EU lays out plans for the “internet of things”

The European Commission has announced plans for Europe to play a leading part in developing and managing interconnected networks formed from everyday objects with radio frequency identity (RFID) tags embedded in them – the so-called “internet of things”.

The Commission has launched a 14-point action plan to address the issues raised from such widespread interconnectivity.

“New examples of applications that connect objects to the internet and each other are created [everyday]: from cars connected to traffic lights that fight congestion, to home appliances connected to smart power grids and energy metering that allows people to be aware of their electricity consumption,” said EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media Viviane Reding.

The EC expects there will be a progressive connection of a variety of physical objects, and not just computers – creating the ‘internet of things’. These could be everyday items such as food packaging that records the temperature along its supply chain, or different prescription drugs that warn patients of a possible incompatibility.

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