“…The IPSO Alliance said on Friday that Google and Fujitsu raise the ranks of the year-old organisation to 53 members and bring significant weight to a drive toward a world rich with ‘smart objects’.  ‘Google’s participation in IPSO is a result of its expectation that many devices will become part of the Internet environment,’ said Google vice-president and chief Internet evangelist Vint Cerf. ‘Google’s PowerMeter application makes use of this idea to help Smart Grid users capture and analyse their energy usage information.’

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http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/TechandScience/Story/STIStory_468458.html

“…The sensors were located in Korea, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, England, Canada, and the United States.  IPSO deployed a business intelligence application developed by SAP that collected the readings and interpreted the results graphically at the group’s display booth at the exposition.  Visitors to the booth were able to observe live data readings streamed in from around the world.  Each of the smart objects transmitted information using the IPv6 protocol and did not rely on any proprietary protocols, gateways, or translators whatsoever.  Off-the-shelf hardware was used to create the entire network infrastructure and the Internet was used to connect each of the nodes, across three continents, to IPSO’s Las Vegas booth.”

Bringing networking technology to “dumb” devices is becoming a reality, which could lead to lower operating costs for small businesses.

“…While networks have been used to automate many types of devices, the costs to do so with simpler devices such as light sensors, temperature controls, actuators, security systems and appliances has been prohibitive. These devices have been largely controlled by proprietary devices and networks, which have been difficult to deploy and support.  But a consortium of suppliers, the IP for Smart Objects (IPSO) Alliance, wants to change that.”

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http://www.forbes.com/2008/10/17/small-business-networks-ent-tech-cx_bm_1017bmightyipnetworks.html