The Internet of Things has a long history.
- The concept of networked devices was first introduced in 1970.
- John Romkey invented a toaster that could be switched on and off through the Internet in 1990.
- In 1995, Siemens released the first M2M cellular module.
- Kevin Ashton coined the term "Internet of Things" while working at P&G in 1999, and it has since gained widespread use.
- The word was first cited in the Guardian, the Boston Globe, and Scientific American in 2004.
- The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) of the United Nations (UN) produced the first study on this topic in 2005.
- The Internet of Things (IoT) was founded in 2008.
- Gartner, a market research firm, includes "Internet of Things" technologies in their study in 2011.