"Internet of Things"

Today I woke up to a peculiar site; after four snooze alarms and two elongated stretches in bed, I opened my bedroom window and experienced what I can only describe as a Springtime Snowstorm. Puffed up cotton balls of white pollen were floating lightly in the air. Lightly drifting, their destination did not seem apparent, but they were calmly moving through the sky. To admit, it was quite beautiful as they exemplified the beginning of a new season: spring.

After a quick cappuccino I eased my way into the front row seat of Management Consulting 15 minutes late – otherwise known in Italian as perfectly on time. Marco Salvadori, a consultant of Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG), spoke as a guest on behalf of Cisco. When examining Cisco at a quick glance, the company’s purpose is to provide “a variety of technological devices and systems that enable Internet and digital communication among companies and among people,” states Salvadori as he further delved into the company’s vision and overall strategy from the IBSG point of view. For those of you who don’t know, IBSG is Cisco’s global executive consulting organization. Consisting of 180 consultants in 20 countries, IBSG works with the head executives of Cisco to help transform the utilization of digital technologies.

As the lecture progressed, Salvadori spoke of a key phrase that instantly took hold of my attention, the “Internet of Things.” He described it to be a scale up of everything, the newest, innovative leap into the technological evolution of the future. The Internet of Things all starts with a nearly invisible network of radio frequency identification tags (RFID) that are deployed on almost every type of consumer item. These tiny chips have the ability to scan wirelessly and create a global network of physical objects. Now this topic is still seen as extremely controversial, particularly since these chips are being produced in the billions, yet they have not managed to gather much public knowledge of consent.

The ultimate convenience in supply-chain management, RFID tags could allow for a better track of inventories and consumer demand. Companies would not run out of stock, and stolen items would be much more easily tracked and located. In addition, once RFID technology is used, you can place all the products you wish to purchase in one basket, in which these products can be detected instantly and the billing process can be faster. Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest retail, has recently announced that it will begin placing item-level RFID tracking tags on clothing sold in its stores. This allows large corporations  the ability to increase their power in the market, by being able to track all items and the consumers who purchase them. In addition, I conducted some personal research and this technology has been used with human beings in addition to things. Many people advocate its usage by saying it is a better way to curb theft, identify disaster victims and improve medical care. However, critics exclaim that this procedure would be a widespread invasion of privacy, making it easier for government agencies to track a person’s every move. 

Regardless of the consensus, I think the subject is an interesting topic to note upon – especially since Cisco’s consulting team is advising them to utilize this new form of technology. I advise you all to look into the subject and create your own personal decision on the ethics behind the “Internet of Things” and RFID chip implantation. It is each individuals right to be informed of this procedure, and as a human race would this evolution in technology soon allow us to experience the true meaning of interconnectedness? Or shall we remain free from these Orwellian concerns, and experience life like the light balls of pollen, without a straight path, yet within a beautiful journey?