Advances in wireless networking and embedded computing coupled with lower device cost are enabling the Internet of Things, an Internetwork of embedded computing devices. Whether a device is a simple passive sensor broadcasting data, an industrial control monitoring a tank level to open or close a switch, or a sophisticated digital electric meter providing near real-time power quality information to utility monitoring and control systems, the IoT will have a profound impact on the way that we all live, work, and play over the next decade.
Much like the first wave of the Internet connected people, and the second wave of the Internet provided search, social networking and mobile apps, the Internet of Things will allow us to inter-connect billions of devices to provide major advances in energy, water, public safety, transportation, healthcare, industrial automation, smart homes, and smart vehicles. As examples, the IoT enables significant efficiencies in electricity distribution and facilitates the cost-effective integration of distributed generation and renewable energy sources into our energy supply (the “smart grid”), as well as optimizes transportation, parking, and fleet management, securely provides doctors with instant access to health care information, ensures the safe and secure operation of industrial control systems, and integrates the convenience of vending machines and banking, to name just a few.
To facilitate the proliferation and growth of an open and interoperable IoT, the global oneM2M organization was formed to standardize a common machine to machine service layer. This common service layer not only allows heterogeneous devices to openly inter-network with each other and with M2M application servers using Internet Protocol technologies, it also provides the application and remote device management services common to all M2M applications.
The PolicyNet M2M software conforms to the global oneM2M Release 1 specifications, and provides a complete implementation of the common services functions. M2M/IoT applications (AEs) register with the cloud-based PolicyNet M2M software (CSE), and request and receive the common services described in the oneM2M specifications.