Building the “Internet of Everything” (IoE) for first responders

The “Internet of Everything” (IoE) describes the “bringing together of people, process, data, and things to make networked connections more relevant and valuable than ever before”. IoE encompasses both machine-to-machine (M2M) and Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies, and it is the pervasiveness of IoE than can be leveraged to achieve many things for many people, including first responders. The emerging IoE will continue to evolve over the next ten years and beyond, but the IoT can happen now, with automated M2M communications bringing first responder communications and situational awareness to the leading-edge of IoE-leveraged technology - exactly where they belong as they risk their lives to protect and save others. Presented here are a number of technological capabilities that are critical to achieving the IoE, especially for first responders and emergency managers, including (a) Security; (b) a global M2M standard; (c) powerful four-dimensional M2M applications; and (d) Data Privacy and trust. For advanced security, Software Defined network Perimeters (SDP) can provide the critical functionality to protect and secure M2M nodes in an ad-hoc M2M IoT/IoE network. Without a secure, dynamic, M2M network, the vision of an emergency responder instantly communicating with a “smart building” would not be feasible. But with SDP, it can, and will, happen. SDP enables an ad-hoc, secure M2M network to rapidly deploy and “hide in plain sight”. In an emergency response situation, this is exactly what we need. For M2M/IoT to go mobile and leverage global IoE capabilities anywhere (which is what emergency responders need as emergency locations are somewhat unpredictable and change every day), a global industry standard must be, and is being, developed: oneM2M. And the existing fourDscape® technology/platform could quickly support a oneM2M system structure that can be deployed in the short term, with the fourDscape browser providing powerful M2M IoT/IoE applications and 4D visualizations. Privacy-by-design principles can also be applied and other critical related issues addressed beyond privacy (i.e. once privacy is achieved and available IoE sensors/data can be leveraged), such as trusting, scaling, hacking, and securing M2M IoT/IoE devices and systems. Without the full package of IoE innovation embracing the very public IoE world in a very private and secure way, and can continue to evolve in parallel with emerging commercial IoE technology, first responders would not be able to leverage the commercial state-of-the-art in the short term and in the years to come. Current technology innovation can change that.