The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), an organization that advocates for technology companies, launched a new initiative to convene its member companies and similar partners to develop a national Internet of Things (IoT) strategy, the organization said Tuesday.
The IoT refers to the increasing network of devices connecting to the internet beyond traditional computers including cars, house thermostats, refrigerators, televisions, home security systems, and more.
The initiative will be co-chaired by representatives from Intel [INTC] and Samsung [KRX] and was decided after leaders in the companies called for a dialogue where the industry would work together to advance strategic recommendations to policymakers “to fully realize the potential benefits of IoT applications and advances for consumers, industries, society and the economy,” ITI said in a statement.
The initiative will convene ITI member companies and stakeholders over the following several months to develop recommendations on an initial set of issues including privacy and security; internet infrastructure investment; enabling interoperability for global adoption and integration; promoting voluntary, industry-led global consensus-based standards and best practices; leveraging public-private partnerships; and enabling innovation to flourish.
“The Internet of Things promises to usher in a transformational revolution of nearly limitless economic, societal, and commercial opportunities. Our goal is to present strategic recommendations to the next Congress and administration that are a proactive, enabling vision for Internet of Things technologies to develop and thrive,” ITI president and CEO Dean Garfield, said in a statement.
“With a clear strategy, we can harness the internet’s next evolution to tackle our biggest challenges—from curing diseases, to addressing our changing climate, to creating smart cities and transportation systems, and improving the quality of our lives,” he added.
Garfield said an estimated 30 billion devices will be connected to the IoT by 2020, which highlights the need for a national strategy.