COMEX 2013 invites individuals to be a part of the Internet of Things

COMEX 2013, the leading IT and Telecom Show in the Sultanate of Oman, taking place from 25th -29th March at the Oman International Exhibition Centre recognises the year 2013 as the one where individuals will begin to realise the potential of the Internet of Things.

The Internet of things has already taken root in some of the technologies that govern our lives. Sensor technology is used by companies like Nike+ and Fitbit to collect data about workouts which is then sent to a central server where users can monitor their performance. The Google car powered by Velodyne has driven itself from San Francisco to Las Vegas, giving us a peek into the future of driverless vehicles. A new LG dishwasher liaises with your energy supplier to ensure that it only switches itself on at a time of day when electricity is cheap.

However the device that seems to be bent on delivering the Internet of Things to consumers is the smartphone. Household appliances like TV and high tech security alarms can be accessed via smartphones. Various innovative apps give commuters real-time updates on the position and arrival time of their next ride. You also have smartphone controlled light bulbs, refrigerators, home theater remote controls, game consoles, weight scales and vacuum cleaners. The Parrot Flower Power sensor device when plugged into the soil tracks sunlight, moisture, temperature and fertilizer levels and helps monitor the health of plants in your vicinity by beaming information over Bluetooth to an app. The Samsung T9000 refrigerator which runs on Android, helps users with food recipes, regulates its temperature, take notes through Evernote, and much more. Smartphone technologies are also being integrated with vehicular technology. A newly developed Ford car can read your text messages to you when are driving.

Smartphone users are fast adapting these technologies because they are already familiar with the smart phone technology and manufacturers merely deliver mobile apps as control devices. The next step which manufacturers are working on is adding ambient awareness to these devices where these devices can monitor their surroundings and generate information from that. There is a considerable amount of development work that is still in progress to make the Internet of things a full-fledged reality.

Held under the patronage of e.oman and organised by OITE Trade Fairs, COMEX 2013 will showcase various related technologies, products and solutions related to the IT and Telecom industry under three separate sections namely COMEX Business, e.Government and COMEX Shopper.