The Internet of Things is our future digital ecosystem that cannot be ignored by businesses, education, programmers and the government
As we know, the world of computer programming has evolved from larger units like that of the PC to smaller ones like that of the mobile phone. Yet now the computer, in the form of smaller electronic devices, is gearing more towards the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT), a new setting that leads developers to learn to program in new ways.
As the IoT has emerged as the next big thing, with 25 billion devices worldwide estimated to have connected to the internet last year and 50 billion by 2020, the IoT needs a strong backbone for the many billions of connected devices and applications around the world that will be on it.
In response to the rising popularity of this new digital concept, the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec) in September last year launched NETPIE, a network platform for the IoT, to provide support for general IoT developers. The cloud platform is designed to facilitate the communication between different devices, or things, within the IoT network.
Makers and maker clubs - a platform for innovators - have become one of the target users of NETPIE, according to Panita Pongpaibool, the project leader of NETPIE. "They are the super users who will accelerate the utilisation of NETPIE."