Who is known as the father of the Internet of Things (IoT)?

Concept

An informal “father of” title is generally associated with the person who introduced or named the foundational idea. It should be distinguished from inventing a related technology or leading a later technology company.

Application

Kevin Ashton used the expression “Internet of Things” in 1999 while explaining how RFID-connected objects could supply data to computer systems. This naming and early framing led to the association of his name with the origin of the IoT concept.

Contrast

• Tim Berners-Lee proposed the World Wide Web and developed its foundational web standards.

• Kevin Ashton introduced the expression “Internet of Things” in the context of RFID and connected objects.

• Elon Musk is associated with technology businesses such as Tesla and SpaceX.

• Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft and is associated with the growth of personal computing.

Cross-check: The attribution follows the origin of the term and concept, not the invention of the Web or the leadership of later technology companies.

Therefore, the person known as the father of the Internet of Things is Kevin Ashton.