The Internet of Things Meets Cloud Computing [Standards Corner]

IoT is a new marketing phrase for an old concept known as embedded computing. As consumer devices continue to develop into mobile products for the extension of our social and familial interactions, the need arises for these products to connect to the nearly unlimited resources of the World Wide Web. The mobile product by its very definition is an independent device with a power source such as a battery, a microcontroller unit (MCU), a display unit, and an Internet connectivity device, such as the radio-like 802.11abgn or 802.15.4, also known as “ZigBee".