The Internet of Things is Here and Now. Looking outside of Cisco you can see this in the many and accelerating IoT companies that have been purchased this year -Google's acquisition of Nest Labs, Facebook's acquisition of What's App, and many more.   Internet of things has been around as a term since about 1999, however, its recent popularity is due to a few emerging trends.  In the consumer space there's been wide adoption of connected products such as smart thermostats and intelligent pedometers.  In larger organizations, we've seen the rise of BYOD and M2M -both predecessors to IoT. 

To further accelerate the transition towards IoT and build the ecosystem, we are once again bringing together the best and brightest who are working on, and using these technologies.  That is why, in October 2014, Cisco is hosting the Internet of Things World Forum in Chicago.

Internet of Things World Forum -Why?

In October, Cisco, along with 29 sponsors like Intel, Rockwell Automation, Schneider Electric, VMware, AGT International, Freescale, IBM, Zebra Technologies, and many other sponsors will hold the Second Internet of Things World Forum.  The goal of this invitation-only event is to create an open forum where ideas and issues around IoT can be shared, dissected, debated, structured, quantified and progressed.    The IoT World Forum will be a vendor-neutral space to discuss what needs to happen to help enterprises (governments and NGOs too) take advantage of the tremendous opportunities IoT presents.

Internet of Things World Forum -What Makes This Event Different?

After surveying the landscape of Internet of Things meetups, symposiums, and conferences, there still remained a need for an event focused on addressing the specific needs of various industries. Hosted by Cisco, the IoTWF is the premier leadership forum in this rapidly emerging industry, bringing together the best and brightest thinkers, practitioners, and innovators to accelerate the Internet of Things.

Participants will walk away with an enhanced understanding of what they can do to advance the Internet of Things, new relationships with other, similarly-minded leaders, and strategies for maximizing its benefits-both for their organizations and the industry as a whole.

Internet of Things World Forum  -Who will be there?

Along with the above-mentioned sponsors, we've gathered a large steering committee of thinkers, doers, and innovators to guide and focus the event.

The IoT World Forum will have CxOs, VPs and Directors from companies all over the world and across a wide range of industries.  As part of our effort to address the needs of enterprises and governments, we've invited those in organizations who have the power and desire to affect change.  Beyond that, we have noted thinkers, activists, and other creative people who will be instrumental in helping the Internet of Things reach its potential.

A complete program overview can be viewed here.

Internet of Things World Forum -How do I sign-up?

To keep this event intimate, we are keeping the numbers of attendees small and have sent out initial invitations.  If you have received the invitation (Subject Line: Internet of Things World Forum Registration Confirmation), you'll need to register with the unique username and password you'll find in the invitation email.  If you haven't received one, you can Request an Invite or refer a colleague for review.   The key ingredient of this event is the quality of attendees, so, I hope to see you in Chicago!