Kevin Ashton, the co-founder and then director of the Auto-ID Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was the first to use the phrase "Internet of Things" in a lecture in 1999. The primary goal of the Internet of Things is to unite our virtual world with the real world.

More and more companies are entering the market with new ideas and business models. The refrigerator is connected to the Internet, for example, to create a shopping list, which the consumer then orders with the help of a portable device in the online shop of his trust. Using a tablet or smartphone, you can configure the car's air conditioning or heating system from the comfort of your bedroom. As is currently already possible with the Swedish sports car "Koenigsegg Car".

The Internet of Things is also predicted to have an enormous impact on industry and trade. Machine states in industrial plants are already being recorded using sensor technology and checked, maintained or configured via tablets. And in the logistics sector, the use of the Internet of Things ensures more productive work. For example, in the production of vehicles, aircraft, trains and ships. Where, too, touchscreen applications are used to configure or specify a specific product.

According to a worldwide survey conducted by Vodafone on the subject of "M2M Barometer 2015" (M2M = Machine-to-Machine), 51 percent of the companies surveyed in Germany already use M2M technology. For 47 percent of the German companies surveyed, their business has changed significantly as a result of M2M. And Industry 4.0 and connected vehicles can be seen as driving forces in the German market.

Whether in trade or industry, the following areas such as device management, data integration or process optimization and work facilitation will become increasingly important everywhere in the future. In addition to the functional app or software, reliable touchscreens for the tablets and smartphones used are an important prerequisite for smooth use and success. In the public sector and industry, the demands on the touchscreens used are particularly high. They must be vandal-proof, impact-resistant and scratch-resistant. And even in the rain or the use of chemical liquids and cleaning agents, it is still easy to operate or multi-touch capable.

We have made the experience that when selecting a suitable touch panel supplier, it is worthwhile to rely on a partner with many years of experience in order to meet the different requirements.