The Internet of Things: emerging profiles

Purpose - The Internet of Things or, as John Chambers called it, the Internet of Everything represents the networked connection of people, process, data and things together in order to make connections more relevant and valuable than ever before. In order to understand further this intelligent infrastructure, our contribution aims to investigate the Internet of Things by a revised conceptualization of the topic. The investigation has been carried out on a scientific contribution produced in the last twenty years for economic and corporate purpose, in order to comprehend and manage the new opportunities offered to economic activity from Internet of Things. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is based on a qualitative approach with the inclusion of a single method approach. In this way, following an analysis of existing literature on the Internet of Things we have applied four keywords (Internet of Thing, Communication Internet, Energy Internet and Logistics Internet) in two databases (Google Scholar and Ebsco) to provide a range of scientific contributions to fill out the literature review. Research is developed according to the study of national and international literature. Originality/value - The Internet of Things will connect everything to everyone in a connected network made up of a Communications Internet, Logistics Internet and Energy Internet in a single integrated system. It has been estimated that in 2020 over 200 billion sensor devices will be connected, creating a market size that in 2025 will be between $2,7 trillion and $3 trillion per year. These devices promise efficiency, social and individual benefits through quantification and monitoring of previously immeasurable qualities. Therefore, the analysis of the literature on Internet of Things, in the time frame between 1995-2015, represents the method to fully appreciate the characteristics, opportunities, possible applications, risks and possible issues linked to the topic. Practical implications - The electronic sensors are now ubiquitous everywhere. The connected sensor-based devices create new types and quantities of high quality information, opening up new opportunities to create services that will provide the society, the environment, the economy and individuals with tangible benefits. Our conceptualization aim to contribute to the identification of the main features, application scenarios and correspondent potential applications of Internet of Things, offering new ideas for further analysis.