Dieter Uckelmann - Böcker

Many of the initial developments towards the Internet of Things have focused on the combination of Auto-ID and networked infrastructures in business-to-business logistics and product lifecycle applications. However, the Internet of Things is more than a business tool for managing business processes more efficiently and more effectively – it will also enable a more convenient way of life.Since the term Internet of Things first came to attention when the Auto-ID Center launched their initial vision for the EPC network for automatically identifying and tracing the flow of goods within supply-chains, increasing numbers of researchers and practitioners have further developed this vision. The authors in this book provide a research perspective on current and future developments in the Internet of Things. The different chapters cover a broad range of topics from system design aspects and core architectural approaches to end-user participation, business perspectives and applications.

The “EPCglobal Architecture Framework” is currently the most accepted technical approach to the Internet of Things and provides a solid foundation for building Business-to-Business information networks based on unique identifications of ‘things’. Lately, the vision of the Internet of Things has been extended to a more holistic approach that integrates sensors as well as actuators and includes non-business stakeholders. A detailed look at the current state of the art in research concerning cost and benefit estimations is provided and the limits of Cost Benefit Sharing for RFID-based IT-infrastructures are explained. In this work a market driven evaluation based on sales potential of information is developed. Simple technical means for aggregation of micro values to a billable amount are discussed. The requirements for electronic billing infrastructure are defined and a matching e-billing solutions for an evaluation scenario is presented, providing a technical infrastructure to evaluate and bill product-related information in a future Internet of Things, based on an extended EPCglobal Architecture. Further opportunities and threats are discussed to provide an overview of its future potential. As a result it will contribute to the sustainable success of the Internet of Things itself.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the International Conference on the Impact of Virtual, Remote and Real Logistic Labs, ImViReLL 2012, held in Bremen, Germany, in Februar/March 2012.The 16 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on fundamentals and historic background of lab-based research in logistics; infrastructure and design of virtual, remote and real labs; educational implications of virtual, remote and real labs; test-beds and demonstrators; lab-based process improvements in logistics; lab-supported product developments.

The authors of this book provide a research perspective on current and future developments in the Internet of Things. The chapters cover a range of topics from system design aspects and core architectural approaches to end-user participation and applications.