Running head: THE INTERNET OF THINGS AND TRANSPORTATION 1
The Internet of Things and Transportation
INF 220 IS Principles
, The Internet of Things and Transportation 2
Introduction
The twenty first century has been a catalyst for massive technological evolution. The
evolution of the internet brought forth new technology which has reshaped the trajectory of the
human species. This massive and rapid evolution has led to an era where what used to be far
fetched ideas in science fiction books are now realities that the average person lives with every
day. It is clear now that humans are only bound by the depths of our imagination. As
technology continues to evolve, so does the species and our capabilities. The next wave of
technological evolution has the potential to be the most transformational yet. All indications are
that the next frontier in technological evolution is in how people and things are connected to each
other. This new frontier is aptly labeled as the Internet of Things (IoT). The Internet of Things
is defined as “a broad range of physical objects (such as computer, sensors, or motors) that are
interconnected and automatically share data over the internet” (Valacich & Schneider, 2016 Ch.
1.1). The sharing of data is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s what can be accomplished by
leveraging this data that has the true transformational potential.
For this data to be useful, it must be readily accessible from anywhere (with an internet
connection, of course). That’s why cloud computing married with IoT makes the impossible,
possible. “Whereas traditionally each user would install applications for various tasks – from
creating documents to listening to music – as well as store documents, pictures, and other data on
his or her computer, Web technologies enable using the Internet as the platform for applications
and data. Now, much of the functionality previously offered by applications installed on each
individual computer is offered by applications “in the cloud”, accessed via your Web browser”
(Valacich & Schneider, 2016 Ch. 1.1). The ability for people and “things” to access data in real
time and use that data to make decisions and/or perform specific functions opens the gateway for
The Internet of Things and Transportation
INF 220 IS Principles
, The Internet of Things and Transportation 2
Introduction
The twenty first century has been a catalyst for massive technological evolution. The
evolution of the internet brought forth new technology which has reshaped the trajectory of the
human species. This massive and rapid evolution has led to an era where what used to be far
fetched ideas in science fiction books are now realities that the average person lives with every
day. It is clear now that humans are only bound by the depths of our imagination. As
technology continues to evolve, so does the species and our capabilities. The next wave of
technological evolution has the potential to be the most transformational yet. All indications are
that the next frontier in technological evolution is in how people and things are connected to each
other. This new frontier is aptly labeled as the Internet of Things (IoT). The Internet of Things
is defined as “a broad range of physical objects (such as computer, sensors, or motors) that are
interconnected and automatically share data over the internet” (Valacich & Schneider, 2016 Ch.
1.1). The sharing of data is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s what can be accomplished by
leveraging this data that has the true transformational potential.
For this data to be useful, it must be readily accessible from anywhere (with an internet
connection, of course). That’s why cloud computing married with IoT makes the impossible,
possible. “Whereas traditionally each user would install applications for various tasks – from
creating documents to listening to music – as well as store documents, pictures, and other data on
his or her computer, Web technologies enable using the Internet as the platform for applications
and data. Now, much of the functionality previously offered by applications installed on each
individual computer is offered by applications “in the cloud”, accessed via your Web browser”
(Valacich & Schneider, 2016 Ch. 1.1). The ability for people and “things” to access data in real
time and use that data to make decisions and/or perform specific functions opens the gateway for
