Connected objects and the Internet of things — A paradigm shift

Emerging and future network requirements for the Internet of Things (IoT) or Connected Objects (CO) cannot be met by the networks and solutions we envisage today. The vision of IoT includes millions of objects that interact with the network using a plethora of applications. Some of these objects will require little attention and will generate little traffic, while on the other extreme objects may need frequent updates, generate awful amounts of data, demand seamless mobility, real time connections, high availability, advanced security. In this paper we give an overview of emerging and future CO applications and services, with examples, as well as evaluate the impact these will have on the network both in terms of traffic and in terms of new or more stringent performance requirements.