3 Philosophiesfor the IoT Age

2The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most exciting technology trends currently emerging. It is also one of the most confusing and to some people one of the most frightening. IoT consists of a growing global network of smart devices, ranging from mobile phones to motor vehicles to domestic appliances to utilities meters and beyond. Increasingly, these devices use application programming interfaces (APIs) to expose the data they collect and transmit, for reuse in a variety of complementary applications.

This may seem simple enough but many individuals and organizations are left with vague ideas about what this will actually entail in the real world. And they are left with a lot of questions: How can all these connected devices interact efficiently? What are the security risks of connecting all these devices to the Internet and exposing their inner workings via APIs? Does IoT create new business opportunities and if so how do we capitalize on these opportunities and mitigate any risks?

In terms of technology, business drivers and historical context, IoT is all-but unprecedented. Certainly, it is different enough from what we already understand about the World Wide Web and mobile networks that it requires a fundamentally different way of thinking which, in turn, will drive completely different approaches to business strategy and IT systems architecture. This eBook uses the ideas of three great thinkers to provide an overview of the business opportunities and technical challenges of IoT.

Introduction Understanding the Internet of Things via Great Scientific Thinkers

3Specifically, it uses the theories of historys greatest theoretical physicists to explain the way enterprise IT has evolved in recent years. For each of these great thinkers, it explores what they said, why this is applicable to IT and how organizations can use this to benefit from IoT:

Isaac Newton Albert Einstein Niels Bohr

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Isaac Newton 5

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Albert Einstein

Niels Bohr

The absolute rules of Newtons physical world are reflected in on-premise IT architectures

The relativism of Einsteins universe is seen in IT systems that span the Web

The density and complexity of quantum mechanics is a lot like the Internet of Things

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Isaac Newton(1642-1727)The absolute rules of Newtons physical world are reflected in on-premise IT architectures

9.8 m/s2

9.8 m/s2What?Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

An absolute, predictable theory of the physical world, which works well at a day-to-day scale

Newtons theories provide a view of the physical world that most people feel comfortable with, since it is based on the idea of a reality that is orderly and predictable.

Newtonian physics is still taught in high schools since it is fairly easy to understand and generally works within highly-controlled scenarios and at an everyday-life scale.

Newton had a mechanistic, deterministic worldview. He believed that, if we know all the participants and forces in a situation, we can always predict what is going to happen.

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9.8 m/s2Why?Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

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This Newtonian IT model holds up in SOA environments or partner integrations too, as long as interactions take place behind a trusted boundary and at small distances.

In terms of enterprise IT, these controlled scenarios are similar to on-premise networks where multiple units are integrated within organizational boundaries.

In environments like this, interactions are usually limited to a single datacenter with fast, reliable connections between units and high levels of predictability.

Newtonian physics is reflected in SOA integrations that occur behind trusted boundaries

9.8 m/s2How?Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

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So, what do Newtons theories about physics teach us about IoT? To understand that, we have to be aware of the limitations of these theories.

Test Newtons ideas in more complex scenarios and they start to break down. Similarly, the traditional rules of IT stop applying once trusted boundaries are crossed.

The lesson here is that, to realize the full universe of possibilities, you have to step outside your comfort zone and prepare for a more complex reality.

For more complex scenarios, in physics and IT, we must go beyond the traditional approach

9.8 m/s2Learn MoreAPI Tech Talk: The Internet of ThingsLearn how to leverage the Internet of Things securely and efficiently

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Albert Einstein(1879-1955)The relativism of Einsteins universe is seen in IT systems that span the Web

e=mc2

e=mc2What?Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

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In Einsteins universe, old certainties disappear but new possibilities emerge e.g. it turns out to be theoretically possible for an object to travel forward in time!

Viewed at a large enough scale, time, space and everything else become relative. Einsteins theories demolish the comforting absolutes of Newtonian physics.

Einsteins innovations had to do with scale. Einstein turned Newtons world upside down by looking at how the physical universe works on a much larger scale.

A relativistic view of physics, which explains how the universe behaves at a large scale

e=mc2Why?Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

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On the Web, we cannot rely on instantaneous execution or the levels of reliability we have become accustomed to. Transaction management is often impossible.

The difference between Newtons absolute world and Einsteins relative universe is the difference between on-premise systems and the Web.

The Web significantly increases the scale of IT operations, so old certainties disappear and Einstein-style relativisms start to take effect.

Just as Einstein expanded physics, the Web has moved IT beyond the enterprise firewall

e=mc2How?Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

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Web APIs based on Roy Fieldings REST architectural style have replaced Web services and SOA as the fundamental building blocks of enterprise IT.

The Web services of the SOA era gave way to a newer breed of integration interface, designed to work at long distances the Web API.

Consequently, many organizations have found that their on-premise SOA architectures cannot be applied to integrations that needed to span the Web.

In Web and mobile scenarios, Web APIs have replaced SOA as the key standard for integration

e=mc2

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Learn MoreWebinar Recording: Your New Digital Business & APIsCreate a long-term competitive advantage by using APIs to facilitate digital transformationapi.co/APIvideo

The density and complexity of quantum mechanics is a lot like the Internet of Things

Niels Bohr(1885-1962)

What?Niels Bohr (1885-1962)

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Bohrs highly complex theory states that the universe is fundamentally chaotic and unpredictable a then-controversial view that has since been scientifically demonstrated.

Again, it was a matter of scale. Bohr believed Einsteins theories were insufficient to explain physics at very small atomic and molecular distances.

Just as Einstein turned Newtons world upside down, Niels Bohrs theory of quantum mechanics turned Einsteins universe inside out.

A revolutionary approach to physics, which examines chaos and complexity at the atomic level

Why?Niels Bohr (1885-1962)

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The Web is estimated to consist of several billion connected devices, most of which have relatively broad functionality.

The difference between the Web and IoT is similar to that between relativity and quantum mechanics, in terms of scale, complexity and most importantly density.

IoT will multiply this number, adding many billions more devices, which will often have a small range of highly-specialized functionality.

Bohrs quantum theories prepare us for the atomization and density of IoT-based integration

How?Niels Bohr (1885-1962)

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IoT integrations will need to take account of the context: billions of diverse, specialized devices communicating locally and globally, often with limited connectivity.

This will apply to business strategy and security but will have its most fundamental impact at an architectural level, particularly in regards to API-based integration.

Clearly, IoT represents a much denser, more atomized space than the conventional Web. Therefore, IoT will require an entirely new approach.

The quantum chaos of IoT will require a renewed focus on API security and management

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Learn MoreAPI Tech Talk: Designing APIs for the Internet of ThingsDesign APIs that are ready for the age of connected smart devicesapi.co/IoTdesign

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So what does all this mean in practice? The history of theoretical physics provides a useful analogy for changes in enterprise architecture but what does this really mean for businesses as we enter the IoT age? Why should business managers care about the architectural changes required by IoT? Well, the facts are the Internet of Things is coming, it represents a massive business opportunity and capitalizing upon this opportunity will require a truly novel approach to the way enterprise IT systems are deployed and integrated.

Each leap in theoretical physics has represented an entirely new set of possibilities about what we can potentially do and achieve in the physical world. Likewise, the Internet of Things opens up a massive range of possibilities for what is possible in the online realm. And just as the remarkable possibilities opened up by quantum mechanics are now being applied in all manner of technologies (e.g. semiconductors, lasers, MRI scanners), the Internet of Things is presenting very real and genuinely practical business opportunities right now.

Businesses should not make the mistake of assuming this quantum leap (so to speak) represents an entirely new sector and that it will not impact their ability to compete. Remember, a leap in theoretical physics doesnt create a new universe it just expands our understanding of what is possible within the one we already live in. Likewise, IoT is going to be highly disruptive to existing industries. We are already seeing IoT-style connectivity becoming a major differentiator in the automotive sector, for example.

Lessons Learned What This Means for Your Business

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This is happening across industry sectors. Our utilities meters are already connected and it seems likely this connectivity will move further into our homes, with Google and Apple both making major smart home plays. So, for example, the kind of diagnostic functionality common in connected cars is likely to become ubiquitous in domestic appliances. And as wearable devices become more common, there will be little or no theoretical limit to the number of things people can connect and interact with.

Figuring out where a specific business fits into the Internet of Things might not be the biggest challenge facing program managers in coming years. The innovations of IoT are likely to start arriving thick and fast. Businesses will be forced to act quickly to remain competitive and being quick to market with IoT could mean the difference between success and failure. In this context, adapting to an Internet with fundamentally new architectural requirements is likely to represent a significant challenge on the road to executing innovative business strategies.

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The Internet of Things seems set to revolutionize industries across sectors. APIs will be at the center of all this allowing devices to connect and enabling developers to create applications that add value to this connectivity. The good news is that opportunities presented by the Web and mobile devices have led many enterprises to get a head start on implementing APIs. The bad news is that as we have seen the architectural requirements for IoT APIs will be significantly different from those associated with the Web and mobile networks.

Business managers should not view this architectural challenge as a mere technical detail. Failure to address this particular detail will not only impact competitiveness, it could be truly catastrophic. The quantum architecture of IoT introduces billions of new places where connectivity could fail, performance could bottleneck and security could be breached. Preventing these failures, bottlenecks and breaches could be literally a matter of life and death there are already people with smart pacemakers implanted in their bodies, for example.

Many of the organizations that have launched Web and mobile API programs have deployed API Management infrastructure to address the associated security and performance issues. This same API Management technology also helps these organizations to be quick to market with APIs and client applications built upon these APIs by providing functionality for interface composition and developer enablement. In the highly complex and competitive context of IoT, this technology will prove to be more critically important than ever.

Conclusion API Strategy & Management for IoT

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CA Technologies offers the markets top API security and management solutions. CAs API Gateway technology delivers the widest available range of leading-edge functionality for interface composition, military-grade security, IAM, performance optimization, lifecycle management, developer engagement and protocol adaptation. To learn more about how CA can help you secure and manage your IoT APIs, visit:

ca.com/api

About CA Technologies

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CA Technologies provides IT management solutions that help customers manage and secure complex environments to support agile business services. Organizations leverage CA software to accelerate innovation, transform infrastructure and secure data and identities. CA is committed to ensuring its customers achieve their desired outcomes and expected business value.

Copyright 2013 CA. All rights reserved. All trademarks, trade names, service marks and logos referenced herein belong to their respective companies. This document is for your informational purposes only.