In the past, (last 10 years) there was talk of refrigerators talking to toasters using a watered down version of JavaScript; pretty much all household devices would someday communicate - but so far that has not happened. The idea of devices communicating with each other asyncronously did not turn out to be that exciting to anyone.

However, the tide is changing, according to a new article in the Economist - A World of Connections:

These ideas have been floating around for years, variously known as ‘ubiquitous computing‘, ‘embedded networking’ and ‘the pervasive internet’. The phenomenon ‘could well dwarf previous milestones in the information revolution’, according to a 2001 report entitled ‘Embedded, Everywhere’ by America’s National Research Council, part of the respected National Academy of Sciences. A report by a United Nations agency in 2005 called it ‘The Internet of Things’.

But now it is actually starting to happen. Even governments have taken notice. Japan and South Korea have incorporated wireless technology into national policies, their sprawling IT conglomerates marching in lockstep with the political leaders. The European Union and America (where defence money paid for many of the advances) have issued thick reports.

For all the excitement, it will be a while before machine-to-machine (M2M) communications and sensor networks become ubiquitous. Although the technology exists, different approaches do not as yet work well together. Unlike computer software, which can be deployed with a few mouse-clicks, each system still needs to be tailor-made. And the melding of communications and computing brings together two industries and engineering cultures that are generally at odds, slowing progress. Moreover, the business models to justify the time and cost of adding wireless services are embryonic.

I think the mobile phone is behind the drive towards ubiquitous computing and that’s what the article suggests as well.

Link: Economist