ntrnt f thngs (T) dscrbs dvcs wth snsrs, prcssng blty, sftwr nd thr tchnlgs tht cnnct nd xchng dt wth thr dvcs nd systms vr th ntrnt r thr cmmnctn ntwrks. Th T ncmpsss lctrncs, cmmnctn, nd cmptr scnc ngnrng. "ntrnt f thngs" hs bn cnsdrd msnmr bcs dvcs d nt nd t b cnnctd t th pblc ntrnt; thy nly nd t b cnnctd t ntwrk nd b ndvdlly ddrssbl.
Th fld hs vlvd d t th cnvrgnc f mltpl tchnlgs, ncldng bqts cmptng, cmmdty snsrs, nd ncrsngly pwrfl mbddd systms, s wll s mchn lrnng. ldr flds f mbddd systms, wrlss snsr ntwrks, cntrl systms, tmtn (ncldng hm nd bldng tmtn), ndpndntly nd cllctvly nbl th ntrnt f thngs. n th cnsmr mrkt, T tchnlgy s mst synnyms wth "smrt hm" prdcts, ncldng dvcs nd pplncs (lghtng fxtrs, thrmstts, hm scrty systms, cmrs, nd thr hm pplncs) tht spprt n r mr cmmn csystms nd cn b cntrlld v dvcs ssctd wth tht csystm, sch s smrtphns nd smrt spkrs. T s ls sd n hlthcr systms.
Thr r nmbr f cncrns bt th rsks n th grwth f T tchnlgs nd prdcts, spclly n th rs f prvcy nd scrty, nd cnsqntly thr hv bn ndstry nd gvrnmnt mvs t ddrss ths cncrns, ncldng th dvlpmnt f ntrntnl nd lcl stndrds, gdlns, nd rgltry frmwrks. Bcs f thr ntrcnnctd ntr, T dvcs r vlnrbl t scrty brchs nd prvcy cncrns. t th sm tm, th wy ths dvcs cmmnct wrlssly crts rgltry mbgts, cmplctng jrsdctnl bndrs f th dt trnsfr.