speaking of meaningfulness, another IoT-dedicated company officially joined the SAS IoT Partner Ecosystem just last week:
Divirod has been working to revolutionize access to water data for nearly a decade. Its patented technology (and the innovations therein) involve smarter water monitoring, early flood alert systems and – in the vein of SAS – accurate and actionable data analytics. In short, Divirod strives to create systems that ensure water is managed wisely and available for generations to come.
This on its own is already a noble effort, but its importance is magnified when you look at forecasts like a recent one from the World Meteorological Organization (a specialized agency of the United Nations) that states how “five billion people will experience water shortages by 2050, leading to an estimated $5.6 trillion in economic losses.” To prevent such crises on both climate and economic levels, solutions like Divirod’s are essential, to say the least.
“We need more reliable and automated sources for water data to reduce risk and provide critical, to-the-minute insights for flood management and water risk mitigation,” explained Javier Marti, founder and CEO of Divirod. “With SAS, we can provide a comprehensive solution powered by AI and IoT analytics that delivers timely and relevant insights from real-time water data.”
Jason Mann, Vice President of IoT at SAS, added to Marti’s statement.
“This partnership harnesses the flow of data in the Divirod water network and applies SAS AI and IoT analytics to transform it into better, faster decisions,” Mann said. “With water such a precious resource, these decisions can not only enhance business and agriculture, but also expand access, and improve and save lives.”
Read more of our content about the SAS IoT Partner Ecosystem here.