So early last year, IBM came out with a commercial promoting how they were going to revolutionize the world. "Improving water distribution systems, reducing city traffic congestion, or making the electric grid more reliable and efficient" was a phrase they referred to in this commercial I think we all remember.
After searching CNET tonight, I found this article explaining the reality of the Internet of Things, or pervasive computing . This comes as a result of cheaper processors and a higher penetration of broadband networking.
One example of how they are currently using their system is through the electricity grid; by setting more sophisticated sensors along the electric transmission lines, data can be collected at a real time pace, thus alert grid operators of problems as a they occur.
Although these ideas are awesome in text, they still have many kinks to work out before steady implementation and future success. IBM reports that "The sheer amount of data that non-computer devices produce requires a heavy dose of analytical software, too". As a result of this issue, IBM has bought a number of software companies in this field, including Cognos, DataPower, and Neteeza.
I hope to see some and more of these ideas rolled out in the next few years, primarily because I would like to experience gas prices back in the $2 range before I die. That being said, it will take time and money to produce results. Time and money taken from yours truely...
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