Connecting Things

 Object integration to create new networked services

Technology enabling the transparent interaction between people and things

The Internet offers the potential to connect billions of machines and objects creating what is known as the ‘Internet of Things'(IoT). This integrates various technologies including RFID (radiofrequency identification), Machine-to-Machine service platforms and WSNs (wireless sensor networks).

An ever increasing number of objects are now embedded with sensors and/or actuators as well as the capability to communicate over the Internet.
These uniquely identifiable smart objects have the ability to sense and even influence the real world. In doing so, they produce large volumes of data that flow to and from computers and servers. This autonomous data capture needs to be both managed and processed, creating new challenges regarding data security, data management and data processing.

The interconnection of multiple things that can both sense and communicate in near real-time will continually provide information to the Internet and is expected to stimulate  he creation of numerous innovative applications and business models.

In response to these challenges, ETSI has brought together a community that is actively supporting the standardization of end-to-end Machine-to-Machine communications. This community is spread over several groups in ETSI who are collaborating on various horizontal activities relating to ‘connecting things'.

Furthermore, ETSI is involved with the R&D community and also driving numerous Future Internet related standardization initiatives in Europe as well as reaching out to the USA and Asia.

• EP eHealth (ICT for the health domain)
• ERM (EMC and Radio spectrum Matters)
• M2M (Machine-to-Machine)
• TISPAN (Telecoms & Internet converged Services
  and Protocols for Advanced Networks)

The Connecting Things cluster also co-operates with various fora, consortia and organizations including CEN, CENELEC, ESMIG, CESI, the CONTINUA Health Alliance, ENISA, OMA and the Broadband Forum. 

A large part of the work is led by the Technical Committee M2M which is developing an end-to-end architecture to support multiple machine-to-machine type applications. The group is producing standards and specifications to fill identified gaps whilst avoiding duplication of work already completed or ongoing in other standards organizations.

Applications currently being examined by TC M2M include smart metering; where the committee is coordinating ETSI's response to the European Commission Mandate (M/441) for the creation of European Standards that will enable interoperability of utility meters (water, gas, electricity, heat). These meters will enhance users' awareness of their actual consumption.

Several committees in ETSI are also working on the recent EC mandate M/490 on Smart Grids. This mandate also ancompasses work on electrical smart metering, and also electrical vehicle integration, as well as load balancing and the integration of renewable energies, using ICT to bring the Smart elements to the Grid.

TC M2M is developing connected consumer use cases in order to ensure consumer specific requirements are met by the M2M high-level architecture. Such scenarios include photo sharing, eBook file synchronization, video surveillance and home automation applications.

TC M2M is also working on use cases for automotive applications in close collaboration with ETSI's Technical Committee ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems).

The ETSI Project eHealth provides the ‘horizontal' focus for the co-ordination of ETSI's activities in the ICT for the health domain and co-operates closely with other entities in ETSI and 3GPP, as well as external organizations. Key aspects include security of systems and data, quality of services, interoperability and validation by testing, and usability.

TC M2M is also studying eHealth use cases in order to ensure the specific requirements are met by the M2M high level architecture.

ERM Task Group 30 develops product-specific standards for radio communications equipment for medical devices. It also handles specifications and standards for medical telemetry transmitting devices and medical implant telemetry devices.

The interests of the RFID industry within ETSI for all RFID products and devices are represented by ERM Task Group 34. The group also develops deliverables under the guidance of ERM for future RFID technologies and products not covered by current generic standards.

RFID security and privacy protection with specific reference to the Internet of Things and to RFID/Near Field Communication needs are addressed by TISPAN Working Group 7, with contributions from ERM TG34 and M2M. Part of the work is in response to the European Commission Mandate (M/436) for which ETSI, CEN and CENELEC will subsequently prepare a complete framework for the development of future RFID standards.

Aspects of the wireless factory are also included in the cluster; for example sensor networks using technologies such as RFID and M2M communications have entered the factory automation picture. These bring a potential for extensive rationalization and cost savings but also pose a variety of integration, synchronization and interworking/interoperability issues.