IoT, IoE, IIoT, M2M, V2V, V2X

I read the news every morning and spend a little bit of time diving into tech news and the current buzz. It seems almost everyday I hear about the increase in the projected growth of IoT (Internet of Things) or about the various startups solving problems in the space.

Perhaps it’s my involvement with Auklet, an IoT APM (Application Performance Monitoring) solution, or my interest in healthcare technology and autonomous technologies; but I finally took some time to learn and deep-dive into the IoT world. My goal with this article (and subsequent articles) is to share what I’ve learned about IoT, so that you can gain a basic understanding of this disruptive technology.

Let’s start with what the various acronyms in the title mean.

IoT: Internet of Things

A simplified definition of IoT, is a system of connected devices that have the capacity to automatically transfer data over a network.

You probably know what the internet is, and understand the concept; but what the hell is a thing? A thing (or the T, in IoT), is broadly a device that has a unique identifier that is able to communicate over a network. So what counts as a thing? A thing can range from the sensors in a car, to the smoke detector in your home, to a pacemaker that implanted into a person, all of which can be uniquely identified and be able to transfer data.

IoE: Internet of Everything

IoE is an acronym coined and used by Cisco, and as such, here is their definition: “The Internet of Everything (IoE) brings together people, process, data, and things to make networked connections more relevant and valuable than ever before-turning information into actions that create new capabilities, richer experiences, and unprecedented economic opportunity for businesses, individuals, and countries.” (https://bit.ly/2OxrCLu)

I know I asked myself this, and you may be doing the same; what’s the difference between IoT and IoE? IoE builds on IoT, and IoT accounts for one area, things. Whereas IoE adds people, process and data to the mix.

Honestly, I’ve heard people use the terms IoT and IoE interchangeably, and I’d argue that working in IoT inherently adds people, process and data; so I’ve gotten into the notion that IoT and IoE are the same. If you feel otherwise, please let me know ‘why’ via a comment.

IIoT: Industrial Internet of Things

This is simply a focus on the industrial use cases of IoT. From my understanding, the foundations are the same, but IoT is typically used generally and for consumer use cases; whereas IIoT is used for industrial use cases.

M2M: Machine to Machine

This one is interesting to me personally, as I’ve been told that “M2M is not IoT”. After digging into it and learning more, I would tend to agree, and it seemed to me like M2M was the precursor to IoT, and it all comes down to connectivity.

So what are the differences? M2M is device-to-device communications and typically in an isolated instance (at a warehouse for example). IoT on the other hand typicallycommunicates over IP networks, and an internet connection.

While I understand the basic difference between M2M and IoT, I am still learning and would love some feedback and comments on if I am on the right path in my assessment.

V2V: Vehicle to Vehicle

Pretty straightforward right, communication between two (or multiple) vehicles. I think this technology is really cool, and had the opportunity to talk shop with an individual working in the automotive sector. From my understanding this technology is a long way from mainstream, as the automotive OEMs have yet to agree on standards, and there are still outstanding privacy concerns. Regardless of the hurdles, I’m very excited for this to (one day) become mainstream.

I also learned about ADAS (Advance Driver Assistance Systems), OTA (Over the Air), 5G, CAN and LIN during this conversation … but that’s a topic for another time.

V2X: Vehicle to Everything

This one is a bit more complicated than V2V, in that it encompasses both V2V and V2I. Opps, didn’t mean to toss another acronym at you; V2I is Vehicle to Infrastructure. In essence, V2X includes the communication between vehicles, but also includes communication with external things (such as street lamps, pedestrians, buildings, etc).

Thanks for taking to time to read this article and allowing me to share some of the things I’ve learned. As you may already know, IoT is fast changing and rapidly growing and I am continually learning. If I stated something incorrectly, or you have additional knowledge to share, please let me know via a comment!