By Deb Fischer – T

In the last 200 years, our world has transformed because of two major waves of innovation. The first began in the 18th century with the Industrial Revolution, which ushered in machines, factories, electricity, cars and air travel. The second revolution was the emergence of the internet, which gave us unprecedented access to information at the tips of our fingers. Today, our world is preparing for another wave of innovation that already is improving our daily lives in countless ways: the Internet of Things.

The Internet of Things (IoT) combines the world-changing revolutions of the past two centuries to bring people together across industries and around the globe through internet connectivity embedded into everyday objects that can collect and communicate data.

We have already begun to experience the advancements in IoT technologies. Our phones, thermostats, cars, security systems, manufacturing plants and medical equipment are just a few examples of internet-connected infrastructure — and the list is growing. Recent reports project that 125 billion devices will be connected to the Internet of Things by 2030. According to Business Insiders Intelligence, investment has the potential to reach within $15 trillion by 2025. A few years ago, the global I.T. firm, Cisco, described the IoT as “potentially the biggest business opportunity in the history of mankind. Read On: