--- title: The Internet of Things is Older Than You Think description: Before jumping into a history of the Internet of Things (IoT), it h... image: https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gradient-regular-logo-mark-Jan-23-2023-02-14-38-4759-PM-Apr-10-2023-01-41-37-2844-PM-Apr-25-2023-03-36-55-8937-AM-3.png --- [Log In](https://www.websitemagazine.com/_hcms/mem/login) [Subscribe](https://websitemagazine.tradepub.com/free/w_webk05/prgm.cgi) [![Website Magazine Logo](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hs-fs/hubfs/gradient-regular@3x-1.png?width=586&height=145&name=gradient-regular@3x-1.png "Website Magazine Logo")](http://Website%20Services,%20Inc.) - [About](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about) - [FAQs](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/faq) - [Advertise](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/advertise) - [Editorial Staff](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/editorial-publishing-staff) - [Resources](https://websitemagazine.tradepub.com) - [Newsletter](https://www.websitemagazine.com/newsletter-sign-up) - More - [Contact Us](https://www.websitemagazine.com/contact) [Log In](https://www.websitemagazine.com/_hcms/mem/login) [Subscribe](https://websitemagazine.tradepub.com/free/w_webk05/prgm.cgi) Search - [Latest](https://www.websitemagazine.com) - [Design](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design) - [Development](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-development) - [SEO](https://www.websitemagazine.com/seo) - [Ecommerce](https://www.websitemagazine.com/ecommerce) - [Content](https://www.websitemagazine.com/content) - [Marketing](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing) - [Advertising](https://www.websitemagazine.com/advertising) - [Email](https://www.websitemagazine.com/email) - [Infographics](https://www.websitemagazine.com/infographics) - [View All Topics](https://www.websitemagazine.com/channels) # The Internet of Things is Older Than You Think ![Diana Zelikman](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Author%20Photos/Diana%20Zelikman.jpg) [by Diana Zelikman](https://www.websitemagazine.com/software/author/diana-zelikman) 01 May, 2014 - - - [mailto:?Body=https://www.websitemagazine.com/software/the-internet-of-things-is-older-than-you-think](mailto:?Body=https://www.websitemagazine.com/software/the-internet-of-things-is-older-than-you-think) - Link Copied! ![The Internet of Things is Older Than You Think](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gradient-regular-logo-mark-Jan-23-2023-02-14-38-4759-PM-Apr-10-2023-01-41-37-2844-PM-Apr-25-2023-03-36-55-8937-AM-3.png) Before jumping into a history of the Internet of Things (IoT), it helps to look at how the term has been referenced before. IoT concepts that have been used include: ambient intelligence, connected environments, connected world, everyware, future Internet, industrial Internet, machine to machine (M2M), physical Internet, physical computing, pervasive Internet, situated computing, smart cities, spimes, ubiquitous computing, Web of things and wireless sensor networks. Phew, that's a few different concepts; no wonder people are confused about where it all started! Below is a brief [history of the Internet of Things](https://postscapes.com/internet-of-things-history). You'll note that it goes as far back as 1832 - when there was no Internet at all! ### Timeline for The Internet of Things **1832:** Electromagnetic telegraph created by Baron Schilling in Russia **1833:** Code invented to communicate over 1200m in Germany **1844:** First Morse code message sent **1926:** Mobile phone technology prediction made by Nikola Tesla **1950:** Machines to be maintained with "best sense organs and speak English" **1964:** Electronic media mentioned by Marshall McLuhan **1966:** Karl Steinbuch predicts future of computers to be "interwoven into every industrial product" **1974:** TCP/IP beginnings **![](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/iphone-controlled-coke-machines-4-1-1-1.png?width=350&height=282&name=iphone-controlled-coke-machines-4-1-1-1.png)1982:** First [Internet coke machine](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/internet-coke-machine) created at Carnegie Mellon University by Mike Kazar, David Nichols, John Zsarnay and Ivor Durham ([watch the YouTube video that is pictured, here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba27y4_NDo4)) **1984:** DNS, or domain name system, is introduced **1989:** WWW, or World Wide Web, is conceived by Tim Berners-Lee **1990:** First Internet device created by John Romkey - toaster turned on/off via Internet **1991:** First Web page created **1993:** Trojan Room Coffee Pot created to monitor pot levels at University of Cambridge, monitored by the Internet three times a minute **1994:** WearCam, a precursor to Google Glass, created by Steve Mann **1995:** Amazon and eBay go live **1997:** Paul Saffo writes "Sensors: The Next Wave of Infotech Innovation" **1998:** Google becomes incorporated, inTouch is created at MIT, Mark Weiser explores ubiquitous computing and virtual reality **1999:** IoT term is first coined by Kevin Ashton and elaborated further by Neil Gershenfeld from MIT Media Labs. Auto-ID Labs opens and the EPC is developed **2000:** LG announces plans for an Internet refrigerator **2002:** Ambient Orb created and released as a spin-off from MIT media Lab **2003-2004:** IoT term is mentioned across mainstream media such as The Guardian, Boston Globe and Scientific American. Projects start to surface like CoolTown, Disappearing Computer Initiative, and Internet0 to implement some of these ideas and IoT is used in book titles for the first time. [RFID](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa479355) is deployed on a massive scale by the U.S. Department of Defense and major retailer Walmart. **2005:** Nabaztag created by Rafi Haladjian and Olivier Mevel, a WiFi enabled 'rabbit' **2006:** RFID is used in more mainstream situations, such as tracking hospital equipment, tracking and tagging animals on farms to track animal diseases and to track supply chain goods around the world **2006-2008:** First EU IoT conference held **2008:** IPSO Alliance is launched. FCC votes and approves 'white space' spectrum. IoT listed as on of 6 Disruptive Civil Technologies by US National Intelligence Council **2008-2009:** Internet of Things was "born" according to Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group because more "things or objects" were connected to the Internet **2010:** China plans major investment in to IoT **2011-2014:** IPV6 protocol is launched. IBM, Ericsson and Cisco issue educational and marketing initiatives on the topic. Smart light bulbs created to include Bluetooth speaker for in-home entertainment. IoT to be replaced by a term called "[connected life](https://mashable.com/2014/03/09/advertising-internet-of-everything-sxsw/)" instead?  So, what does it all really mean? That technology is changing as our level of demand for connectedness increases. Diana Zelikman is an editor at [Fueled](https://fueled.com/), the leading iPhone app builder in New York City, renowned for its award winning mobile design and strategy. ![Diana Zelikman](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Author%20Photos/Diana%20Zelikman.jpg) [Diana Zelikman](https://www.websitemagazine.com/software/author/diana-zelikman) Diana Zelikman is an experienced marketing professional with over 5 years of experience in the home improvement and digital platform industries. She has worked with companies such as Builderdome, AXA US, Whim NYU, and Fueled. Diana holds a degree in Human Computer Interaction Design from City, University of London and a degree in English Literature from State University of New York at Binghamton. 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All Rights Reserved - [Privacy Policy](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/privacy) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Diana Zelikman", "url" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/software/author/diana-zelikman" }, "dateModified" : "2023-05-01T22:17:16.643Z", "datePublished" : "2014-05-01T05:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "The Internet of Things is Older Than You Think", "image" : [ "https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gradient-regular-logo-mark-Jan-23-2023-02-14-38-4759-PM-Apr-10-2023-01-41-37-2844-PM-Apr-25-2023-03-36-55-8937-AM-3.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/software/the-internet-of-things-is-older-than-you-think", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/gradient-regular@3x-1.png" }, "name" : "Website Services, Inc." } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "NewsArticle", "author" : [ { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Diana Zelikman" } ], "headline" : "The Internet of Things is Older Than You Think", "publisher" : { "name" : "Website Magazine", "url" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/" } } ```