Internet of Things

IFIP AICT 548
Leon Strous
Vinton G. Cerf
(Eds.)
Internet of Things
Information Processing
in an Increasingly Connected World
First IFIP International Cross-Domain Conference, IFIPIoT 2018

Held at the 24th IFIP World Computer Congress, WCC 2018
Poznan, Poland, September 18–19, 2018
Revised Selected Papers
WCC
2018
POZNA
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IFIP Advances in Information
and Communication Technology 548
Editor-in-Chief
Kai Rannenberg, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany
Editorial Board
TC 1 – Foundations of Computer Science
Jacques Sakarovitch, Télécom ParisTech, France
TC 2 – Software: Theory and Practice
Michael Goedicke, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
TC 3 – Education
Arthur Tatnall, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
TC 5 – Information Technology Applications
Erich J. Neuhold, University of Vienna, Austria
TC 6 – Communication Systems
Aiko Pras, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
TC 7 – System Modeling and Optimization
Fredi Tröltzsch, TU Berlin, Germany
TC 8 – Information Systems
Jan Pries-Heje, Roskilde University, Denmark
TC 9 – ICT and Society
David Kreps, University of Salford, Greater Manchester, UK
TC 10 – Computer Systems Technology
Ricardo Reis, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
TC 11 – Security and Privacy Protection in Information Processing Systems
Steven Furnell, Plymouth University, UK
TC 12 – Artificial Intelligence
Ulrich Furbach, University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany
TC 13 – Human-Computer Interaction
Marco Winckler, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, France
TC 14 – Entertainment Computing
Rainer Malaka, University of Bremen, Germany
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IFIP – The International Federation for Information Processing
IFIP was founded in 1960 under the auspices of UNESCO, following the first World
Computer Congress held in Paris the previous year. A federation for societies working
in information processing, IFIP’s aim is two-fold: to support information processing in
the countries of its members and to encourage technology transfer to developing na-
tions. As its mission statement clearly states:
IFIP is the global non-profit federation of societies of ICT professionals that aims
at achieving a worldwide professional and socially responsible development and
application of information and communication technologies.
IFIP is a non-profit-making organization, run almost solely by 2500 volunteers. It

operates through a number of technical committees and working groups, which organize
events and publications. IFIP’s events range from large international open conferences
to working conferences and local seminars.
The flagship event is the IFIP World Computer Congress, at which both invited and
contributed papers are presented. Contributed papers are rigorously refereed and the
rejection rate is high.
As with the Congress, participation in the open conferences is open to all and papers
may be invited or submitted. Again, submitted papers are stringently refereed.
The working conferences are structured differently. They are usually run by a work-
ing group and attendance is generally smaller and occasionally by invitation only. Their
purpose is to create an atmosphere conducive to innovation and development. Referee-
ing is also rigorous and papers are subjected to extensive group discussion.
Publications arising from IFIP events vary. The papers presented at the IFIP World
Computer Congress and at open conferences are published as conference proceedings,
while the results of the working conferences are often published as collections of se-
lected and edited papers.
IFIP distinguishes three types of institutional membership: Country Representative
Members, Members at Large, and Associate Members. The type of organization that
can apply for membership is a wide variety and includes national or international so-
cieties of individual computer scientists/ICT professionals, associations or federations
of such societies, government institutions/government related organizations, national or
international research institutes or consortia, universities, academies of sciences, com-
panies, national or international associations or federations of companies.
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/6102
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Leon Strous Vinton G. Cerf (Eds.)
•
Internet of Things
Information Processing
First IFIP International Cross-Domain Conference, IFIPIoT 2018
Held at the 24th IFIP World Computer Congress, WCC 2018
Poznan, Poland, September 18–19, 2018
Revised Selected Papers
www.dbooks.org
Editors
Leon Strous Vinton G. Cerf
De Nederlandsche Bank Google
Amsterdam, The Netherlands Reston, VA, USA
ISSN 1868-4238 ISSN 1868-422X (electronic)

IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology
ISBN 978-3-030-15650-3 ISBN 978-3-030-15651-0 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15651-0
Library of Congress Control Number: 2019934341
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2019. This book is an open access publication.
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Preface
Like every new technology, the Internet of Things (IoT) offers opportunities for
progress and application for beneficial purposes while at the same time it introduces or
increases risks and threats. There are many aspects to be considered when talking about
IoT. Consequently the IFIP Domain Committee on IoT organized a working
conference with a broad scope. In principle, papers on all aspects related to IoT were
solicited. This book contains the revised versions of the papers presented at the first
IFIP Internet of Things (IoT) conference that took place in Poznan, Poland, during
September 18–19, 2018 as part of the IFIP World Computer Congress (WCC) 2018.
The IoT Program Committee consisted of 55 members who considered 24 sub-
missions for the first edition of this conference. Each paper was on average refereed by
three reviewers, using the single-blind review principle. In total, 13 papers were
selected for presentation resulting in an acceptance rate of 54%. One accepted paper is
not included in this book because it was not presented at the conference. The papers
were selected on the basis of originality, quality and relevance to the topic.
The papers range from a technology perspective to a business perspective. Topics
include hardware, software and management aspects, process innovation, privacy,
power consumption, architecture, applications and a few more. In addition to the
refereed papers we also have a paper from the invited speaker Kees van der Klauw who
challenged the audience by stating that the IoT is hardly about technology. Finally the
draft position paper by IFIP on the IoT is included. The paper investigates what choices
can or must be made regarding the various aspects of the IoT. This draft was discussed
in a panel session and the outcome of the discussion will be included in the final
version.
Looking at this wide range of topics makes us realize that we are just at the infancy
of the IoT and that a lot of further research and work are needed. We thank the authors,
the Program Committee and the participants for their hard work and contributions and
look forward to a continued involvement.
The IFIP World Computer Congress (WCC) 2018 had a number of plenary and
special sessions scheduled. We are very pleased to present in this book a few
contributions out of those sessions. WCC 2018 had four plenary keynote speakers: Wil
van der Aalst, Leslie Valiant, Jan Camenish and Shamika Sirimanne. While all four
keynote presentations were recorded on video (see www.wcc2018.org and www.ifip.
org) Wil van der Aalst also contributed a paper, addressing the question of responsible
data science in a dynamic world. A special day at WCC 2018 was the Enigma day with
a live demonstration of a message encryption and decryption. A paper in this book
describes the history of how three Poznan University students broke the German
Enigma Code and shortened World War Two. The third contribution in this book is a
summary of workshops on professionalism and frameworks, a “must be” core topic for
professional computer societies and associations. And finally, in an open debate, an
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vi Preface
emerging question was discussed: Should Artificial Intelligence be more regulated?

While this session is also recorded on video, a summary is presented in this book.
We feel that all contributions make the book a rich volume in the IFIP AICT series
and we trust that the reader will be inspired by it.
February 2019 Leon Strous

Vinton G. Cerf
www.dbooks.org
IFIP WCC 2018
Information Processing in an Increasingly Connected World:

Opportunities and Threats
IFIP WCC 2018 Steering Committee

General Congress Co-chairs
Roman Słowiński Poznan University of Technology, Poland
Leon Strous De Nederlandsche Bank, The Netherlands
General Program Co-chairs

Mike Hinchey Lero-The Irish Software Research Centre, Ireland
Jerzy Nawrocki Poznan University of Technology, Poland
Publication Chair
Basie von Solms University of Oxford, UK/University of Johannesburg,
South Africa
General Organizing Chairs

Robert Wrembel (Chair) Poznan University of Technology, Poland
Andrzej Jaszkiewicz Poznan University of Technology, Poland
(Co-chair)
Members
Joanna Józefowska Poznan University of Technology, Poland
A Min Tjoa Vienna University of Technology, Austria
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IFIPIoT 2018
Internet of Things: Information Processing

IFIPIoT Program Committee

Co-chairs
Leon Strous* De Nederlandsche Bank, The Netherlands
Vinton Cerf Google, USA
Members (* are also member of the IFIP Domain Committee IoT)

Jose Abdelnour-Nocera University of West London, UK
Hamideh Afsarmanesh University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Carmelo Ardito* Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Italy
Ioannis Askoxylakis FORTH-ICS, Greece
Soumya Banerjee Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, India
Ezio Bartocci Vienna University of Technology, Austria
Juergen Becker Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
Samia Bouzefrane CEDRIC, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métier,
France
Luis Camarinho-Matos* Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Portugal
Augusto Casaca* INESC, Portugal
Tibor Cinkler* Budapest University of Technology and Economics,
Hungary
Luc Claessen University of Hasselt, Belgium
Lucio Davide Spano University of Cagliari, Italy
Jose Neuman De Souza* Federal University of Ceara, Brazil
Ibrahim Elfadel Masdar Institute at Khalifa University of Science
and Technology, UAE
Gordon Fletcher* University of Salford, UK
Miria Grisot University of Oslo, Norway
Gerhard Hancke City University of Hong Kong, SAR China
Michael Huebner Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus, Germany
Katrin Jonsson Umeå University, Sweden
Joaquim Jorge INESC, Portugal
Srinivas Katkoori University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
Bouabdellah Kechar University of Oran 1 Ahmed Ben Bella, Algeria
Arianit Kurti RISE Interactive, Research Institutes of Sweden, Sweden
Maryline Laurent Telecom SudParis, France
Antonio Mana University of Malaga, Spain
Tiziana Margaria University of Limerick, Ireland
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x IFIPIoT 2018
Konstantinos Royal Holloway University of London, UK

Markantonakis
Peter Marwedel Technical University of Dortmund, Germany
Maristella Matera Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Christina Mörtberg* Linnaeus University, Sweden
Raja Naeem Akram ISG-SCC, Royal Holloway University of London, UK
Maciej Ogorzalek Jagiellonian University, Poland
Fabio Paterno* CNR-ISTI, Italy
Rasmus Pedersen Copenhagen Business School, Denmark
Simon Perrault Yale-NUS College, Singapore
Joachim Posegga University of Passau, Germany
Ricardo Rabelo Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
Franz Rammig University of Paderborn, Germany
Kai Rannenberg Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany
Delphine Reinhardt Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany
Ricardo Reis* Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Carmen Santoro CNR-ISTI, Italy
Damien Sauveron* University of Limoges, France
Weiming Shen National Research Center, Canada
Basie von Solms* University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Dimitrios Soudris National Technical University of Athens, Greece
Jean-Yves Tigli University of Côte d’Azur – UCA, France
Chi Tsui Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Kowloon, SAR China
Fatih Ugurdag Ozyegin University Istanbul, Turkey
Eugenio Villar University of Cantabria, Spain
Janet Wesson Nelson Mandela University, South Africa
Marco Winckler* Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, France
Additional Reviewers
Boutheyna Belgacem University of Passau, Germany
Saifeddine Ben Haj Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
Khalifa
Akos Grosz Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany
Javier Hoffmann Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
Osvaldo Navarro Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
Johannes Pfau Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
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Contents
WCC 2018 Plenary Contributions: Keynote, Special Sessions
Responsible Data Science in a Dynamic World: The Four Essential

Elements of Data Science. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Wil M. P. van der Aalst
How Three Poznan University Students Broke the German Enigma Code
and Shortened World War Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Roger G. Johnson
Professionalism and Frameworks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Moira de Roche
Should Artificial Intelligence Be More Regulated? Panel Discussion . . . . . . . 28

Leon Strous
IFIPIoT 2018 Invited Papers: Keynote, Panel Discussion
The Internet of Things is Hardly About Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Kees van der Klauw
IoT: Do We Have a Choice? Draft IFIP Position Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Leon Strous and IFIP Domain Committee on IoT
IFIPIoT 2018 Refereed Papers
The Outcomes of the Implementation of Internet of Things:

A Public Value Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Ott Velsberg
Strategies for Reducing Power Consumption and Increasing

Reliability in IoT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Ricardo Reis
An Internet of Things (IoT) Model for Optimising Downtime Management:

A Smart Lighting Case Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Brenda Scholtz, Mando Kapeso, and Jean-Paul Van Belle
IoT Enabled Process Innovation: Exploring Sensor-Based Digital Service

Design Through an Information Requirements Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Niclas Carlén, August Forsman, Jesper Svensson, and Johan Sandberg
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xii Contents
An Internet of Things Based Platform for Real-Time Management

of Energy Consumption in Water Resource Recovery Facilities . . . . . . . . . . 121
Mário Nunes, Rita Alves, Augusto Casaca, Pedro Póvoa,
and José Botelho
A New Reconfigurable Architecture with Applications to IoT

and Mobile Computing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Amir Masoud Gharehbaghi, Tomohiro Maruoka, and Masahiro Fujita
Unexpected Inferences from Sensor Data: A Hidden Privacy Threat

in the Internet of Things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Jacob Kröger
Issues in Implementing a Data Integration Platform for Electric Vehicles

Using the Internet of Things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Martin Smuts, Brenda Scholtz, and Janet Wesson
Working with IoT – A Case Study Detailing Workplace Digitalization

Through IoT System Adoption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Viktor Mähler and Ulrika Holmström Westergren
Opportunities for the Internet of Things in the Water, Sanitation

and Hygiene Domain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Paula Kotzé and Louis Coetzee
Internet of Things: The Present Status, Future Impacts and Challenges

in Nigerian Agriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Funmilayo O. Bamigboye and Emmanuel O. Ademola
IoTutor: How Cognitive Computing Can Be Applied to Internet

of Things Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Suejb Memeti, Sabri Pllana, Mexhid Ferati, Arianit Kurti, and Ilir Jusufi
Author Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
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WCC 2018 Plenary Contributions:
Keynote, Special Sessions
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Responsible Data Science
in a Dynamic World
The Four Essential Elements of Data Science
Wil M. P. van der Aalst(B)
Lehrstuhl für Informatik 9, Process and Data Science, RWTH Aachen University,
52056 Aachen, Germany
[email protected]
http://vdaalst.com
Abstract. Data science is changing our world in many different ways.

Data and the associated data science innovations are changing every-
thing: the way we work, the way we move, the way we interact, the way
we care, the way we learn, and the way we socialize. As a result, many
professions will cease to exist. For example, today’s call centers will dis-
appear just like video rental shops disappeared. At the same time, new
jobs, products, services, and opportunities emerge. Hence, it is impor-
tant to understand the essence of data science. This extended abstract
discusses the four essential elements of data science: “water” (availabil-
ity, magnitude, and different forms of data), “fire” (irresponsible uses of
data and threats related to fairness, accuracy, confidentiality, and trans-
parency), “wind” (the way data science can be used to improve pro-
cesses), and “earth” (the need for data science research and education).
Next to providing an original view on data science, the abstract also
highlights important next steps to ensure that data will not just change,
but also improve our world.
Keywords: Data science · Responsible data science · Process mining ·

Big data
1 Data Science
This extended abstract is based on a keynote given at the IFIP World Com-
puter Congress (WCC 2018) on 18 September 2018, in Poznan, Poland. The
main theme of WCC 2018 was “Information Processing in an Increasingly Con-
nected World: Opportunities and Threats”. Data science is the main driver for
the changes that create these opportunities and threats. Recent reports [6,7]
indicate that many jobs will cease to exist because of advances in machine learn-
ing, artificial intelligence, robotics, and other forms of smart automation. These
advances are only possible because of both the availability of data and progress
in data science.
It is not easy to define data science. The data science pipeline shown in Fig. 1
illustrates the breadth of the discipline. The “infrastructure” part of the pipeline
c The Author(s) 2019
L. Strous and V. G. Cerf (Eds.): IFIPIoT 2018, IFIP AICT 548, pp. 3–10, 2019.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15651-0_1
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4 W. M. P. van der Aalst
scienfic
mechanical medicine workflows
engineering
social sciences
energy
high-tech
logiscs systems
infrastructure analysis effect

“volume and velocity” “extracting knowledge” “people, organizations, society”
o big data infrastructures o statistics o ethics & privacy

o distributed systems o data/process mining o IT law
o data engineering o machine learning o operations management
o programming o artificial intelligence o business models
o security o visualization o entrepreneurship
o ... o ... o ...
Fig. 1. The data science pipeline showing that different capabilities are needed to turn
data into value.
is concerned with the huge volume and incredible velocity of data. Hence, the
primary focus is on making things scalable and instant. The “analysis” part of
the pipeline is concerned with extracting knowledge. This is about providing
answers to known and unknown unknowns.1 The “effect” part of the pipeline is
concerned the impact of data science on people, organizations, and society. Here
legal, ethical, and financial aspects come into play.
The uptake of the Internet of Things (IoT) illustrates the pivotal role of data
science. More and more devices (light bulbs, clothes, refrigerators, containers,
bicycles, etc.) are connected to the internet and produce data. These devices are
becoming “smart” by learning from the data collected. The Internet of Things
(IoT) depends on the whole data science pipeline shown in Fig. 1. We are (or will
be) surrounded by smart devices collecting data and the impact of this cannot
be overestimated.
In the remainder, we define the four essential elements of data science.
As metaphor we use the classical four elements: “water”, “fire”, “wind”, and
“earth”. According to the Empedocles, a Greek pre-Socratic philosopher who
lived in Sicily in the fifth century B.C., all matter is comprised of these four
elements. Other ancient cultures had similar lists, sometimes also composed of
more elements (e.g., earth, water, air, fire, and aether) that tried to explain
nature and complexity of all matter in terms of simpler substances. Today, we
know that this is not the case. However, for data science, we are still in the phase
where we are looking for the essential elements. This paper uses “water” as a
placeholder for the availability of different forms of data, “fire” as a placeholder
for irresponsible uses of data (e.g., threats to fairness, accuracy, confidentiality,
1
“There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there
are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know.
But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don’t know we don’t know.”
(Donald Rumsfeld, February 12, 2002).
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Responsible Data Science in a Dynamic World 5
and transparency), “wind” as a placeholder for the way that data science can
be used to improve processes, and “earth” as a placeholder for education and
research (i.e., the base of data science) underpinning all of this. These four essen-
tial elements are discussed in the remaining sections.
2 The “Water” of Data Science
The first essential element of data science (“water”) is the data itself. The
exponential growth of data is evident. Figure 2 (inspired by the analysis in [9])
shows the rapid developments in terms of costs (things are getting exponen-
tially cheaper), speed (things are going exponentially faster), and miniaturiza-
tion (things are getting exponentially smaller). This is not limited to processing
(i.e., CPU and GPU processors), but also applies to storage and communication.
Consider for example the costs of storage. To store one megabyte (MB) of data
in the sixties one would need to pay one million euros. Today, one can buy a
10TB harddisk for less than 300 euro, i.e., 0.00003 cents per MB. Another exam-
ple is the bandwidth efficiency, also called spectral efficiency, which refers to the
information rate that can be transmitted over a given bandwidth. It is the net
bitrate (useful information rate excluding error-correcting codes) or maximum
throughput divided by the bandwidth in hertz of a communication channel or a
data link. The spectacular progress of our data handling capabilities illustrated
by Fig. 2, explains why data science has become on of the key concerns in any
organization. In the sixties, we only had a few “drops of data” whereas today
we are facing a “tsunami of data” flooding our society.
Clearly, data science has its roots in statistics, a discipline that developed
over four centuries [1]. John Graunt (1620–1674) started to study London’s death
records around 1660. Based on this he was able to predict the life expectancy
of a person at a particular age. Francis Galton (1822–1911) introduced statis-
tical concepts like regression and correlation at the end of the 19th century.
Although data science can be seen as a continuation of statistics, the major-
ity of statisticians did not contribute much to recent progress in data science.
Most statisticians focused on theoretical results rather than real-world analysis
problems. The computational aspects, which are critical for larger data sets, are
typically ignored by statisticians. The focus is on generative modeling rather
than prediction and dealing with practical challenges related to data quality
and size. When the data mining community realized major breakthroughs in the
discovery of patterns and relationships (e.g., efficiently learning decision trees
and association rules), most statisticians referred to these discovery practices as
“data fishing”, “data snooping”, and “data dredging” to express their dismay
[1,4,10].
Put differently; most statisticians were focused on techniques to make reliable
statements given a few “drops of data”. Such viewpoints turned out to be less
effective when dealing with “tsunamis of data”.
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cheaper faster more compact

price per GB (€) latency (ms) GB/cm2
storage
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
cost of a processing cycle (€) processor speed (MHz) transistors per chip
processing
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
price per Mbps (€) download/upload speed (Mbps) bandwidth efficiency ((bit/s)/Hz)
communicaon
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Fig. 2. Moore’s law predicts an exponential growth of the number of transistors per
chip. This can be generalized to storage and transition and also applies to costs and
speed.
3 The “Fire” of Data Science

The second essential element of data science (“fire”) refers to the dangers of
using data in an irresponsible way. Data abundance combined with powerful
data science techniques has the potential to dramatically improve our lives by
enabling new services and products, while improving their efficiency and quality.
Many of today’s scientific discoveries (e.g., in health) are already fueled by devel-
opments in statistics, mining, machine learning, artificial intelligence, databases,
and visualization. At the same time, there are also great concerns about the use
of data. Increasingly, customers, patients, and other stakeholders are concerned
about irresponsible data use. Automated data decisions may be unfair or non-
transparent. Confidential data may be shared unintentionally or abused by third
parties.
From 2015 until 2017, the author led the Responsible Data Science (RDS)
initiative where the strongest Dutch data science groups joined forces to address
problems related to fairness, accuracy, confidentiality, and transparency (www.
responsibledatascience.org). The goal of RDS is to show that data science tech-
niques, infrastructures and approaches can be made responsible by design.
Responsible Data Science (RDS) revolves around four main challenges:
– Data science without prejudice - How to avoid unfair conclusions even if they
are true?
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– Data science without guesswork - How to answer questions with a guaranteed

level of accuracy?
– Data science that ensures confidentiality - How to answer questions without
revealing secrets?
– Data science that provides transparency - How to clarify answers such that
they become indisputable?
The term green data science was introduced for cutting-edge solutions that
enable individuals, organizations and society to benefit from widespread data
availability while ensuring Fairness, Accuracy, Confidentiality, and Transparency
(FACT) [2].
Naı̈vely one could think that “fire” can be controlled by “water”, however
this is not the case. When considering RDS, it is better to consider data as “oil”
rather than “water”. It needs to be controlled and stored carefully.
There is a need for new and positive data science techniques that are respon-
sible (i.e., “green”) by design. This cannot be solved by stricter laws. Using the
metaphor of “green energy”: We should not be against the use of energy (“data”),
but address the pollution caused by traditional engines. Fortunately, there are
plenty of ideas to make data science green. For example, discrimination-aware
data mining [8] can be used to ensure fairness and polymorphic encryption can
be used to ensure confidentiality.
4 The “Wind” of Data Science
The third essential element of data science (“wind”) is concerned with the way
data and processes interact. Storing and processing data is not a goal in itself.
Data are there to support processes. The campaign “The best run companies
run SAP” illustrates that the purpose of information systems is to ensure that
processes run well. Data science can help organizations to be more effective, to
provide a better service, to deliver faster, and to do all of this at lower costs.
This applies to logistics, production, transport, healthcare, banking, insurance,
and government. This also applies to individuals. Data science will increasingly
support our personal workflows and take over tasks, or at least support them.
Data (“water”) can be used to manage and support processes (“wind”) through
the use of data science technologies.
An emerging technology linking “water” and “wind” is process mining [1].
Process mining bridges the gap between traditional model-based process analysis
(e.g., simulation and other business process management techniques) and data-
centric analysis techniques such as machine learning and data mining. Process
mining seeks the confrontation between event data (i.e., observed behavior) and
process models (hand-made or discovered automatically) [1]. The process-mining
spectrum is broad and includes techniques for process discovery, conformance
checking, prediction, and bottleneck analysis. These techniques tend to be very
different from mainstream data mining and machine learning techniques which
are typically not process-centric.
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Consider for example the topic of Robotic Process Automation (RPA). RPA
is an umbrella term for tools that operate on the user interface of other com-
puter systems in the way a human would do. RPA aims to replace people by
automation done in an “outside-in” manner [3]. This differs from the classi-
cal “inside-out” approach to improve information systems. Unlike traditional
workflow technology, the information system remains unchanged. The robots are
replacing humans while leaving the back-end systems intact. RPA is a way to
support processes in a more cost-effective manner. However, this requires learn-
ing what humans do by observing them. Data science approaches like process
mining can be used to learn the behavior of people doing routine tasks. After
the desired behavior has been “played in”, it can be “played out” to handle new
cases in an intelligent manner.
RPA illustrates that data science will lead to new trade-offs between what
humans do and what robots do [6,7]. These trade-offs are interesting: How to
distribute work between given breakthroughs in data science? Obviously, the
question needs to take the “fire” dimension into account.
5 The “Earth” of Data Science
The fourth essential element of data science (“earth”) is concerned with the
foundations of a data-driven society: education and research. Education (in every
sense of the word) is one of the fundamental factors in the development of data
science. Data science education is needed at any level. People need to be aware
of the way algorithms make decisions that may influence their lives. Privacy
discussions reveal the ignorance of policy makers and end users. Moreover, to
remain competitive, countries should invest in data science capabilities. This can
only be realized through education. Data science research plays a similar role.
On the one hand, it is key for our education. On the other hand, research is
needed to address the many technological and societal challenges (e.g., ensuring
fairness, accuracy, confidentiality, and transparency).
Currently, eight of the world’s ten biggest companies, as measured by market
capitalization, are American: Apple, Alphabet (incl. Google), Microsoft, Ama-
zon, Berkshire Hathaway, Facebook, JPMorgan Chase, and Bank of America.2
The two remaining companies are Chinese: Alibaba and Tencent Holdings. This
shows the dominance of a few countries due to investments in IT. Most of the
companies are relatively new and emerged through the smart use of data. Ama-
zon and Alibaba are dominating the way we buy products. Google is controlling
the way we search. Facebook is controlling the way we socialize. Apple, Alpha-
bet, and Microsoft are controlling the platforms we use (iOS, Android, and
Windows). Consider for example Facebook. On the one hand, many people are
expressing concerns about the use of data. On the other hand, Facebook has
over 2 billion monthly active users that provide personal information in order to
use social media. One of the problems of data science is that due to economies
2
Based on market capitalization data by Bloomberg on 31 March 2018.
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of scale “the winner takes it all”. This may also apply to education, e.g., on
Coursera a few US universities are dominating data science education.
Fig. 3. The “water”, “fire”, “wind”, and “earth” of data science.
Data science literacy and major public investments are needed to address
these concerns. This cannot be left to “the market” or solved through half-
hearted legislation like the European General Data Protection Regulation
(GDPR) [5].
6 Epilogue
This extended abstract aimed to present some of the key messages of the keynote
presentation for the IFIP World Computer Congress (WCC 2018). It stresses
the importance of data science for people, organizations, and society. Just like
computer science emerged as a new discipline from mathematics in the early
eighties, we can now witness that the data science discipline is emerging from
computer science, statistics, and social sciences.
In this paper, we discussed the four essential elements of data science (see
Fig. 3): “water” (availability, magnitude, and different forms of data), “fire” (irre-
sponsible uses of data and threats related to fairness, accuracy, confidentiality,
and transparency), “wind” (the way data science can be used to improve pro-
cesses), and “earth” (the need for data science research and education). By pre-
senting data science in this manner, we hope to get more attention for process-
centric forms of data science (e.g., process mining), responsible data science,
data science education, and data science research. The dominance of a few com-
panies and countries when it comes to data science is undesirable and requires
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the attention of politicians and policymakers. The IFIP could and should play
an active role in this discussion.
References
1. van der Aalst, W.M.P.: Process Mining: Data Science in Action. Springer, Heidel-
berg (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-49851-4 1
2. van der Aalst, W.M.P.: Responsible data science: using event data in a “People
Friendly” manner. In: Hammoudi, S., Maciaszek, L.A., Missikoff, M.M., Camp, O.,
Cordeiro, J. (eds.) ICEIS 2016. LNBIP, vol. 291, pp. 3–28. Springer, Cham (2017).
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62386-3 1
3. van der Aalst, W.M.P., Bichler, M., Heinzl, A.: Robotic process automation. Bus.
Inf. Syst. Eng. 60(4), 269–272 (2018)
4. Breiman, L.: Statistical modeling: the two cultures. Stat. Sci. 16(3), 199–231 (2001)
5. European Commission: Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and
of the Council on the Protection of Individuals with Regard to the Processing of
Personal Data and on the Free Movement of Such Data (General Data Protection
Regulation). 9565/15, 2012/0011 (COD), June 2015
6. Frey, C.B., Osborne, M.A.: The future of employment: how susceptible are jobs to
computerisation? Technol. Forecast. Soc. Change 114, 254–280 (2017)
7. Hawksworth, J., Berriman, R., Goel, S.: Will robots really steal our jobs? An
international analysis of the potential long term impact of automation. Technical
report, PricewaterhouseCoopers (2018)
8. Pedreshi, D., Ruggieri, S., Turini, F.: Discrimination-aware data mining. In: Pro-
ceedings of the 14th ACM SIGKDD International Conference on Knowledge Dis-
covery and Data Mining, pp. 560–568. ACM (2008)
9. Brennenraedts, R., Vankan, A., te Velde R., Minne, B., Veldkamp, J., Kaashoek,
B.: The impact of ICT on the Dutch economy. Technical report, Dialogic (2014)
10. Tukey, J.W.: The future of data analysis. Ann. Math. Stat. 33(1), 1–67 (1962)
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons
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material is not included in the chapter’s Creative Commons license and your intended
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How Three Poznan University Students Broke
the German Enigma Code and Shortened
World War Two
Roger G. Johnson(&)
School of Computer Science, Birkbeck University of London,

Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK
[email protected]
Abstract. The story of the Allied breaking of the German Enigma codes in
World War 2 was first published in the 1970s. Even now many of the details,
especially concerning the critical work in the 1930s undertaken by gifted and
dedicated Polish codebreakers remains largely unknown. Their work is credited
with saving the Allies several years work and so shortening the war and saving
thousands of lives. The holding of the IFIP World Computer Congress in
Poznan, home of the Polish codebreakers, gave an opportunity for their work to
be highlighted to an international audience. Talks covering the work of the
Polish, British and French codebreakers were given and webcast worldwide. In
addition, a encoded Enigma message was sent at the start of the day from
Poznan to Bletchley Park in the UK where the volunteers of the Bombe team at
The National Museum of Computing successfully confirmed their breaking of
the message at the start of the afternoon session.
Keywords: Enigma Code breaking World War II Marian Rejevski

Jerzy Rozycki Henryk Zygalski Turing-Welchman Bombe
1 Background
In 1945 General Dwight D Eisenhower (Allied Supreme Commander Europe) wrote to

General Stewart Menzies (Head of Bletchley Park in the UK saying that the successful
reading of German messages had
“saved thousands of British and American lives and, in no small way, contributed to the speed
with which the enemy was routed and eventually forced to surrender”
The story of how the Allied forces broke the German Enigma code during World
War 2 has been told many times in recent years usually from a variety of perspectives
mostly linked to Bletchley Park in the UK. The critical contribution of the Polish
codebreakers remains little known outside Poland and only a limited number of books
and papers have been published about their work. The Polish codebreakers repeatedly
broke the Enigma code as its security features were steadily enhanced throughout the
1930s. The result was that as war was about to break out in 1939 the Poles were able to
give working replica Enigma machines to their French and British allies and to explain
how they had successfully broken the German Enigma messages up to that time.
© The Author(s) 2019
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15651-0_2
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12 R. G. Johnson
Without this dramatic gesture it is very unlikely that the British and French would
have been able to develop the codebreaking techniques which enabled the British to
read German Enigma traffic throughout most of World War 2 at Bletchley Park and
also the French until late 1942 at Bletchley Park’s French equivalent.
This paper summarises the story of the critical Polish contribution and how it was
built on by the French and British, most notably by the British mechanisation of the
most time-consuming part of finding the key each day by the building of machines
which were named Bombes. The Polish role is well documented in two books,
Kozaczuk (1984) first published in Polish in 1979 which focussed primarily on the
codebreaking and very recently in (Turing 2018) which recounts the codebreaking
exploits but also the lives of the codebreakers during and after this tempestuous period.
The holding of the IFIP World Congress in Poznan in Poland provided an ideal
opportunity for IFIP WG 9.7 on the History of Computing to celebrate the work of
three talented and heroic Polish mathematics students from the University of Poznan,
Marian Rejewski, Jerzy Rozycki and Henryk Zygalski, who trained in Poznan to
become codebreakers and whose work ultimately led to the significant shortening of
World War 2.
The author is a member of IFIP WG 9.7 and is also the Secretary of the Turing
Welchman Bombe Rebuild Trust (TWBRT) which owns the replica Bombe completed
in 2007 and is demonstrated every week at The National Museum of Computing
(TNMoC) housed in Block H of Bletchley Park in the UK. He arranged for the
TWBRT Bombe team to hold one of its occasional roadshow events in which an
Enigma message is sent from a remote location to the Bombe Team at TNMoC who
then attempt to break the code and send back confirmation of the message being
successfully read.
2 Enigma Machine
The origins of the Enigma coding machine were with a commercial coding machine
built by a German electrical engineer named Arthur Scherbius. He obtained several
patents for his machines starting in 1918. The device evolved into a portable device
about the size of a typewriter powered by batteries. Having initially failed to interest the
German armed forces in his machine he sold them as commercial coding machines for
use by financial institutions such as banks to protect commercially sensitive informa-
tion being sent by telegraph and other devices. Turing (2018) records that in 1926 both
the British and Polish authorities had obtained commercial examples to study while he
also notes that, in the same year, German Navy signals using an Enigma machine are
noted for the first time.
Following the largely static army operations of the First World War, military
strategists developed ideas for future mobile land warfare. However, a critical issue
would be to create effective communications for command and control of relatively
small frontline military units. In addition, naval commanders, especially with a growing
force of submarines, needed secure two-way communications to maintain contact with
their forces. What was required was a secure coding machine which, given its presence
close to the frontline in mobile warfare, could sooner or later be captured by the enemy
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How Three Poznan University Students Broke the German Enigma Code 13
without compromising the security of the communications network. This need for
portable, secure communications potentially across large distances, was the capability
the Enigma machine provided. Figure 1 shows a German army Enigma machine.
Fig. 1. Three wheel Enigma machine
The key features of the Enigma machine were a conventional German keyboard
and above it lamps which light each time a key is pressed with the enciphered character
corresponding to the key pressed. Above the lamps are the three rotor wheels. Each
time a key is depressed the righthand rotor advances one step and after one revolution
the adjacent rotor advances one step and similarly with the leftmost rotor. Each rotor
has the letters of the alphabet around the rim and every letter is wired to another letter
elsewhere on the rotor. Thus a letter “A” typed on the keyboard may emerge from the
first rotor as “K” and so on through the other two rotors. The electric current then
reaches the plugboard on the front of the machine where 20 of the 26 letters are again
wired up in pairs after which it returns through the wheels until it lights up a lamp on
the machine. The Army Enigma machine ultimately had five rotors and on any day
three would be used in a predefined arrangement of rotors. The result of all these
different combinations is to produce over 150 million alternatives. A very compre-
hensive account of the evolution of the Enigma coding machine is provided in (Perera
2010).
It was this extraordinary number of combinations which several times later in the
war led the Germans to conclude, in the face of circumstantial evidence to the contrary
such as dramatic increases in submarine losses after the Allied breaking of the naval
Enigma, that the Enigma machine had in fact not been broken but that there was an
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14 R. G. Johnson
alternative explanation, such as espionage or allied technological advances, for sig-

nificant German setbacks.
It is worth noting that other military powers, including Britain, also adopted coding
machines which made use of rotors. It was fundamentally a good approach to auto-
mated enciphering of messages in an electro-mechanical era.
3 Poland and Germany
The inter-war Polish state was a creation of the Versailles Peace treaty. It was situated
between Germany and Russia and the Polish authorities trusted neither. In the turmoil
following the Russian revolution, the Polish government regarded the German state of
the later 1920s as a bigger potential threat than the Soviet Union. Also Soviet codes
were still using First World war techniques and so liable to successful attack.
Initial attempts to break German Enigma messages using the commercially avail-
able Enigma machine failed. Obviously the machine had been modified. Any attack on
the machine would need trained cryptographers and so a special course was run at the
University of Poznan which was in a part of Poland which had formerly been part of
Germany and hence had many fluent German speakers. In 1929 20 students were
recruited to the course. Further attempts at breaking into Enigma still yielded nothing
until in 1932 the French recruited a spy, Hans-Thilo Schmidt, who worked as a civilian
in the German Army’s cryptography unit. To fund an extravagant life style he needed
money and proceeded to sell large numbers of photographs of secret files relating to the
work of the cryptographic unit to the French.
Unfortunately without a German military Enigma machine the French realised that
the photographs of the operating instructions were of no immediate value. The British
when offered the photographs came to the same conclusion. The French then
approached the Poles who expressed more interest but asked for more information.
Gradually through the first half of 1932 the French obtained more and more material
from Hans-Thilo Schmidt until finally, in August 1932, they obtained an encrypted
message together with the original text. With the other secret material already obtained,
it now appeared that it might be possible to reverse engineer the Enigma machine, in
particular the wiring of the rotors.
The first recruit to the Polish Cypher Bureau from the Poznan course was Marian
Rejewski. Initially he worked on Enigma in the evening after his colleagues in the
Cypher Bureau had gone home. Later on it became a full time but still secret project.
Month by month he gradually worked out the wiring inside the machine. While for
their part the French continued to supply more secret intelligence from Hans-Thilo
Schmidt. The final problem to be overcome, once the wiring of the Enigma machine
had been worked out was to determine a way to find which rotors were being used, in
what order they had been placed into the machine and the starting position for each of
the rotors. Marian Rejewski noticed that each message began with the starting position
sent twice.
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Fig. 2. Marian Rejevski, Jerzy Rozycki, Henryk Zygalski
Marian Rejevski was now joined by two more graduates of the Poznan course.
They were Jerzy Rozycki and Henryk Zygalski (Fig. 2). From the stolen operating
instructions they knew that the Germans sent the starting position twice at the start of
each message and they realised that during the encipherment almost certainly only the
righthand wheel turned while the others remained stationery. Studying the patterns
enabled them to devise simple lookup methods to find the arrangement of the rotors and
also some of the plugboard settings. Further they realised that what they needed was a
working copy of an Enigma machine. Starting with an old commercial machine as a
model, the Poles constructed in utmost secrecy a small number of machines func-
tionally the same as the then current German Enigma machine complete with correctly
wired rotors and a plugboard.
The procedures used by the Germans continued to evolve. Gradually rotor orders
were changed more frequently until in October 1936 they were changed daily. Sloppy
operating practices were eliminated and more cables were used on the plugboard.
A major change took place as war clouds gathered in 1938 when the Germans intro-
duced two new rotors, making five in total, and changed their operating procedure to
use a different initial wheel position for each message. Each time the Poles responded
with new techniques to re-establish the setup of the machine so that messages could be
successfully read.
4 Sharing with Britain and France
By 1938 both the British and French cryptographers had looked at approaches to
breaking the Enigma messages but had made little progress with the latest German
versions of the machine. They had only succeeded in breaking into simpler versions of
Enigma used in the Spanish Civil War and also the less advanced Italian system.
The Munich crisis of 1938 caused both to examine their readiness for war which led
to a substantial exchange of information about Enigma. The French knew from the
intelligence they had supplied to the Poles that the Poles had probably made some
progress but the British appear to have been unaware of the possible significance of the
Polish work. However, the major changes by the German in late 1938 had stretched the
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16 R. G. Johnson
Polish resources close to breaking point. Their productivity in breaking into Enigma
had dwindled dramatically.
In December 1938 the French proposed holding a three way conference in Paris
between France, Britain and Poland at which the French hoped to find out what
progress each had made. The meeting, held in January 1939, went badly with each
party revealing only very limited amounts of information. However, it was clear to each
party that the others were serious in their commitment to break into Enigma and so
contacts were maintained through the spring and summer of 1939.
The next meeting was to be truly momentous but neither the British or French knew
in advance. At the end of June 1939 the Poles, knowing through Enigma and other
intelligence that Germany was preparing to invade Poland, invited the British and the
French to Warsaw for a meeting. Thus it was in late July 1939 Alastair Denniston,
Head of Bletchley Park and Dilly Knox, Britain’s leading cryptographer and their
principal expert on Enigma travelled across Nazi Germany by train to Poland. The
French were represented by Gustav Bertrand, Denniston’s opposite number and his
deputy, Henri Braquenie. The Poles sent their trio of Rejewski, Rozycki and Zygalski
together with their boss, Maksymilian Ciezki.
On the day following their arrival they were driven to the Poles’ secret intelligence
HQ at Pyry on the outskirts of Warsaw. To the amazement of the French and British the
Poles announced almost immediately that they had broken Enigma some years earlier.
The Poles showed them a variety of devices which they used to help determine each
day’s Enigma settings. Discussions continued next day as the Poles revealed more of
their methods for breaking the code. However, without doubt, the highpoint was the
offer by the Poles to donate to both the French and the British one of their precious
working replica Enigma machines. The two machines left Poland by diplomatic bag for
Paris and so, probably unnoticed by fellow travellers, Stewart Menzies, the Deputy
Head of the British Secret Intelligence Service greeted Gustav Bertrand, the Head of
the French Codebreakers as he arrived at Victoria Station in August 1939 with a large
wooden box containing the priceless Enigma machine donated to the British.
At this point Alan Turing enters the story. He had been working part time on the
Enigma problem at Cambridge since 1938 but had not made much progress. Following
the Pyry meeting, Knox had shared with Turing all the information that the Poles had
provided, including their mechanical devices for finding the key of the day. Very
rapidly Turing conceived of an electro-mechanical machine to search for feasible
solutions for the rotor starting positions based on a technique of guessing what the
often stylised clear text of the German Enigma message might be. This specification for
a machine was handed to BTM, the UK’s leading punched card equipment manufac-
turer who were closely tied to IBM based in the USA, to turn into a physical reality.
A clear and full account of what became known as the Turing Welchman Bombe
and how it was used is given in (Turing 2014).
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5 After the Polish Invasion
On September 1st 1939 Germany invaded Poland and by the end of the month Polish
resistance had collapsed. Poland was divided into three with large parts being assim-
ilated by Germany in the west and the Soviet Union in the east with a small central area
under the control of the Polish General Government. The Poles had planned for an
invasion and destroyed evidence of their Enigma codebreaking work. It was vital that
the codebreakers got away and so travelling by train and lorry they fled to Romania
where they went first to the British Embassy who did not appreciate their significance
and asked them to return the following day after the staff had contacted London.
However, if they had been caught by the Romanian secret police they would probably
be handed over to the Gestapo. Consequently, the Poles moved on immediately to the
French Embassy who recognised their links with the French Secret Service and assisted
them to reach France where they were met at the border by a representative sent by
Gustav Bertrand. Knox and Denniston were not amused to find that the French had
now got all the key Polish Enigma experts.
There followed a period of cooperation between Bletchley Park and the French
codebreakers now established in the Chateau de Vignolles near Paris. The two groups
were linked by a secure landline and from early 1940 there were daily races to find the
Enigma key of the day. However, this period was not to last long. Early in May 1940
the German Army attacked the French and British forces in the West and on June 25th
an armistice was signed between Germany and France. This divided France into two
main areas – Occupied France in the north and “Free France” in the south with its
government based in the small spa town of Vichy. From there, the Vichy government
ran both Vichy France and also the whole of the worldwide French colonial empire.
In the anticipation that there might be an underground resistance movement within
Vichy France, the armistice permitted the Vichy government to maintain a small
codebreaking capability to track them down although they were expressly forbidden
from intercepting German messages. Bertrand’s group, including the Poles, moved to
form this group now relocated to a small chateau outside Uzes near Nimes in southern
France. The group now continued to intercept message traffic including German
Enigma messages. Intelligence obtained, depending on its contents, could be passed to
the Vichy authorities or to other groups. Bertrand’s group built up a network of links
across north Africa and Portugal supplying intelligence directly and through interme-
diaries to the British as well as De Gaulle’s Free French and the Polish Government in
exile in London and received equipment, finance and other benefits in exchange.
Assorted codebreakers travelled between the chateau at Uzes and north Africa to
meet with other units working there. One of these trips ended in disaster when in
January 1942 Jerzy Rozycki was drowned, when the ship on which travelling back to
France from Algiers foundered in heavy seas with a substantial loss of life.
North Africa was in a very fluid state with many loose loyalties. In some places,
such as Tangier, which had an international zone, officials as well as agents from many
of the warring powers rubbed shoulders throughout the conflict. Fascinating insights
into this period are to be found in (Pidgeon 2008) which includes material on North
Africa.
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18 R. G. Johnson
In November 1942, German and Italian forces took over Vichy France. The Ger-
man authorities and their Vichy collaborators were closing in on the radio transmis-
sions from the chateau. It was decided that the Poles should leave. The British
concluded that the Poles were too numerous to be flown out. The other alternatives
were to attempt an evacuation by sea, or overland via Switzerland or Spain. However
the route into Switzerland was now effectively closed. Attempts to evacuate by sea
proved too dangerous. Consequently in early January 1943 groups of Polish code-
breakers began to travel across France towards the Pyrenees and the Spanish border.
Marian Rejewski and Henryk Zygalski managed with some difficulty to cross the
Spanish border together. In common with most undocumented entrants into Spain they
were jailed by the Spanish authorities. However, as the German and Italian armies
suffered reverses the attitude of the Spanish authorities softened. Finally, starting in
April 1943 the prison camps were gradually emptied. Marian Rejewski and Henryk
Zygalski were finally released and by stages travelled via Portugal and Gibraltar to the
UK. Having regained their freedom they were once again part of the Polish armed
forces. They were attached to a team based near Hemel Hempstead which worked on
Russian codes for the remainder of the war.
When peace returned to Europe in May 1945, Marian Rejewski and Henryk
Zygalski both faced a difficult choice, whether to return to Poland or to find a new
home. Marian Rejewski had a wife and two small children in Poland and so he decided
to return to his homeland. Returnees were often regarded with suspicion by the new
communist authorities in Poland. Although his career as an accountant was interfered
with by the authorities due to suspicions about his wartime work he survived to be
honoured by Poland prior to his death in 1980 for his services to the defeat of Germany
as the Polish political environment evolved. Henryk Zygalski in contrast had met a
British girl during his wartime work in the UK. He became a British citizen and settled
down to an academic career in the UK ultimately as a member of staff of the Math-
ematics Department of the University of Surrey. He remained in contact with Marian
Rejewski until his death in 1978.
6 Celebration at WCC 2018
At the IFIP World Congress in Poznan in Poland IFIP WG 9.7 on the History of
Computing held a stream on computing in eastern Europe. One of the most significant
events of World War 2 was the breaking of the German Enigma codes. As noted
earlier, the contribution of the British codebreakers has been widely described but the
work of the Poles has been largely unacknowledged.
The Congress provided an opportunity to put right this omission. The day cele-
brated the work of three talented and heroic Polish mathematics students from the
University of Poznan, Marian Rejewski, Jerzy Rozycki and Henryk Zygalski, who
trained in Poznan to become codebreakers and whose work ultimately led to the
significant shortening of World War 2. The event attracted significant media interest
including TV and radio in both Poland and the UK. The event was also webcast and is
currently available online (YouTube 2018).
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The one day Bombe stream comprised three lectures and a Bombe Roadshow
challenge under the title of “Enigma Live”, The opening talk was by Sir John Dermot
Turing who asked the question “Did Alan Turing see an Enigma machine at Bletchley
Park?”. The second two talks were by Prof Marek Grajek from Poland. He spoke on the
work of the Polish Codebreakers and secondly the proposed Poznan Enigma Centre
one of whose main aims will be to promote the interest of young people in cryptog-
raphy and computing.
Fig. 3. Turing Welchman Bombe used to break the Poznan message
The Bombe Roadshow was a challenge to decode an Enigma message using the
Turing Welchman Bombe in the UK. This is a fully authentic replica of the machine
originally designed by Alan Turing, enhanced by Gordon Welchman and built by BTM
(Fig. 3). It is regularly demonstrated at The National Museum of Computing housed in
Block H at Bletchley Park in the UK by the Bombe team of volunteers. The Bombe’s
function was to find feasible wheel positions which is a critical and time consuming
procedure in finding the key of the day. This process is fully explained in (Turing
2014).
The plan for the event was to send, as an email attachment, an encrypted message
with its clear equivalent (or “crib”) followed by another encrypted message whose
contents were unknown to the Bombe team. Due to a minor technical fault limiting the
Bombe’s operating speed it was necessary to send the crib message ahead of the event.
Otherwise the day ran to plan and a successful break was made in the early afternoon
when the decrypted message was sent to Poznan from the UK.
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20 R. G. Johnson
References
Kozaczuk, W.: Enigma. Arms and Armour Press (1984). ISBN 0 85368 640 8
Perera, T.: Inside Enigma. Radio Society of Great Britain (2010). ISBN 978 1 90508 664 1
Pidgeon, G.: The Secret Communications War – The Story of MI6 Communication 1939–1945.
Arundel Books (2008). ISBN 978 0 95605 152 3
Turing, D.: Demystifying the Bombe. The History Press (2014). ISBN 978 1 84165 566 6
Turing, D.: X, Y and Z – The Real Story of How Enigma was Broken. The History Press (2018).
ISBN 978 0 75098 782 0
Turing, D., Grajek, M.: Enigma Live webcast – eight talked including talks. Chaired by Roger G.
Johnson. http://wcc2018.org/Enigma-live. Accessed 1 Jan 2019
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, sharing,
adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appro-
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Professionalism and Frameworks
Moira de Roche(&)
Chair IFIP IP3, Johannesburg, South Africa

[email protected]
Abstract. In two sessions the International Professional Practice Partnership

(IP3) of IFIP addressed a number of frameworks that provide definitions of ICT
competences and typical profiles. These frameworks contribute to establishing
an ICT profession that consists of competent and responsible professionals who
can demonstrate the necessary skills and competences.
Keywords: Professionalism Competences Skills frameworks

Certification e-CF SFIA ACS cyber security framework
1 Professionalism and IP3
1.1 The Importance of ICT Professionalism

Information and communication technologies (ICT) impact almost every facet of
personal and business life. Such technologies are key drivers of innovation and of both
economic and social progress, making enormous contributions to prosperity and to the
creation of a more open world, enabling pluralism, freedom of expression, and
allowing people and organisations to share their culture, interests and undertakings
worldwide.
Such powerful technologies, and their application, must be driven by competent
and reliable professionals who can demonstrate the necessary competences (including
knowledge), integrity, responsibility and accountability, and public obligation.
Recognising that ICT is now a global industry, the ICT profession must also be
global. It must have clear international standards that accommodate cultural differences
in the regulation of professions, which is enhanced by strengthened competence
requirements.
1.2 International Professional Practice Partnership – IP3

Through IP3, the International Professional Practice Partnership [1], IFIP established a
global partnership that promotes professionalism. By doing so it strengthens the ICT
profession and contributes to the development of strong international economies by
creating an infrastructure that will:
• encourage and support the development of both ICT practitioners and employer
organizations;
• give recognition to those who meet and maintain the required standards for
knowledge, experience, competence and integrity; and

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22 M. de Roche
• define international standards of professionalism in ICT.

IP3 defines and maintains global standards for ICT and recognises and certifies
professionalism. Frameworks underpin the accreditation process, and their use is
essential to the maintenance of professional standards at any IT Society or body that is
certified.
To carry out its’ mission, IP3 works closely with partners who share a commitment
to creating a sound global ICT profession. IP3 encourages employing organisations,
governments, commercial enterprises and IFIP member societies to join in this part-
nership through their membership.
IP3 in 2016 launched iDOCED, the IFIP Duty of Care for Everything Digital
campaign which promotes trust in ICT, and the duty of care that everyone should have
in the digital world. Duty of care goes hand in hand with professionalism, as trust-
worthiness is an essential element.
2 Professionalism and Frameworks
A number of frameworks has been developed that provide definitions of ICT compe-
tences and typical profiles. These initiatives are characterised by an open and inclusive
approach, and accredit valuable qualification elements, either national, regional or
global. In two workshops at the IFIP World Computer Congress (WCC) 2018 an
overview was provided of some frameworks in use, as well as the practical imple-
mentations of the frameworks.
2.1 e-CF Overview

[2]: “The European e-Competence Framework (e-CF) provides a reference of 40
competences as applied at the Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) workplace, using a common language for competences, skills, knowledge and
proficiency levels that can be understood across Europe. The European e-Competence
Framework provides a common language to describe the competences including skills
and knowledge requirements of ICT professionals, professions and organisations at five
proficiency levels, and is designed to meet the needs of individuals, businesses and
other organisations in public and private sectors.”
Cleary [3], Deputy Chief Executive of the Irish Computer Society and former chair
of the e-CF workshop, explained the state of the ICT profession in Europe, focussing
on maturing the profession, with a short-term aim of a fully professionalised sector.
The profession must be committed to a relevant body of knowledge, with standardised
competences, a commitment to continuous professional development and a clear code
of ethics. Progress has been made in achieving these goals.
e-CF is now a European standard (EN 16234-1, April 2016), and work is underway
to establish a standardised Body of Knowledge (BoK), education and certification, and
a code of professional ethics. There is a standardised set of 30 ICT professional role
profiles, which are fully incorporated into the EC ICT Rolling Plan for ICT
Standardisation.
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Professionalism and Frameworks 23
2.2 SFIA Overview

[4]: “The Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) describes skills and
competencies required by professionals in roles involved in information and commu-
nication technologies, digital transformation and software engineering. It provides a
framework consisting of professional skills on one axis and seven levels of responsi-
bility on the other. It describes the professional skills at various levels of competence
and it describes the levels of responsibility, in terms of generic attributes of autonomy,
influence, complexity, knowledge and business skills.”
Seward [5], General Manager of the SFIA Foundation, (Skills Framework for the
Information Age), explained the history of SFIA and how the framework is used in the
Skills and Competency Management Cycle. A useful description of the structure of the
framework was included, which comprises: six categories; 17 subcategories; 102 skills
names with associated skills descriptions; and 388 skills level descriptors in the pro-
fessional skills component. There are seven levels of responsibility, five generic
attributes, and 35 attribute level descriptors in the behaviours and knowledge
component.
SFIA is developed by industry and business for use by industry and business in the
real world. At its heart is experience. A practitioner has a skill or competence because
of the experience of practicing the skill in a real-world situation.
2.3 e-CF in an Academic Environment

Bolanowski [6], representing the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Rzeszow University of Technology and the Polish Information Processing Society IT
Competence Council, considered the e-CF in an Academic setting.
An overview was provided of the typical University of Technology graduate, and
considerations of the employers’ needs. The university explored “Who is the modern
IT Specialist?”. They needed to consider the legal issues ruling university education in
Poland. The e-CF was examined considering the point of views of all stakeholders: the
student, the university and the employer. Questions to be answered were: What are the
possibilities of implementing the e-CF in the university environment in relation to the
needs of the job market; How can the students use the e-CF to build and develop their
careers; and What are the difficulties associated with the implementation of the e-CF in
the university environment?
The technical competences and business/soft competences, required by the job
market, were explored. The issue is complicated by the lack of a definition for an IT
specialist. Common definitions and terminology are required, and it is hoped that the e-
CF will provide at least part of the solution.
From a students’ perspective e-CF helps in organizing the requirements of the job
market, it creates a common terminology dictionary, it helps to determine competences
and it can help in career planning. For teachers it allows to periodically verify the
content of the educational module and to focus not only on technical skills. It may also
help to internationalize the education process.
For employers it can improve communication between companies, students and
universities, it can help to organize the employment structure. It might also allow a
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24 M. de Roche
company to prepare internship programs and to actively participate in the educational

process. An additional benefit may be a reduction in the costs of the recruitment
process.
2.4 ACS Cyber-Security Framework Overview

This framework, developed by the Australian Computer Society (ACS) as the basis for
an extension of the ACS professional certifications scheme and adopted by IP3, was
presented by Wong [7], IFIP IP3 Director, and Immediate Past President of ACS.
The following points were covered: Cybersecurity, Privacy and Technological
challenges – what are Organisations and Governments seeking; How can we align
Business and Organisational priorities with those of security professionals; The Pro-
fessionalisation of Cybersecurity and Privacy practitioners; Challenges & key issues –
is EU GDPR transforming the landscape; What are the repercussions of doing nothing?
The Duty of Care that is requisite for governments was examined, and the rationale
illustrated. This includes: Measures relating to the confidentiality, availability and
integrity of information that is processed, stored and communicated by electronic or
similar means; The implications for government perspectives on cyber law, cyber
policy both local and international, how issues and attacks are communicated, offensive
cyber security, the cyber economy, cyber intelligence and forensics. Furthermore, there
is a global shortage of Cyber-Security professionals, which runs into millions.
Cyber Security, Privacy and Technological challenges include: Definitions of
‘Cyber security’ still unclear; There is a strong demand for Cyber security practitioners
but understanding of ‘professionalism’ not explicit; Pseudo Professional Standards
proliferate; Cyber security and privacy issues are now mainstream in the boardroom.
These challenges together with urging from government, resulted in the development
of the Cyber Security frameworks. These are “specialisms” which are in addition to the
standard IP3 Technologist (IP3T) and IP3 Professional (IP3P) certifications. In
response to this, the frameworks were developed in Australia by the ACS. They are
designed to provide a level of Assurance and Trust, and to address the growing
shortage of cyber security expertise. The frameworks and related certifications will
raise professional standards for cyber security specialists and highlight the Duty of
Care for cyber security professionals.
3 Frameworks Implementation
The second workshop included sessions which explored the practical implementation
of the frameworks. Ruoff [8], KNVI (Netherlands) explored the usage of the new e-CF
profiles and role documents in different settings. She provided an overview of the
Professional ICT workforce in the EU, as at 2016. The purpose of the e-CF is to
provide a shared language which can be used to address the Skills gap. She provided
information about the building blocks of the Framework and went on to explore these
in detail. She demonstrated the mapping of the e-CF to SFIA. To tie it all together, she
shared several use cases:
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• Job profiles for information security 2.0, PvIBQIS

• Supplier Management: KPN consulting IT-CMF –e-CF
• Data Science, EU-Edison project, University of Amsterdam
• E-CF© NEXT, profile tool/assessment of EXIN
• Rake-Shape, blockchain f.e. UWV, LRWA.
Tony Parry, IITPSA, explained how SFA is used for membership grading. He
explained that IITPSA uses SFIA as a standardised approach, that is consistent, fair and
aligns to IP3 and the South African Qualifications Authority requirements. It is used
for: the Professional Designation (PMIITPSA) which is IP3 accredited and SAQA
registered; peer reviews; Critical Skills Assessments (foreign worker work permit
requirement). The philosophy is “Assessing each case on its merits”.
Dębski [9], PTI-IT Competence Council, Ministry of Digital Affairs examined how
the e-CF can be used in the education system for ICT Professionals. The e-CF should
be considered in Computer Science Education for high school and vocational school
students, as the foundation of the creation of the future ICT Professionals, as well as
their development. Having discussed the skills requirements with all stakeholders, they
were very pleased to discover the e-CF. Using the e-CF and its 40 competences helped
to speed up the work of developing curricula. They took the competence framework,
went through its 40 competences and on this base we actually created a common
language. The power of the e-CF is that it relates to real life and real labor market.
Wong [10] provided insights of the Cyber Security Framework in Action. He
examined the situation around the world, especially the effects of GDPR. The biggest
threat is the sever shortage of skills in the Cyber Security space globally, citing
examples showing the estimates of 1.8 million people. The EU is leading the world in
legislating to protect and provide access to personal data with its EU General Data
Protection Regulation (GDPR), which replaced the 1995 Data Protection Directive in
May 25, 2018. The implications are far-reaching, affecting with an establishment in the
EU or that offer goods and services to business or citizens of the EU, or that monitor
the behaviour of individuals in the EU may need to comply. There are significant
penalties for non-compliance with fines up to €2million, or 4% of global turnover.
GDPR specifies job designations related to compliance officers, and the requisite skills
for those in these roles. The ACS developed the Cyber Security Framework:
• Designed to provide a level of Assurance, Trust and to address the growing shortage
of cyber security expertise.
• Launched by Australian Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cyber Security,
the Hon Dan Tehan in Canberra in Sept 2017.
• Adopted by IFIP IP3 as a new specialism certification for member societies around
the world.
• ACS support for the implementation of the Australian International Cyber
Engagement Strategy announced by the Hon Julie Bishop MP, Minister for Foreign
Affairs in October 2017.
• Raise professional standards for cyber security specialists.
• Highlight the Duty of Care for cyber security professionals.
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26 M. de Roche
Reflecting the multi-disciplinary nature of Cyber Security, flexibility is built into

the certification for Technologists (SFIA Level 3) and Professionals (SFIA Level 5).
Professionals who have achieved the Cyber Security Professional certification come
from the aviation, banking and finance, audit and risk, consulting, and healthcare
industries.
Adrian Schofield, Chair IP3 Standards and Accreditation Committee, explained
how frameworks are used to ensure the trust aspect of accreditation (video presenta-
tion). Framework ensure that levels are benchmarked – irrespective of the framework
used the skills levels and competencies are at a similar level.
4 Follow Up
At the end of the workshop, the speakers and audience considered how it can be
ensured that all frameworks are mapped to each other, and the work that needs to be
done to realise this goal. We accept that more than one framework is being utilised but
encourage new entrants to use something that already exists, rather than create a new
framework. Having too many frameworks causes confusion and it duplicates work.
Mapping and customisation are better options.
An IP3 task force has been created to develop a project plan to carry out this work
in collaboration with all key players. It is hoped that this project will be funded. IP3 call
for all interested parties to join us in this work to ensure that the process is inclusive
and representative. Contact [email protected] for more.
References
1. IFIP IP3. https://www.ipthree.org/
2. http://www.ecompetences.eu/. Accessed 18 Jan 2019
3. Cleary, M.: https://www.ipthree.org/wp-content/uploads/Mary-Cleary-e-CF-and-TC-428.pdf
4. https://www.sfia-online.org/en. Accessed 18 Jan 2019
5. Seward, I.: https://www.ipthree.org/wp-content/uploads/SFIA-Overview-Ian-Seward.pdf
6. Bolanowski, M.: https://www.ipthree.org/wp-content/uploads/MB-Frameworks-in-an-Acad
emic-setting.pdf
7. Wong, A.: https://www.ipthree.org/wp-content/uploads/Cyber-security-Framework-overvi
ew-Anthony-Wong.pdf
8. Ruoff, L.: https://www.ipthree.org/wp-content/uploads/eCF-Implementation-Liesbeth-Ruoff.
pdf
9. Dębski, B.: https://www.ipthree.org/wp-content/uploads/e-CF-Education-System-B.Debski.
pdf
10. Wong, A.: https://www.ipthree.org/wp-content/uploads/Cyber-Security-specialism-framewo
rk-in-action-Anthony-Wong.pdf
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Should Artificial Intelligence
Be More Regulated?
Panel Discussion
Leon Strous(&)
De Nederlandsche Bank, Westeinde 1, 1017 ZN Amsterdam, The Netherlands

[email protected]
Abstract. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can and does bring immense benefits in
all sorts of areas. But it also introduces (new) risks. Is more regulation needed?
In order to answer this question arguments pro and con were presented by four
panel members and discussed and challenged by the audience. Many issues were
raised, ethical principles, the obstacles that make it hard to draft good legisla-
tion. We don’t want to stifle innovation or deny society the benefits of these
technologies by excessive regulation. A distinction is made between science
(research) and the application of AI technologies. Comparisons with other
sectors and technologies are made to see whether parallels can be drawn.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence AI Regulation Ethics

Ethical principles Liability AI science AI applications
1 Introduction
Many discussions are taking place at the moment about Artificial Intelligence (AI),
about ways AI may benefit mankind and about risks of AI. Autonomous cars, auto-
mated trust assignment to individuals, and autonomous weapons are only a few
examples how AI can change our life. Some people warn us that AI can be even more
dangerous than nuclear power. On the other hand it seems impossible and undesirable
to stop development of AI and its applications. Thus, the question arises what should
be the role of governments. Should AI be more regulated with respect to research
and/or its usage? This question was addressed at WCC 2018 in a panel discussion with
four panel members:
Ulrich Furbach, University Koblenz-Landau, Germany,
Eunika Mercier-Laurent, Lyon III University, France,
Chris Rees, British Computer Society, UK and
Jerzy Stefanowski, Poznan University of Technology, Poland.
An audience of 40 participants actively engaged in the discussion. The session was
recorded on video [1].

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Should Artificial Intelligence Be More Regulated? 29
2 Arguments Pro and Con
To start the debate, two panel members presented arguments in favor of more regu-
lation and two members presented arguments against more regulation.
Arguments in Favour of (more) Regulation
AI can and does bring immense benefits in all sorts of areas: in cancer diagnosis, mind
diseases, caring of elderly, and many more will follow such as autonomous vehicles.
We don’t want to stifle innovation or deny society the benefits of these technologies by
excessive regulation. Any regulation should be risk based. If the risk is low, regulation
should be avoided. If it is high, the application should be regulated. That’s how it is in
the non-AI world and the AI world should be no different. Further we have to recognize
that drafting regulations for new and fast developing technologies such as AI is dif-
ficult. There is a risk of building assumptions and language in the regulation that don’t
stand the test of time.
Our starting point is ethics. The implementation of AI systems, including of AI
driven robotics, poses a number of ethical challenges. A non-exhaustive list includes:
• reliability and safety of complex systems,
• bias in systems and bias in the data,
• black box systems that cannot explain or justify their decisions,
• the allocation of responsibility for failure,
• malicious use of AI and lethal autonomous weapon systems,
• the destruction of jobs by AI,
• the protection of privacy.
The question is: where can we rely on the ethical actions of developers and users of
AI and where is this clearly not adequate and therefore regulation is necessary. Some of
the applications of AI are in domains that are already regulated and have a long history
of regulation, medicine and finance are two obvious examples. But the existing reg-
ulations may not cover the application of AI. These regulations may need to be
enhanced to prevent harm to patients or unfair financial practices. Autonomous cars
should not be allowed to go on the road until there is an agreed allocation of
responsibility and therefore liability for harm. You need a third party insurance that
covers the driver. But in an autonomous car there is no driver. So who is
responsible/liable: the manufacturer of the car, the manufacturer of failing components,
the car salesperson, the owner of the car? And what if the car is hacked? Or if software
updates have not been installed? There is no doubt that existing regulations do not
cover autonomous cars and that this is needed.
Many people have already asked for a ban on autonomous lethal weapons, com-
parable to nuclear and chemical and biological weapons. While controlling adherence
to such a ban may be difficult and sometimes such weapons are used nevertheless, laws
and regulations have a powerful effect on the public opinion.
Economists predict a growth in jobs due to AI, but only in the long term. In the
short term jobs will be lost. Regulation may be needed to provide funding for retraining
employees for a new job.
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30 L. Strous
AI can be used to de-anonymize personal data that has been anonymized. GDPR
may already be a good step in the right direction restoring the control over personal
data to the owner instead of the company. However the protection in the GDPR against
AI based use of personal data is weak and needs strengthening.
Machine learning and AI systems are complex systems. In a number of application
areas we should think about regulation. Consider machine learning and AI systems as a
product and therefore regulation is focused on the application of AI, on the product. In
the medical domain we see systems that can make prognoses and by doing that impact
people’s health. It is important that the system can not make errors. It is the task of the
producer/vendor to take care of that. Compare it with the process to get a new drug
(medicine) accepted. Strict procedures and tests take place before the new drug is
allowed to be put on the market. Producers of AI should provide assurance that their
product is working correctly and this should be enforced through regulation. Regula-
tion does not always have to be laws, it also can be community agreed rules and
processes or evaluation and certification. Another element concerns the question
whether an AI system should be able to explain the decision it took. For some domains
and applications this may not be necessary, for others it is, think about legal decisions
(e.g. AI supported court cases). It should be mandatory for such systems to be able to
explain. That may not be easy, when is an explanation clear enough, what is the
context.
Another issue is intellectual property rights. Advanced systems can write poems
and stories or compose music. Who owns this and benefits from the profits this might
generate? Regulation may be needed to clarify such rights.
Arguments Against (more) Regulation
Regulation of AI may be undesirable and extremely difficult if not impossible.
A number of questions support that position:
• Regulation may work in a normal ethical society but how can we regulate a society
that is composed of robots and humans.
• If regulation is used to prevent machines from doing “something foolish”, who
decides what is foolish?
• We live in a business driven world. What will happen if we try to regulate the
market giants? They will move to countries without regulation.
• If you look at military use of AI, that is big business with powerful people behind it.
Extremely difficult to regulate.
• How will regulation be effective in data protection if people are willing to provide
their data voluntarily to companies.
• What about regulation and the creativity of the researcher. Efforts to regulate this
without proper understanding how researchers work may lead to disasters.
• How to regulate a robot from learning. How to say to a robot what he can and what
he should not learn.
If regulation is needed, it could be considered to not only look at legal regulations
but also at initiatives about principles. An example of these are the Asilomar AI
Principles. Industry giants and experts such as Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking have
advocated for humane and “safe” robotics. Along with hundreds of researchers and
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experts in the fields, they have proposed 23 “guiding principles” that will ensure the
development of AI for the benefit of mankind [2, 3].
Although one might in principle be pro regulation of certain aspects of AI system, it
simply seems to be impossible. The problem is we don’t know what it is, an AI system.
AI is not a monolithic system, it is in other systems, it is in our cars, in our search
engines, in our shopping cart. AI is a functionality of existing systems. It is completely
impossible to control the development of these techniques and also it is impossible to
control its use. Other areas that have been regulated also show this. Two examples from
the weapons industry. Nuclear weapons, we all know how difficult it is in certain parts
of the world to control the development of nuclear weapons. It is a highly political
issue. The other example is chemical weapons. They are banned and nevertheless used.
It is impossible to control the use of technology and it is impossible to control the
development of technology. We also should not want this because technology is a
driving force of our society. We want to learn more. We shouldn’t stop science or
regulate science. There may be some exceptions with respect to ethical issues. We
don’t know exactly what to regulate and how to regulate it. The United Nations does
not succeed in getting a letter signed by all countries about the goal of a ban on lethal
autonomous weapons. Some countries have major interests in such an industry or other
arguments for not signing it.
Another example concerns autonomous cars. Where liability and insurance issues
might be regulated there are also ethical issues. The German government drafted a
report saying that an autonomous car should never be able to face an ethical dilemma
situation. That is impossible, it would be similar to saying that human drivers should
never face an ethical dilemma. Furthermore the report argues that algorithms should be
checked and that self-adapting systems should not be applied in autonomous cars. That
is also strange, an autonomous car should learn by driving and adapt. It is also
unimaginable that a human driver would be forbidden to learn from mistakes.
In a distant past when cars were just introduced, there was a rule in the UK that in
front of a car there should be someone walking with a red flag to warn people. Perhaps
we should use a red flag to warn (or better: make people aware) that you are dealing
with an AI system. A Blade Runner situation where it is difficult to distinguish humans
from machines should be avoided. Regulation might be helpful for that.
3 Summary of the Debate
During the debate the arguments pro and con were both challenged and supported and
some new issues were raised. This chapter provides a selection of the main topics
discussed. Sometimes in a Q&A format, sometimes just as additional remarks.
AI tools, systems, technology could/should be regulated as human beings are also
regulated. What about AI as a scientific discipline, should that be regulated as well? In
a sense this is already regulated in the same way as other scientific disciplines like
medicine and genetics. When applying for research funding for instance the request has
to be judged on many aspects including ethical issues. What should not be regulated are
the goals to pursue with research.
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32 L. Strous
A comparison with the regulation of the Internet can be made. We now realize that
we were too late thinking about regulation of the Internet when the Internet was created
and that makes it difficult to repair it now. Maybe it is also due to the way scientists
think. The benefits prevail, especially in areas where AI can assist professionals such as
medical doctors who are already overburdened to take over part of the routine work.
And focusing on the benefits, the risk of abuse of technology that is created with the
best of intentions might be overlooked.
Regulations should be in place in certain areas but an additional question is who
will be responsible for those regulations. If it is the lawmakers do they know enough
about the topic to draft good regulations. A lot of poor law is written because of
insufficient knowledge of the subject matter. Society/lawmakers lag behind with
respect to technological developments. We as professionals at the forefront of these
developments are better placed to judge where these developments might lead and what
might be an appropriate societal safeguard long before the lawmakers can make those
decisions. This means that we as an IT community have an obligation to engage with
legislators to support them in drafting decent legislation. We should at least make an
effort to be involved.
The issue was raised that a request for funding of scientific research usually has to
pass via ethical committees, because funds are tax payers money. That is not the case
for research and product development done by industry. AI as technology may perhaps
not face ethical questions but the applications do. Is the current ethical oversight (for
academic funding) sufficient? During many years of AI research ethical questions never
popped up, we researched nice technology. Because there were no real-life applica-
tions. Now this is changing for instance with autonomous cars. And that introduces also
the question of impact of the application. The impact of an application is often not or
rarely assessed before selling or using it.
An interesting perspective was mentioned from a small and medium sized enter-
prise point of view. When you develop a new product, regulation in the beginning is an
obstacle and difficult. However, it can also mean a benefit if you can advertise that your
product meets certain regulations. And the competition has to keep up with that. Also
good for consumers who can see that a product meets certain requirements as laid down
in regulations.
Regulation in the globalized world is difficult. It is not enough to have regulations
in a country or a region. However, so far regulation on a global scale, for instance via
UN, is not successful. If we want to regulate a borderless development such as AI, we
need to do that on a global scale otherwise it is meaningless. The statement that
regulation will only work if it is on a global scale was challenged. Take for example the
argument that companies will go to a country that is not regulated. That will not help
them because they can maybe produce the product in such a country but if they want to
sell it in a country that has regulation, it will not be able to do so unless it complies with
the regulation. GDPR is a good example. US companies have to comply with GDPR if
they want to do business in the EU. It can work well even if it is jurisdiction based.
Another talk at WCC about shifting identities triggered an issue of importance to
AI. Identities touch a multidisciplinary field. Regulating this part of science also means
that we need to be very clear where we want to go, what we want to be in the future. It
was mentioned that perhaps a link can be made to the work on consciousness.
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Psychologists and philosophers are trying to find out what does it mean for humans to
have consciousness. As developers of AI we are working on AI systems that have a
kind of consciousness. A German philosopher Metzinger argues that we should never
try to bring consciousness into an artificial system because then we would be able to
bring harm to them and we are not allowed to do harm to other human beings.
It is our duty as IT professionals to explain AI to people. We should be able to
understand how algorithms work. And to explain the choices that have been made in
designing the algorithm and the effects the algorithm may have.
4 Conclusions and Follow up
While there was not a complete agreement on everything and the outcome of the
discussion was not fully conclusive, in general a broad consensus could be noted on a
number of issues.
Artificial Intelligence is a broad term that includes science, technology, applications
and products. AI can bring benefits but it also can introduce (new) risks. The answer to
the question “should it be (more) regulated” depends on a variety of aspects, it can’t be
a yes or no. Consider things case by case. The term regulation is not precise, it can
mean a law but it can also mean mutually agreed rules and procedures.
We do not have clear easy answers but we should make efforts and increase
awareness. We should debate and work on documents to indicate critical points. We
cannot control everything. You should know who you are talking to. Difficult, chal-
lenging but not a reason for not trying.
It is important as professionals to engage in discussions like this. We as an IT
community have an obligation to engage with legislators to support them in drafting
decent legislation.
We should develop methodologies to certify AI products. There is a role for IFIP
and other professional societies to think about ways about how to define workflows for
approving AI based products.
April 25th 2018 the European Commission issued a Communication COM (218) on
Artificial Intelligence for Europe [4]. This Communication sets out a European ini-
tiative on AI, which aims to ensure an appropriate ethical and legal framework. The
Commission will (selective quotes):
• set a framework for stakeholders and experts to develop draft AI ethics guidelines,
with due regard to fundamental rights;
• issue a guidance document on the interpretation of the Product Liability Directive
in light of technological developments. This will seek to ensure legal clarity for
consumers and producers in case of defective products;
• publish a report on the broader implications for, potential gaps in and orientations
for, the liability and safety frameworks for AI, Internet of Things and robotics;
• support research in the development of explainable AI and implement a pilot project
proposed by the European Parliament on Algorithmic Awareness Building, to gather
a solid evidence-base and support the design of policy responses to the challenges
brought by automated decision-making, including biases and discrimination.
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34 L. Strous
This Communication addresses precisely the issues raised in the discussion. It also
invites stakeholders to participate in the efforts. Let’s contribute to these and other
efforts in the world. There is a need and an opportunity for us as IT professionals to
pick up the challenge and to continue the discussion. There is momentum now, let’s not
waste the opportunity. We don’t want to observe in ten years’ time that we again
missed the boat (after the Internet). We also have to research some fundamental
questions, where do we want to go with regulation, where do we want to go with
applications, who do we want to be. This is an appeal to all participants and readers
who are interested in continuing this debate in a search for guidance. If you want to get
involved, let me know. Send an e-mail to the address at the start of the paper.
References
1. WCC 2018 session should AI be more regulated? Video recording. http://www.wcc2018.org/
movs/oxford_debate_rf27.mp4. Accessed 21 Jan 2019
2. 23 AI principles, news article. https://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/35633/20170215/
23-principles-ai-stephen-hawking-elon-musk-experts-pitch-rules.htm. Accessed 21 Jan 2019
3. 23 AI principles, Future of Life. https://futureoflife.org/ai-principles/. Accessed 21 Jan 2019
4. Artificial Intelligence for Europe, EC Communication COM (2018) 237, 25 April 2018.
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/communication-artificial-intelligence-
europe. Accessed 21 Jan 2019
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IFIPIoT 2018 Invited Papers:
Keynote, Panel Discussion
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The Internet of Things is Hardly About
Technology
Kees van der Klauw1,2(&)

1
Alliance for Internet of Things Innovation, Brussels, Belgium
[email protected]
2
InnoAdds, High Tech Campus 27, Eindhoven, Netherlands
[email protected]
http://www.aioti.eu, http://www.innoadds.com
Abstract. Most definitions of the Internet of Things (IoT) take a technology

perspective, referring to connected devices exchanging data with each other and
with higher levels, establishing autonomously operating systems. From a busi-
ness perspective, IoT can be regarded as a business transformation, driving
commoditization or even threatening conventional businesses, providing
opportunities for product and process improvements and opening perspectives
for services business or entirely new businesses based on data acquired by IoT.
While the development of the Internet of Things resembles in many aspects the
characteristics of for example semiconductor and IT platforms, there are some
essential differences, mainly in scale and scope, that make the kickstart of a
successful IoT more complex. This paper addresses key elements of a successful
deployment of IoT and also key roles for IT professionals in IoT.
Keywords: Internet of Things IoT Platforms Open innovation

Ecosystems Digitization
1 Introduction
Most definitions of the Internet of Things (IoT) take a technology perspective, referring
to connected devices exchanging data with each other and with higher levels, estab-
lishing autonomously operating systems. Such definition easily fits in with other
technological developments that are driving the digitisation of our world. Sensing,
ubiquitous communication networks, information systems, data analytics, artificial
intelligence, robotics, edge and cloud computing are all linked to the development of
IoT, either as an enabler or leveraging IoT for new applications.
From a business perspective, IoT can be regarded as a business transformation,
driving commoditization or even threatening conventional businesses, providing
opportunities for product and process improvements and opening perspectives for
services business or entirely new businesses based on data acquired by IoT. New
economic powers and regions will emerge, others will lose relevance.
There is no doubt that IoT will be a driver of socio-economic change like the
industrial revolution was. Our society will increasingly be run by autonomous systems,
self-learning robots will assist people not only in manufacturing, but also in their daily

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15651-0_5
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38 K. van der Klauw
life. Resource management (energy, food, water) will be based on IoT, combining data
from numerous sensors and actuators and systems in the field, providing real time
insight and steering optimized flows. Curative healthcare will be replaced by a con-
tinuum with preventive monitoring, highly automated treatments and home care.
Systems of systems will autonomously run operations in energy, mobility, cities,
buildings, industry…
Jobs will disappear while other jobs are created. Education will change to life-long
learning while new creative fulfilment of free time will be required. And since the speed
of change is fast, people will feel uncertain, distrusting new technologies.
Don’t worry about the definition of IoT. IoT is all of it and it is about time that we
take an integral, holistic approach while ‘separating concerns’ to make it work for all.
2 A Short History of the Future: Enabling Platforms
Already in the 80-ies have we seen the need for such ‘separation of concerns’ approach
in the electronics industry, although predominantly in the technology area. Socio
economic considerations were lagging, as usual.
In the 80-ies the electronics industry was predominantly analog and the design,
manufacturing & application required (scarce) deep and wide knowledge. Chip
application engineers, designers and technologists were very much from the same
origin and closely working together.
But once IC technology was mastered, one could massively apply transistors as
switches and a digital technology platform was established. While one breed of
engineers worried about making a good transistor switch and replicating them hundred
thousand times without flaw, a new generation of engineers that never had seen a
transistor was enabled with tools to create complex computing circuits with those large
numbers of transistors, not requiring deep transistor and technology knowledge but
using instead simulation models (‘digital twins’). Separation of concerns.
This created a whole new framework of knowledge and associated professions, but
it also bifurcated IC business in fab and fabless companies, all enabled by digital
technology platforms.
This bifurcation has repeated several times, all driven by the same principle of
establishing a platform that enabled the development of new knowledge, professions
and business on it, separating concerns from the layers below.
Integrated Circuit Designers started using standard building blocks and those
building blocks were combined in standard IC’s such as, microprocessors, microcon-
trollers and communication chips. Again establishing a digital platform enabling a new
breed of engineers to run away with them building programmable computers, com-
munication networks and automation and control systems.
Those systems needed standard SW operating systems and standard application
software packages in order to have them deployed massively and a new platform layer,
this time in SW was established, based on the same economy of scale as Moore’s Law
driving the bottom of the pyramid. Large software stacks have high creation and
maintenance cost and therefore application toolsets enabled a new breed of SW
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The Internet of Things is Hardly About Technology 39
application engineers to deploy and configure those standard software packages in

many domains. This role is largely filled in by many small and medium enterprises.
While this development has disrupted businesses, it has created enormous eco-
nomic value overall. It has been a strong driver of ‘Moore’s Law’ in the sense that it
created the economic justification for the technological advancements in IC technology
and on higher levels in SW. Without platformisation, the market would not have
developed and Moore’s Law and SW growth would have been stagnating because of
lacking returns.
Fig. 1. Schematic representation of technology platforms developed over time in the IC/ICT
domain enabling higher integration layers and economic value. Some key players on various
levels are illustrated (non-exhaustive)
Figure 1 expresses this stacking of platforms over time, while the overall value
exponentially grows with each layer. This is also reflected in the number of jobs that is
anticipated in the software industry vs. the hardware industry, being orders of mag-
nitude larger. Particularly in the SW application industry have many smaller companies
developed that are configuring and customizing implementations of standard software
packages such as ERP systems and databases. This being the case, the economic value
is still enabled by the hardware industry.
The rapid development of digital platforms has posed a dilemma for many com-
panies active as they had to decide on their position in this developing value chain. IC
manufacturers had to consider focusing on technology or design (separating concerns),
or both. Generic SW companies (ERP, OS, DB) had to decide whether to support all its
implementations or focus on one of the two. And life is very different above and below:
• Very different perspectives;
• Very different lifecycles;
• Very different competencies required;
• Very different economics (business control points).
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40 K. van der Klauw
But the choice that companies had was enabled by a ‘common interface’ in terms of
language, protocols, simulation models… ‘digital twins’, creating a strong interde-
pendency (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2. The smile curve, picking your place in the value chain. In general the economic model
on the left side is fueled by high volume, high investments and on the right side by lower volume,
high diversity. The number of players on the left side is substantially lower than on the right side,
leaving room only for niche players with customized technology in the center.
Already in the 90’s was the so-called ‘smile curve’ introduced to express the
dilemma of positioning oneself in the value chain. The vertical axis reflects the eco-
nomic value that a company may create and the horizontal axis the (upward) movement
in the value chain. As stated earlier, the total value of all companies is substantially
larger on the right hand side but this value is created by many more application
companies. There is only room for fewer players on the left hand side where the rules
of the game are in general scale and high investments. The center reflects that you can’t
be both and there is only room for niche players with relatively low impact. That does
not imply that representatives of the same (vertically integrated) conglomerates can
show up on the left and the right… They can, but within those companies they will be
very different animals requiring dedicated management and business controls.
3 The Internet of Things: Some Things are Repeats

of History
Like the stacked platform picture that one can draw for the IT technology and appli-
cations ecosystem, one can create such picture the Internet of Things (Fig. 3). Clearly
the IC technology stack is deeply embedded in the first layer of this IoT ecosystem,
creating intelligent devices that are able to communicate. They represent (embedded)
systems on their own.
Figure 3 does not aim to depict a standard way of looking at the IoT but one could
recognize a few layers of the OSI model in it. The main thing is that it represents a very
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strong way of ‘separating concerns’ as the various layers have so much specialism in
technology, business models, competencies and culture that one could regard it as
different worlds that somehow are intimately dependent on each other.
Fig. 3. Schematic representation of some key platform layers in the development of Internet of
Things. The economic justification of enabling (lower) layers comes from many applications in
various domains, each requiring expert knowledge
The picture also represents different architectural choices when it comes to data
processing, that can be executed in end-nodes of the IoT (edge computing), in inter-
mediate nodes, often representing local area networks and servers (fog computing) and
central information processing often in the cloud. Hybrid forms are the most likely
candidates for a solid implementation of IoT as the non-functional characteristics of
centralized and decentralized systems are very different. We will go a bit deeper in this
in the next sections.
The higher one gets in this picture, and the higher up in the value chain, the more
diversification is taking place and knowledge of the application domain becomes
essential. While this was already the case in IT for e.g. bookkeeping, for CAD, for
control systems, it is taken to an extreme in IoT. IoT will be much more pervasive in
society and one cannot create meaningful IoT applications without a solid under-
standing of the socio economic impact of it. This is where technology push ends.
Only by enabling an ecosystem that is deeply involved in applications in real life
can a scale be created to justify the investments in the underlying layers such as
communication networks and software systems. The key question is whether we are on
track to create such ecosystem.
4 The Internet of Things: Some Things are Different
While the development of the Internet of Things resembles in many aspects the
characteristics of the semiconductor and IT platforms as discussed in Sect. 2, there are
some essential differences, mainly in scale and scope, that make the kickstart of a
successful IoT more complex.
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42 K. van der Klauw
First of all has the investment scale gone up, for example in communication
infrastructures. While the investment in 2G communication networks could be justified
by just mobile phone traffic and 3G networks by increased data use on smart phones,
future networks will be based on serving trillions of IoT devices in many different
application domains with different requirements that all have the be developed.
But the same holds for platform developments in e.g. smart mobility or smart cities.
They will require large investments that can only be earned back with many different
application use cases. There is no single use case anymore that justifies the investment.
This brings a higher level of uncertainty, that has to be countered by a strongly
orchestrated approach for which we see 3 variants in today’s world:
• Orchestration by governments;
• Orchestration by powerful (vertically integrated) companies;
• By collaborative platforms and ecosystems.
Secondly, IoT technology requirements differ from general Internet requirements that
all require dedicated developments. Some of the most obvious ones are:
• Very low standby and communication power consumption in devices;
• Flexible bandwidth allocation (from very low to high);
• Very low cost per node serving extremely large numbers of nodes;
• Flexible and programmable communication layers (P2P, local, central);
• Extremely low latency for several applications;
• Extremely high reliability and resilience for several applications;
• Strong security and privacy requirements;
• … several other non-functional elements such as sustainability.
Serving some of these requirements will require fundamental changes in the archi-
tecture of next generation internet.
Thirdly, the higher one gets in the value chain, the wider the scope that needs to be
orchestrated/managed and deep involvement of application domain specialist beyond
technology will be crucial for IoT, more than it was for ICT development:
• A very wide range of application domains such as Smart Cities, Homes/Living,
Healthcare, Farming, Energy, Mobility, Water Management, Industry… and more
to come;
• Many technologies in HW, SW, Communications, Systems Engineering, Robotics,
Sensing, Data Analytics, Hypercomputing, User Experience… and all non-
functional requirements such as security and privacy;
• Legal and liability aspects;
• Socio-economic and human aspects;
• Education and training;
• Use case development.
The overall orchestration in scope, complexity and uncertainty of all these elements and
the establishment of platforms that allow a ‘separation of concerns’ is probably the
largest challenge for the development Internet of Things in Europe, more than the
individual developments in technologies.
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5 Key Elements for a Successful Deployment of IoT
The key issue with IoT is not technology, but the fact that
applications and platforms are insufficiently established. . .

because supporting platforms are insufficiently established. . .
because their justification by applications is insufficiently established
This is depicted in Figs. 4 and 5. Figure 4 represents the idealized stack of ‘smile
curves’ of players in the components and IoT devices domain, the networks domain,
the data domain and the application domain. As stated before, this is not necessarily the
only way of breaking down the IoT value chain, but it illustrates that matter. The value
is increasing exponentially along the chain and within each domain, one has to pick is
position, require a high degree of focus and specialization.
Fig. 4. The idealized stack of smile curves for an IoT value chain. Common interfaces and well
connected platforms establish a high economic impact
This ‘ideal’ situation is emerging in ecosystems driven by government in China or

by very strong platform companies in US. Note that the left hand part of the value chain
does not require strong orchestration as industry platforms have very much established
itself, but the challenge starts already at next generation communication networks.
However, a more realistic picture today which holds for Europe is depicted in
Fig. 5. Not being driving by a central government powers or by large platform players,
there is a lack of established data and application platforms, orchestrated and managed
standard interfaces and in essence a lack of common goals. Even though individual
expertise and goals of companies may differ, they require a common goal in IoT
platform developments to be successful for their individual successes. Without such
platforms, their individual value creation will become obstructed.
Not having a central governmental power for orchestration, nor extremely powerful
platform companies established in Europe, the question to companies in this ecosystem
is therefore very much: Do you bet on your monopolistic do-it-yourself power or on
your collaborative power for IoT?
The only alternative way forward in establishing the required ecosystem seems to
be the creation of collaboration platforms, uniting individual players around the
common interest. The establishment of such platforms in Europe first of all assumes a
sense of urgency in European industry that no single company/organisation can
manage the whole stack on its own related to:
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44 K. van der Klauw
Fig. 5. A representation of today’s ecosystem in EU Internet of Things, with data and

application platforms and their orchestrated interfaces lacking, making the application value
creation speculative and also reducing the economic value of lower layers
• Investments required and need to focus for economy of scale

• Knowledge and competency scope required for different parts
• Culture required for different parts
and a willingness to work together in an open innovation ecosystem that:
• Separates concerns (‘mind your own business’) building on strengths;
• Shares the common elements that don’t differentiate the one company from the
other (protocols, standard functions, infrastructures, architectures);
• Creates a large degree of interoperability.
Such ecosystem, although much more difficult to establish than alternatives that work
under singular top-down control, can even prove to be more stable and attractive in the
longer term because of:
• Involvement of a wider group of stakeholders, leading to higher acceptance and
trust by society and governments;
• Better attention to non-functional aspects of IoT, in particular security, privacy,
portability, resilience, flexibility;
• Faster development of use-cases, particularly when SME’s and creatives gain access
to these platforms. Their applications can greatly contribute to the justification of
platforms whereas the creation and maintenance of platforms generally requires the
skills and scale of larger companies.
And so, the key issue with IoT development in Europe is not technology, but a lack of:
• Collaboration between industrial players;
• Collaboration across functional silos;
• Understanding that economic justification of IoT infrastructures comes from mul-
tiple use cases in multiple domains, requiring an integrated approach.
It is not just the creation of platforms that needs a justification from many use cases in
many domains, but very much the maintenance of such platforms, requiring a 24/7/365
high performance in the operational management of cities, homes, healthcare, energy,
mobility etc.
Since the economic justification for any platform comes from collectives of
applications, another key element in the deployment of IoT is the selection of those
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applications or use cases. This comes with a great deal of uncertainty that can only be
managed by applying large scale experimentation in real scale environments. The
mindset for the linked development of platforms and applications should therefore be:
Many applications will fail; get used to it!

Several applications will be successful; count on it!
Unlike technology development that usually takes place in laboratories, the develop-
ment of uses cases takes needs to take place in cities, homes, healthcare ecosystems
etc., involving:
• A real world environment
• Early involvement of end-users and key stakeholders beyond technology
• Expectation management (including non-functional aspects)
• The notion that early failure on any aspect is valuable learning
Governments have an important role to play in facilitating such real-world experi-
mentation, e.g. by using innovative procurement procedures instead of traditional
buying of upfront specified solutions against lowest cost.
Particularly the involvement of societal stakeholders in this experimentation is
crucial in order to get valuable feedback on implementations but also to gain trust and
address critical concerns in society regarding the impact of IoT applications and new
technology that could hamper a successful deployment of IoT, even though technology
works perfectly. In that sense should experimentation include e.g. legal and social
aspects.
Lack of trust is considered the largest inhibitor of IoT deployment and lack of trust
is strongly related to the non-functional aspects of IoT such as privacy and security.
Trust is perception that cannot always be addressed by technology. Education and
involvement of people in the development of IoT is essential and new knowledge and
insights will be developed that in the end could pay off for Europe running a human
centric socially embedded IoT.
The Internet of Things development is largely a self-fulfilling prophecy creating
higher value for all, provided we:
• Create a collaborative platform in many aspects beyond technology
• Involve a wide range of (societal) stakeholder in an early stage
• Are prepared to experiment, fail and learn
• Are prepared to enable higher value creation before re-distributing it.
6 Key Roles for IT Professionals in IoT
From the sections above, one may anticipate also large changes in certain professions,
particularly the ones that operate on interfaces of different disciplines or across different
domains and in applications. Other, more specialised professions will not fundamen-
tally change even though underlying technologies will evolve.
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46 K. van der Klauw
Professionals at the end of the chain, in applications, will be increasingly con-

fronted with the enormous opportunities of IoT. This is already happening in e.g. Smart
Farming, where the new generation of farmers is strongly involved with the latest
technologies in sensing, data analytics and automated growing control in e.g. city
farming. In many other domains will the traditional craftsmen become users of intel-
ligent systems, robotics and data that will on the one hand replace many of their
traditional work and on the other hand enable them to do ground breaking new things.
This is a large part of the social transformation.
Many more IT professionals will be required that operate on interfaces, bringing a
wide scope of knowledge and experience or able to link with application domain
specialist, talking ‘farmers language’ with IoT farmers, ‘transporters language’ with
IoT transporters etc. Several universities and colleges have already recognised this need
and started educational programs for:
• T-profile Engineers, ‘platformers’ integrating many functional and non-functional
aspects of platforms with strong IT components (communications, data, embedded
systems). Typically these professionals need strong architecting and platform
management skills;
• P-profile Engineers, linking with other disciplines (legal, social) and/or engaging
with application domains, requiring non-technical skills and application knowledge.
These profiles are schematically depicted in Fig. 6. I-profiles these days form the
majority of ICT profiles, focusing on dedicated subjects and specialism in the ICT
landscape. But there is a limitation to what a single mind can do in this increasingly
complex world of systems. It is unlikely that ‘I can do it all’ and increasingly we need
T- and P-profile Engineers integrating vertically and horizontally.
Fig. 6. Schematic representation of competency profiles, applicable to ICT professionals. I-

profiles represent ‘do it yourself’ end-to-end professionals from the early days and the many
specialist that today operate in a specific expertise field.
Q Increasingly, platform integration
profiles (T-shape) and cross-domain integration profiles ( -shape) are required to build the IoT.
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It requires the development and maintenance of technical and non-technical skills

to be successful in:
• Solving societal challenges
• Addressing non-functional system aspects crucial for trust
– Educating and involving society
– Providing end users with options and personal data ownership
• Managing convergence on application level
– Internet, IoT, mobile, IIoT, OT, data analytics, systems of systems, SDN
– Cybersecurity
– Cloud-, fog-, edge-computing and their distribution
– Real-time, mission critical SW for specific application domains
– VR, AR, robotics, digital twins, BIM…
• Interoperability and portability of functions and data
• Designing and deploying distributed Systems Architectures
But this also provides many development opportunities for IT professionals and an
increase of jobs.
7 The Alliance for Internet of Things Innovation (AIOTI)
The Alliance for Internet of Things Innovation (www.aioti.eu) was kickstarted in 2015
and formally established in 2017 with the aim to address the cross functional and
integration aspects of building a successful IoT. It is a member driven organisation with
representatives from industry (large and small), academia and society that:
• Is at the forefront of IoT adoption, able to identify what is required to drive this
adoption;
• Strives to break down silos so that the market for IoT can develop;
• Develops loT ecosystem across vertical silos including start-ups and SMEs;
• Contributes to Large Scale Pilots to foster experimentation, replication and
deployment;
• Supports convergence & interoperability of loT standards;
• Gathers evidence on market obstacles for loT deployment in a Digital Single
Market.
by
• Promoting an integrative approach;
• Leveraging existing initiatives, be the missing link;
• Co-operating with other global regions while European values, including privacy
and consumer protection, are maintained.
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48 K. van der Klauw
AIOTI embraces diversity, expressing the different views of interest group along the
value chain. AIOTI is leveraging a structure of horizontal working groups, addressing
common elements in technology research, ecosystems, standards and policies with an
implementation driven approach in vertical working groups. This is depicted in Fig. 7.
Fig. 7. Working structure of the Alliance for Internet of Things Innovation (2018), combining
horizontal and vertical working groups (WG)
8 Conclusions
We have taken an integral perspective on the development of IoT, beyond technology

and clearly the Internet of Things holds many promises. But just as much as the
promises, the development of IoT has many challenges requiring a new approach
involving:
• Creating platforms by a strong collaborative approach beyond technology;
• Socio-economic aspects in a Human Centric IoT;
• The education and involvement of end-users;
• Privacy, security, resilience… and many more non-functional aspects;
• Critical architectural choices;
• Real scale experimentation.
Those elements and technical elements should be addressed in an integrated
approach, on the one hand leveraging specialist companies and individuals, separating
concerns, but linking them in an overall approach. The Alliance for Internet of Things
Innovation promotes and drives such approach.
Interesting and responsible opportunities emerge for IT professionals, playing key
roles in architecture and platform integration and in linking application domain spe-
cialists and end-users.
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IoT: Do We Have a Choice?
Draft IFIP Position Paper
Leon Strous(&) and IFIP Domain Committee on IoT
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

[email protected]
Abstract. Many experts and organizations are addressing the Internet of

Things (IoT) in policy statements, papers and conferences. There are many
aspects to be considered when talking about IoT. The International Federation
for Information Processing (IFIP) contributes to the discussion by investigating
what choices can or must be made regarding these various aspects. And by
addressing the question what choices various stakeholders should have. This
draft version of the position paper was discussed at the IFIP IoT working
conference on 18-09-2018 and in the IFIP General Assembly on 23-09-2018.
The outcome of these discussions will be processed in the final version of the
position paper.
Keywords: Position paper Choices IoT dimensions IoT lifecycle
1 Introduction
IoT is hot. Many experts and organizations are addressing the topic in policy state-
ments, papers and conferences. There are many aspects to be looked at when talking
about IoT. IFIP wants to contribute to the discussion by investigating what choices can
or must be made regarding these various aspects. And by addressing the question what
choices various stakeholders should have. This paper briefly lists the aspects and
dimensions of the IoT. Then IFIP’s position on some major questions and choices is
presented. It concludes with an overview of (possible) contributions that are already
made or can be made by IFIP and its member societies and by ICT professionals in
general to the open questions.
This draft version of the position paper was discussed at the IFIP IoT working
conference on 18-09-2018 and in the IFIP General Assembly on 23-09-2018. The
outcome of these discussions will be processed in the final version of the position
paper.
2 Definition
More than one definition of the IoT exists. For the essence of this paper the definition is
not the most important element. It was therefore decided to neither choose one from the
list nor create one of our own to guide the discussion. A few examples of definitions are

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15651-0_6
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IoT: Do We Have a Choice? 51
added in an annex at the end of the paper. It is important to note however that while the
IoT can be seen as a global infrastructure several vertical domains for distinct appli-
cations can be defined.
3 Aspects and Dimensions
3.1 Opportunities Versus Threats

Like every new technology also the Internet of Things offers opportunities for progress
and application for beneficial purposes while at the same time it introduces or increases
risks and threats. When addressing choices about various aspects, both sides will be
considered.
3.2 Dimensions
As mentioned in the introduction, there are many aspects to be looked at when talking
about IoT and discussing what choices can or must be made regarding these various
aspects. In the current literature, many lists of aspects are a mixture of types of aspects.
In an attempt to structure this, a three-dimensional model is proposed. The three
dimensions would distinguish choices to be made:
• by whom (individuals and organizations)
• during which phase of the lifecycle of an IoT application
• about which issues.
By Whom
Choices are to be made by individuals and by organizations. An individual can be in
the role of ICT professional developing IoT infrastructure or IoT applications or in the
role of a user of IoT. Organizations can be in the role of user, of ICT industry
developing IoT hardware and software or of authorities/regulators responsible for
policies, standardization, legislation and other types of regulation.
Phases of an IoT lifecycle
Many lifecycle phases of products, systems and applications can be found in literature.
Generally speaking the following phases can also be distinguished for an IoT
application:
• Analysis/design;
• Development/production;
• Operation/maintenance;
• Disposition.
Issues
The broad spectrum of issues to be considered includes:
• Technical issues
• Legal issues (including liability)
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52 L. Strous
• Ethical issues
• Education, training, awareness
• Usability and accessibility issues/freedom of choice and personalization issues
• Environmental issues
• Privacy issues
• Risks, Security, Resilience
• Impact on persons and society
• Professionalism/duty of care.
4 IFIP’s Position on Major Questions and Choices
This position paper is not a series of positions on the technologies in the Internet of
Things but it is a series of statements about choices that can be made and/or should be
made and that should be enabled by technologies and/or policies. As a federation of
societies of ICT professionals, for our positions we take the perspective of a human
centred IoT: “A human centred IoT would imply an environment where IoT will
empower people and not transform them into hostages of technology” [1].
The most elementary choice is the question “can I choose not to use an IoT?”. The
answer to this question is not straightforward for all cases. There may be arguments e.g.
for national security or environmental reasons to limit the choices. In the following
paragraphs this and a number of other questions will be addressed. In each paragraph
IFIP’s position on a variety of aspects is presented and substantiated.
The paragraphs are following the dimension “By whom” (see Sect. 3.2).
4.1 ICT Professional
I. IFIP’s position is that an ICT professional should have sufficient professional

and ethical competencies to make the right choices when designing, develop-
ing, implementing, operating or managing software/hardware as part of an
Internet of Things that is able to offer choices to its’ users.
Having sufficient professional and ethical competencies is a general requirement for
ICT professionals. However, in an IoT environment this is especially important
because users may not be aware of the fact that choices are, could or should be
possible. Users also may not be in a position to demand choices or to influence the
usage of collected data. Therefore, the professionals should see to it that such choices
are embedded and offered. The constraint of course is that also an ICT professional
may not be in a position to decide upon the design etcetera. This means that a condition
for making this work is to have professional and ethical competencies not only
embedded in the codes of ethics of societies of professionals but also in companies’
policies. And to have a work environment that is supportive of putting these policies
into practice.
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II. IFIP’s position is that ICT professionals have a choice to educate/inform

users on both the potential benefits and the risks of the Internet of Things the
users are confronted with.
Users should be informed about the benefits and risks of Internet of Things applications
they use. If the owner/developer of such applications does not (sufficiently) inform the
users, ICT professionals have a choice, maybe even a duty, to do this, for instance via
research papers and publications. In order to be able to do this, there should be no legal
liability when publishing such results.
4.2 User
Both individuals and organizations can be in the role of user.
III. IFIP’s position is that users at least must have a choice to switch off the
connection/not use the smart part of smart devices. In other words, users
should have an opt in or opt out choice.
IV. IFIP’s position is that it supports the possibility to empower users in such a
way that they can control and personalize the behaviour of smart objects
and associated applications through appropriate design tools even if they do
not have programming knowledge.
For example, if a smart meter gives the energy company full insight in the user’s
energy consumption, the user should have the option to not provide this information.
This means that policies/regulations/legislations should allow for this and also the
technology/devices should make this possible. Users should be aware of the conse-
quences of both the opt in and opt out choice.
There may be applications or circumstances where it is not possible or desirable to
give users an opt in or opt out choice, for instance in cases where national security is at
stake. When this is the case, it should be clearly explained to users.
V. IFIP’s position is that users should inform themselves about the various
aspects (benefits/risks) of the devices that are connected in the IoT they are
using.
While ICT professionals and ICT industry have a choice, or actually an obligation, to
educate/inform users, these users have a choice, or also perhaps an obligation, to
inform themselves. This can be by simply reading the information provided or asking
for information if that is not provided. A condition to help users is the availability of “a
set of the right questions”.
VI. IFIP’s position is that involving users in the design/development of IoT
(application) should be encouraged.
Users are not only passive users but are also often people who possess knowledge and
can contribute in the design/development of IoT. Having a say – if possible, in the
design process – would be one way to make them more active.
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54 L. Strous
4.3 ICT Industry
VII. IFIP’s position is that the ICT industry providing IoT applications should
inform users about the benefits and potential risks.
This should not be a choice but an obligation. It has to be clear for users for which
purposes data are collected. A mechanism needs to be in place to assure the security
and protection of such collected data and providers should inform users about these
mechanisms. It should also be made clear what the consequences of either choice (opt
in or opt out) are.
VIII. IFIP’s position is that the ICT industry should not develop IoT applica-
tions that provide data that can be used without the owners of the data
knowing about the use or consenting to it. The ICT industry has a choice
not to do this.
Owners of data, both personal data or data that can be linked to persons in an indirect
way, should know who is doing what with their data and they should have the right to
give consent for such usage. This may not be possible in all cases but that should then
also be clear.
4.4 Authority/Regulator
IX. IFIP’s position is that policymakers/regulators should take into account the
interests of users when regulating the use of (personal) data (including data
that can be linked to a person in an indirect way e.g. via home, car, etc.).
Policymakers/regulators have a choice to balance the interests of various stakeholders
in the applications and their data. It is important that policies and regulations provide
the conditions for the choices that users and providers can or should be able to make.
5 Possible Actions
IFIP, it’s member societies and their members can contribute to solve the “choice
problems” addressed in the previous chapter. What can be done:
• Check/promote the presence of the professional and ethical competencies issue, for
example in codes of ethics of professional societies and in companies’ HR policies.
• Provide a “set of the right questions”.
• Promote the position statements to the professionals, users, industry and authorities.
• Research the benefits and risks of the various Internet of Things applications.
• Increase research of those aspects that are insufficiently addressed and/or that are
gaining more and more importance. Examples could be: (1) With the increasing
number of IoT devices will there be energy to run all of them? IoT is requesting the
production of low power devices, that means the use of optimisation techniques,
and the direction is to have dedicated devices to each need or function. (2) With the
increasing number of IoT applications, ethical (privacy, surveillance etc.) and
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security issues are becoming more and more important due to the use, design and
implementation of such applications.
6 Annex. Sample Definitions
ITU [2]
“Internet of Things (IoT): A global infrastructure for the information society, enabling
advanced services by interconnecting physical and virtual things based on existing and
evolving interoperable information and communication technologies.
Thing: an object of the physical world or the information world, which is capable of
being identified and integrated into communication networks.
Device: a piece of equipment with the mandatory capability of communication and
the optional capabilities of sensing, actuation, data capture, data storage, and data
processing.”
Wikipedia [3]
“The Internet of Things (IoT) is the inter-networking of physical devices (also
referred to as “thing”, “object”, “connected devices” or “smart devices”) such as
vehicles, buildings, and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors,
actuators, and network connectivity which enable these objects to collect and exchange
data. The IoT allows objects and their environments to be sensed or controlled remotely
across existing network infrastructure, creating opportunities for more direct integration
of the physical world into computer-based systems, and resulting in improved effi-
ciency, accuracy and economic benefit in addition to reduced human intervention.
When IoT is augmented with sensors and actuators, the technology becomes an
instance of the more general class of cyber-physical systems, which also encompasses
technologies such as smart grids, virtual power plants, smart homes, intelligent
transportation and smart cities. Each thing is uniquely identifiable through its
embedded computing system but is able to interoperate within the existing Internet
infrastructure.”
Gubbi et al. [4]
“The worldwide network of interconnected objects uniquely addressable based on
standard communication protocols.” and “Our definition of the Internet of Things for
smart environments is: Interconnection of sensing and actuating devices providing the
ability to share information across platforms through a unified framework, developing a
common operating picture for enabling innovative applications. This is achieved by
seamless ubiquitous sensing, data analytics and information representation with Cloud
computing as the unifying framework.”
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56 L. Strous
References
1. EC Staff working document “Advancing the Internet of Things in Europe”, April 2016.
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/staff-working-document-advancing-
internet-things-europe
2. ITU Recommendation Y.4000/Y.2060 - Overview of the Internet of things. https://www.itu.
int/rec/T-REC-Y.2060-201206-I
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_things. Accessed 14 Aug 2017, 21:22 Amsterdam,
(Slightly Adjusted)
4. Gubbi, J., Buyya, R., Marusic, S., Palaniswami, M.: Internet of Things (IoT): a vision,
architectural elements, and future directions. Future Gener. Comput. Syst. 29(7), 1645–1660
(2013)
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IFIPIoT 2018 Refereed Papers
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The Outcomes of the Implementation
of Internet of Things: A Public
Value Perspective
Ott Velsberg(&)
Department of Informatics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

[email protected]
Abstract. In recent years, Internet of Things (IoT) has gained presence in all
areas of life. Whilst private sector is the forerunner in the adoption of these
devices, public sector usage has been lagging. With the rise of smart initiatives,
public organizations are increasingly implementing IoT. The necessity to know
in which areas of public sector IoT has been implemented and what public value
has been derived, has gained importance as reporting of the cost efficiency and
benefits of these initiatives has gained attention. This paper seeks to determine
the importance of IoT in the public sector from the perspective of public value.
IoT implementation in Estonian municipalities was studied to provide concrete
data on the use of IoT. Next to efficiency, which is a known goal of IT
implementation, the research findings suggest that while IoT has generated
public value, there has been a shift in value creation with other outcomes such as
effectiveness, transparency and collaboration gaining increased presence. While
IoT shows great promise for public value creation, more research is needed to
study how public sector can leverage these devices to harvest more benefits than
the simple automatization of work processes.
Keywords: Public values Public sector Value creation Internet of Things
1 Introduction
The term Internet of Things (IoT) has attracted considerable attention in academics,
industry and public sector, and is envisioned as a global network of machines and
devices that can interact with each other [23]. The IoT has been regarded as one of the
most important areas of future technology [23] and to be at the core of the fourth
industrial revolution [19]. The European Commission envisions IoT as an indispens-
able component towards the digitisation of our society and economy [8]. It is forecasted
that the market value of IoT in the EU will exceed one trillion euros by 2020 [7], and
by 2025 the yearly global economic impact of IoT is estimated to be between 3 trillion
to 9 trillion euros, accounting close to 11% of the world economy [25].
Research indicates that by 2020, close to 26% of all IoT solutions will be consumed
by public sector [12]. A high rate of expenditure can be predicted, as national and local
governments have been voracious consumers of information technologies (IT) in the
past [29]. However, recent studies indicate that close to 60% of IoT initiatives stall at
the Proof of Concept stage and 75% of completed IoT projects fail to produce value
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15651-0_7
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60 O. Velsberg
[16]. With regards to this, it becomes questionable whether the value created from IoT
overweighs the financial risks taken by the public sector.
Creating public value has been a key focus in digitizing public sector organizations.
If the public sector continues to invest in IoT, our innate logic tells us that it must create
public value. Agarwal and Lucas [1] argued that to contribute to the IS field it is
fundamental to demonstrate the value of IT. Following the same argumentation, it is
crucial to demonstrate the public value of IoT. However, to date, the research on IoT
and public value creation has been scarce.
The aim of this research is to offer a contribution regarding the public value created
by IoT, asking: What public value does IoT create in the public sector? The study offers
a glimpse on the main values created by IoT, based on an extensive qualitative study on
46 municipalities in Estonia. The paper briefly introduces the concept of public value
and IoT, including an overview of IoT implementation in the public sector.
The paper is structured as follows. First, the theoretical basis is set by introducing
the concept of public value. Next, the concept of IoT and its role in public sector will be
introduced. In the following parts, the research design and findings are presented. This
will be followed by a discussion of findings and a conclusion.
2 Theoretical Background
This section introduces the concept of public value, which is regarded as one of the
main reasons for public sector innovation. The following section introduces the concept
of IoT and discuss its importance in generating public value.
2.1 Public Value Perspective

Public entities such as governments, municipalities and county councils are constantly
seeking to address contemporary challenges and opportunities through utilizing
emerging technologies [29]. While there are many motivators for adopting IT solutions,
a primary goal of IT initiatives is to create and deliver public value [18]. Public value
focuses on governmentally produced benefits that serve the interests of stakeholders
both inside and outside the public organization [14]. The creation of public value
entails balancing competing public interests through emphasizing collective prefer-
ences and expectations of government, citizens and other stakeholders who consume
the services [5, 27]. Consequently, public sector bases its decisions to implement IT on
the expected benefits and conflicting demands of various stakeholders [30].
It is widely acknowledged that IT creates public value. A successful IT imple-
mentation is believed to drastically change how governmental organizations operate,
bringing forth substantial organizational, technical, business and societal benefits [10,
20]. IT-based value manifests itself both in terms of economic values e.g. operational
efficiency, and non-economic values e.g. trust in government and sustainability [29].
For the associated stakeholders, e.g. citizens, users, public administrators and politi-
cians, the public value can manifest differently, e.g. administrative personnel and
managers from public sector might place high value on accountability, c.f. [10], while
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The Outcomes of the Implementation of IoT 61
citizens might value accessibility to governmental information [38]. Harrison et al. [14]
divided public value into seven categories, namely:
1. Economic – impacts on current or future income, asset values, liabilities, entitle-
ments, or other aspects of wealth or risks to any of the above.
2. Political – impacts on a person’s or group’s influence on government actions or
policy, or their role in political affairs, influence in political parties or prospects for
public office.
3. Social – impacts on family or community relationships, social mobility, status, and
identity.
4. Strategic – impacts on person’s or group’s economic or political advantage or
opportunities, goals, and resources for innovation or planning.
5. Quality of life – impacts on individual and household health, security, satisfaction,
and general well-being.
6. Ideological – impacts on beliefs, moral or ethical commitments, alignment of
government actions/policies or social outcomes with beliefs, or moral or ethical
positions.
7. Stewardship – impacts on the public’s view of government officials as faithful
steward.
The incorporation of public value in the discussion of public sector investment in
IT is especially relevant as it allows to monitor the outcome of government investment
and understand the relationship between IT and public value delivery [36]. Under-
standing the relationship between IT and public value creation can assist public
organizations in the pursuit of suitable use of technology to benefit society and secure
the cost efficiency of public value creation [3].
2.2 Role of the Internet of Things

The IoT has rapidly gained presence and is sometimes regarded as the most disruptive
phase of the Internet revolution [2, 34]. IoT is ubiquitous by nature and is present in
different almost identical concepts, such as “Internet of Everything”, “ubiquitous
computing”, “pervasive computing” and “ambient intelligence”, whereas the differ-
ences between the terms are of academic nature [9]. IoT is a general term used for
objects interconnected through networks, that encompass processing and sensor
capabilities, allowing the devices to transmit recorded information from the outside
environment. IoT allows information, resources, “things”, e.g. sensors, beacons,
actuators, mobile phones etc., to interact with each other and cooperate with their smart
components to reach common goals [15]. Realizing the value of IoT requires inte-
gration of IT infrastructures and information services - such as RFID tags, wireless
broadband and geographic information systems [33]. Sensory data must be gathered
from distributed smart objects and be transmitted using a communication infrastructure,
which can encompass both wired and wireless communication technologies [32]. IoT
allows to link real-life objects with the virtual world - providing anytime, anyplace
connectivity for anything [34].
These capabilities can be applied to everyday objects, thus affecting all areas of life [9].
IoT will change the way we collect, analyse, and respond to data, creating opportunities for
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62 O. Velsberg
individuals, governments, and businesses to develop new business models and forms of
interaction that take advantage of ubiquitous computing power embedded in objects [13].
While the majority of IoT initiatives have been implemented in the private sector, studies
have indicated that the importance of IoT in public sector is increasing [4, 12]. This is
driven by the rapid development of IT, and expanding efforts by national and local
governments to change how they operate. Local governments are increasingly turning
towards new information systems, often utilizing IoT, to develop livable, economically
sustainable and efficient living environments. IoT is implemented in various settings from
cities to rural areas. Utilizing IoT devices allows local governments to monitor and take
immediate action on almost every aspect of urban and rural space, and provide citizens
with relevant information and services [33, 35]. Among others, IoT can be used to create
new and enhance existing services, improve efficiency and effectiveness of internal
management and service delivery, and foster collaboration with different stakeholders [9,
22]. Due to the dynamic nature of public sector, the requirements for IoT devices can vary
significantly. The IoT devices that can swiftly and accurately transmit information can be
crucial for winter road maintenance, while speed would not be a requirement for water
consumption monitoring.
In the context of public sector, IoT has the potential to improve several areas,
including: healthcare, education, utilities, infrastructure, buildings, environment and
culture. With regards to this, IoT becomes pivotal in streamlining governmental pro-
cesses and engaging citizens in all areas of local governance. However, to date, little is
known on how IoT generates public value. Consequently, there also lacks knowledge
on how local governments could benefit from implementing IoT.
3 Public Value Framework
For the study in hand, it was considered suitable to use the six public value generating
mechanisms proposed by Harrison et al. [14] to understand what public value IoT
creates in public sector (See Table 1). Harrison et al. [14] created the set of value
generators to specify how public value is created, i.e. which government action lead to
the creation of public value. For analysis, the six public value mechanisms proposed by
Harrison et al. [14] were used for guidance. To investigate the relationship between IoT
and public value generating mechanisms, a public value framework was created to
assess the IoT initiatives and to distinguish between the outcomes (See Table 1). Based
on Nam and Pardo [28] the evaluation dimensions were presented from the external
view (interactions with citizens, private companies and other relevant non-governmental
actors) and from the internal view (interactions within the local government). Identi-
fying and measuring the public value of IoT is complicated as different stakeholders may
have different attitudes on what is regarded a successful outcome of an IT initiative [37].
As a result, public value creation was studied from the perspective of public organi-
zations. Similarly to this study, most research on IT value studies the outcome of past IT
investments through a post hoc analysis [21]. As the study is concerned with how IoT
solutions add value to local governments and public, broader economic factors are not
considered unless they directly relate to governmental or public impact.
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Table 1. Public value framework.

Dimensions Management (internal view) Service delivery (external view)
Efficiency Concentrates on the internal Concentrates on the efficiency of
managerial efficiency in terms of producing and delivering services
obtaining increased outputs,
workloads, activities, processes and
goal attainment
Effectiveness Concentrates on the quality of Concentrates on the quality of
internal management services delivered
Intrinsic Concentrates on the changing Concentrates on the changing
enhancements environment or circumstances for environment or circumstances for
governmental stakeholders non-governmental parties
Transparency Concentrates on the access of Concentrates on the external access
information or processes inside the to information and processes
local government regarding service provision and
delivery
Participation Concentrates on the frequency and Concentrates on the frequency and
intensity of direct involvement of intensity of direct involvement of
internal stakeholders in decision external stakeholders in decision
making or operation of government making or operation of government
Collaboration Concentrates on the improvement Concentrates on the collaboration
of collaboration inside the local between governmental and non-
government in terms of sharing governmental parties in terms of
responsibility or authority for sharing responsibility or authority
governmental processes and actions for governmental processes and
actions
4 Research Design
To understand how IoT creates public value, a qualitative study was carried out on the
use of IoT in Estonian municipalities. The following section provides information on
the research domain, data collection and analysis.
4.1 Data Collection

To paint a thorough picture of the use of IoT in public sector, the research concentrated
on the use of IoT in Estonian municipalities. The data was collected between March
and December 2017 through semi-structured interviews and supporting documentation
reviews.
The research participants were found by first contacting all 202 municipalities in
Estonia via e-mail regarding the use of IoT in public sector, the municipalities that had
implemented IoT solutions were included to the study and the municipalities who were
in the planning phase of IoT implementation or who had not implemented IoT solutions
were excluded. Thus, ex ante descriptions of the predicted outcome of IoT were not
included in the study. In total 81 municipalities replied, of whom 46 were included in
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64 O. Velsberg
the study. From those 46 municipalities, 67 participants were contacted and inter-
viewed regarding the implemented IoT solutions. In some municipalities, more than
one public official was interviewed due to a lack of involvement of the interviewee with
other IoT solutions.
The interviews were conducted in person where possible, and over the phone in
other circumstances. An interview guide was used to determine the course of the
interviews, which included open-ended questions that allowed to include topics that
were not predetermined by the interview guide. The type of questions in the interview
guide included the type of solutions implemented, the outcomes of the solutions,
collaboration with other stakeholders, the role of IoT, measurement techniques for the
outcomes etc. In Table 2 an overview of the interview questions is presented. The
interview guides were iteratively changed, according to the research conducted prior to
the interviews - publicly available information on each municipality was gathered to
determine the type of solutions introduced.
Table 2. Overview of interview questions.
Interview question examples:

What IoT solutions have been implemented?
What has been the guiding principle behind the deployment of IoT?
What benefits has the IoT brought?
How has the IoT affected municipal processes?
How do you verify the integrity of the collected data?
Why did the municipality decide to use the devices?
Would it be financially beneficial for other municipalities to use these devices?
The interviews lasted between 20 and 120 min, with an average of 57 min. All
interviews were audio recorded and later transcribed. The participants had been using
IoT solutions from five months to five years - providing enough time to realize the
value of IoT initiatives [24]. A summary of all interviews will be presented in Table 3.
Table 3. Summary of interviews.

Public sector representatives Total number of respondents
Chief information officer 7
Environmental and municipal advisor 3
Head of economics department 9
Head of public administrative unit 4
Head of road maintenance 1
Head of utilities 7
Municipal mayor 14
Municipal vice-mayor 22
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Supporting documentation such as procurement documents, public documents, and

technical files were collected from governmental databases and online sources, e.g.
municipal websites and from technology providers. Technical documentation was
attained on both the system and the device where possible. Procurement documents
which allowed to better understand the reasons and granularities of the implementation
of any device were studied where possible. Public documents used included govern-
mental reports, public statements etc. Secondary data sources were used to prepare for
interviews, map government priorities etc. A summary of all additional procedures for
data collection are presented in Table 4.
Table 4. Summary of data collection.

Supporting documentation
Procurement documents 118
Public documents 173
Technical documents 131
4.2 Data Analysis

To analyse the data, the recommended procedures for qualitative research were fol-
lowed to guide through the three steps of coding [6, 26]. During the first round of
coding an initial coding scheme was developed. As the research was concerned with
identifying what public value IoT generates, the coding scheme was based on public
value framework (See Table 1). During the second round of coding, examples of IoT
generated public value were identified. As the study focused on how IoT has generated
public value for the municipalities, the perspective of citizens and other stakeholders
were considered through municipal perspective. The different dimensions were
recorded altogether 2644 times. From the mentioned segments, 1481 concentrated on
the external view. The remaining segments were divided between the internal
dimensions. A summary of coded segments can be seen in Table 5.
Table 5. Summary of coded segments.

Dimensions Management (internal view) Service delivery (external view)
Efficiency 431 339
Effectiveness 298 405
Intrinsic enhancements 67 74
Transparency 113 301
Participation 143 185
Collaboration 111 177
Total 1163 1481
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66 O. Velsberg
The third round of coding compared previously coded segments to summarize

shared features and variance within and across research sites. Multiple data sources
allowed to compare, contrast and triangulate data [26]. ATLAS.ti was used throughout
the study for data analysis. Findings are presented in the following section.
5 Empirical Analysis
In recent years, IoT has gained traction in public discourse as IoT solutions are
increasingly implemented. This research concentrates on the use of IoT in Estonian
municipalities - studying the public value created by these solutions.
5.1 Mapping the Estonian IoT Solutions

IoT solutions can be implemented for virtually any purpose, however the study iden-
tified some core areas in which the implementation of IoT was more common, namely
buildings and transportation. In total, 158 IoT solutions were implemented, from those,
the study identified 30 different IoT solution types. Table 6 will present an overview of
the implemented solutions and the number of municipalities that implemented those.
Table 6. Summary of IoT solutions.

Area Number of Overview of the solutions Examples
solutions (number of
(percentage of all solutions)
solutions)
Buildings 29 (18.3%) Systems that include simple motion Heating system
sensors to regulate lightning to more (9);
complex systems that regulate Smart lightning
window canopies depending on (10);
lightning and temperature Ventilation
system (8);
Window canopies
(2)
Infrastructure 21 (13.3%) Systems that include simple motion Pothole
sensors to turn on and regulate identification
lightning, to more complex systems system (1);
that regulate lightning depending on Intelligent
vehicle speed and depending on lightning (20)
public transportation movement.
Pothole identification system allows
to identify and map the condition of
roads
Healthcare 2 (1.3%) Sensors collecting physical vitals and SOS-bracelets
transmitting them to healthcare (2)
professionals and public officials.
Allows to notify of emergencies
Security 19 (12%) Vehicle surveillance systems collect, Smoke detectors
analyze and transmit information on (3);
(continued)
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Table 6. (continued)
Area Number of Overview of the solutions Examples
solutions (number of
(percentage of all solutions)
solutions)
vehicles. Smoke detectors and Surveillance
surveillance systems allow remote system (7);
access and improved detection Vehicle
surveillance
system (9)
Transportation 49 (31%) Connected buses and fleet telematics Connected buses
allow remote monitoring of location, (5);
performance and behavior of vehicles Fleet telematics
Remote passenger validation system (34);
allows to validate passengers and Pedestrian/cyclist
track their movements counter (2);
Traffic and pedestrian/cyclist counter Remote passenger
allows to count the number of validation system
individuals and various other (1);
elements, e.g. their speed and whether Self-driving buses
they wear bicycle helmets (1);
Smart parking allows to track and Smart bicycle
visualize the available parking spaces parking (3);
Traffic counter (3)
Utilities 23 (14.6%) Array of sensors that allow to Biomass heating
improve the processes and automate systems (5);
the monitoring and maintenance of Garbage transfer
utility systems, e.g. geothermal station (1);
systems, garbage transfer stations Garbage bins (2);
and wastewater treatment plants. Geothermal
Smart meters allow to collect and systems (6);
analyze water consumption and Water meters (5);
automate various processes, e.g. Water plant (2);
billing and detection of leakage Wastewater
treatment plant
(2)
Weather and 15 (9.5%) Array of sensors that collect and Air quality
environmental analyze environmental information, sensors (3);
monitoring such as water and air quality, Noise sensors (1);
temperature and constituents. The Pavement sensors
system alerts when these values (1);
exceed a set threshold Snow monitoring
(3);
Water monitoring
(3);
Weather Stations
(4)
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68 O. Velsberg
Table 7. Number of solutions with identified public value.

Dimensions Number of solutions Total number of
Management Service delivery solutions
(internal view) (external view)
Efficiency 68 36 75
Effectiveness 64 53 94
Intrinsic 16 7 19
enhancements
Transparency 28 64 67
Participation 24 17 32
Collaboration 38 42 45
Table 7 presents a summary of solutions where public value was identified. A so-
lution could simultaneously provide public value in many dimensions, for example
there were 75 solutions which generated efficiency, from those solutions, 68 produced
public value for management and 36 solutions produced public value in service
delivery.
The following part presents how IoT impacted the six public value mechanisms,
drawing on specific IoT implementation examples for illustration, see Table 6.
5.2 Efficiency
The study identified that 64.5% of solutions (102 solutions) had efficiency as their
primary desired outcome. From all solutions, 47.5% of solutions (75 solutions) iden-
tified efficiency as an achieved outcome. While reducing costs was the main consid-
eration during the procurement, it was difficult for municipalities to isolate the effects
and measure the outcome. Consequently, improvements in efficiency were visible in
terms of productivity, most commonly through reduced time and improved commu-
nication. The devices allowed municipal employees to work everywhere at any time
without physically being present. This allowed to get a better and timelier overview of
work processes, coordinate and reduce the workload. The devices allowed to verify
whether service contractors and systems worked as needed. Through automatic ana-
lyzation it was possible to identify deviations that would have otherwise remained
unnoticed. Even though IoT in some instances increased the hourly rate of work, the
number of hours spent decreased. For instance, the fleet telematics enabled mainte-
nance managers to re-route optimal vehicles, better maintain roads, and reduce the time
vehicles were standing idle. Commonly implemented solutions included fleet telem-
atics which helped to resolve disputes among stakeholders and reduced strain on
municipalities to provide timely information to citizens. At the forefront of cost cutting
were solutions related to energy consumption reduction, however the use of motion and
CO2 sensors were difficult to utilize to their fullest potential due to the human element
which interfered with the automatization, i.e. people opened windows instead of
allowing the ventilation system to operate independently. To counter the human ele-
ment, various approaches were taken, from employee training to changes in the
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physical environment, i.e. making it impossible to open windows. Still, cost efficiency
remained difficult to achieve and often even harder to measure due to the changing
environmental elements, e.g. changing weather conditions made it hard to compare
changes on yearly basis.
5.3 Effectiveness
Improved effectiveness was the most commonly achieved outcome from the use of IoT,
identified as an achieved outcome in 59.5% of solutions (94 solutions). Although the
implementation of IoT systems commonly had a goal to gain efficiency, especially in
financial terms, most highly valued outcomes identified by the municipalities were
derived from improved effectiveness. The devices allowed public officials to reduce
unnecessary work (avoid personal interaction, provide easier access to information,
allow for increased control, and offer convenience), and improve decision making and
work outcomes (services could be personalized and provided in timely manner,
investments were more targeted). Data provided by the sensors allowed to evaluate the
work of devices, e.g. heating systems and private contractors, e.g. garbage disposal
providers. In case of deviations, municipalities were notified of the changes. This
allowed to improve the quality of service delivery and through that reduce costs as it
took less time to achieve the intended outcome. Controversially, the devices often
proved to be more efficient in identifying the shortcomings in effectiveness rather than
aiding in improving them. For example, the pothole identifying system allowed to map
the problematic roads, however the information did not necessarily lead to improve-
ments as the processes surrounding the road management were not improved to reflect
the capabilities of the data generated by IoT. As an example, a municipality used the
system to identify potholes, but made no changes to organizational operation and road
management strategy.
5.4 Intrinsic Enhancements

Intrinsic enhancements were identified as the least important outcome from the use of
IoT, only identified in 12% of solutions (19 solutions) as an achieved outcome. In
majority of cases intrinsic enhancements were not considered during the implemen-
tation, but rather emerged as unexpected outcomes during the use of the devices.
Intrinsic enhancements considered here, i.e. less redundant work practices regarding
communication, were by nature silent outcomes, as they were experienced by all, but
the highest improvements would be expected at service level and for consumers, but
not necessarily by service providers - in this case municipalities. This in turn con-
tributed to the low priority of intrinsic enhancements.
5.5 Transparency
Improved transparency was identified as an achieved goal of IoT in 42.4% of solutions
(67 solutions). IoT allowed municipalities and their employees to defend their decision
making, overcome false accusations (reduce the impact of political loyalty), and helped
to avoid unethical and unlawful actions, i.e. provide equal treatment for all stakeholders
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70 O. Velsberg
and protect individual rights. Through making information available for the public,
municipalities could reduce their workload, make more calculated decisions, foster
trust and accountability, and receive valuable feedback on their services. When citizens
demanded information, the public official could rely on IoT generated data to provide
up-to-date information. Municipalities could further control whether service contractors
worked in an agreed upon amount and according to contracts - helping to contribute to
reliability and stability of service provision. This allowed to avoid conflicts between the
municipality and the service contractors, paved the way towards a trusting relationship
and enhanced cooperation. However, transparency remained the most controversial
outcome of IoT implementation, as improvements in transparency generated countless
unforeseen difficulties that resulted in reversing the improved work practices to the
previous mode of operation. To illustrate, citizens started to ambush winter road
maintenance vehicles when the information of the vehicle movement was made
available online. This resulted in an overall stigma for improvements in transparency,
as failures in municipal management could have given a political disadvantage in
upcoming elections, or provided a competitive advantage for neighboring
municipalities.
5.6 Participation
Improved participation was identified as an outcome of IoT implementation in 20.3%
of solutions (32 solutions). Improved participation was never the primary intent of IoT
implementation, however municipalities experienced improved participation both from
local government and from external stakeholders. From the improvements in the
dimension of participation, 24 solutions identified improvements on an internal level,
improvements on an external level were visible in 17 solutions. However, silos existed
whereby internal actors from different departments were not invested in the improve-
ment of government operation even if capabilities to support it were created. Cir-
cumstances where internal stakeholders were involved consisted of instances where the
system directly affected them in terms of their private or working life. While external
stakeholders were more highly interested in decision making and in the operation of
government, it was generally not welcomed by the government officials. Instead the
generated data was used to support the sole decisions of managers involved with the
IoT implementation, leaving out the external actors - mistrust and uncooperative
behaviors remained wide-spread.
5.7 Collaboration
Improved collaboration was identified as an achieved outcome in 28.5% of solutions
(45 solutions). Collaboration was wide-spread both internally and externally. However,
in majority of cases, collaboration was required for IoT implementation, but not nec-
essarily fostered it. For instance, vehicle surveillance systems required police
involvement due to the data protection acts. Collaboration was often present before the
implementation of IoT, however IoT greatly enhanced the level of involvement and
supported influx of more relevant information. For instance, when municipalities
noticed that the quality of work was consistently worse for some drivers, e.g. garbage
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removal, they notified the private contractors, which allowed to improve the service
delivery. Due to the availability of information, collaboration emerged between public
officials and private contractors. For instance, when a technician previously had to be
present to fix a biomass heating system, then following IoT implementation public
officials took increasingly care of the maintenance. Similarly, when there were prob-
lems with private contractors’ work, public officials directly contacted the people
responsible. IoT provided capabilities that made municipalities adopt a more active role
in service delivery. Indeed, municipalities had started to consider providing services
without public-private collaboration. For instance, in winter road maintenance IoT
created a situation where the public official became more actively invested in the
maintenance than the private maintenance manager. Citizens on the other hand were
involved in government operation through actively evaluating the available informa-
tion, notifying of shortcomings. When services did not meet citizen expectations or
citizens needed a custom service, they contacted for improvements. While citizens were
involved, their participation in the governance was not wide-spread. With regards to
this, citizens had limited impact, i.e. did not contribute, on the functioning of
government.
6 Discussion
Previous research indicates that efficiency is typically the primary goal of IT initiatives
[11], which also holds proof here. However, the findings suggest that public organi-
zations are increasingly focusing their attention on other dimensions besides efficiency,
most commonly on effectiveness and transparency. This goes against the typical notion
of IoT which is mainly articulated in terms of economic value [31]. Municipalities
included in the study often considered other dimensions as the most sought after,
neglecting efficiency as an important outcome even if an element of efficiency, e.g. time
or cost, was stated as the primary implementation goal. By contrast other elements,
most notably effectiveness and transparency, were increasingly derived as outcomes of
these government initiatives. With regards to this, IoT allows to create public value
beyond efficiency.
The findings suggest that while collaboration, transparency and participation gen-
erated public value, they should not be viewed as an administrative goal [14]. The
opposing needs of stakeholders could create disturbances that could negatively affect
the effectiveness and efficiency of public organizations. Harrison et al. [14] argued that
transparency, participation and collaboration should be viewed as means toward
desirable ends. The findings of this study suggest that without clear goal, public
organizations should refrain from making information publically available. Controlled
secrecy in some instances could prove more beneficial for deriving public value. For
instance, available information was used to interfere with service provision and how the
system operated, e.g. stopping winter road maintenance vehicles or opening windows
to regulate temperature. Hence, each case should be closely evaluated to determine
whether external and/or internal actors should be engaged in the operation of gov-
ernment. While it is easier to continue in secrecy, transparency and collaboration had a
strong effect on achieving public values from other dimensions, e.g. effectiveness and
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72 O. Velsberg
efficiency, which otherwise were not achieved. Thus, government initiatives should be
directed to stakeholders that allow to achieve the optimum public value.
The study illustrates that while some solutions are more beneficial than others,
deriving public value from IoT initiatives requires public organizations to use the
generated data to change how they operate. While the most substantial changes require
IoT technology, management and policy changes make the biggest difference in the
derived outcome of IoT. Using smart garbage bins or fleet telematics without changing
how public organizations operate brought forward positive changes, but substantial
benefits, required a change in management and policy. Public organizations had to
change how they operate through using the devices and generated data in a unique way.
For instance, they could continue to use fleet telematics for surveillance of vehicles,
however when incorporating the generated data in investments, decision making or
fostering closer collaboration with private organizations, the most substantial benefits
occurred. As a result, the findings suggest that most public organizations are handling
post-implementation phase of IoT inadequately, most notably regarding what to do
with the produced data.
The research indicates that public organizations are not evaluating the outcome of
IoT implementation. Throughout the study, rather few organizations had performed a
formal evaluation of an IoT initiative. Similarly, the study by Jones and Hughes [17]
identified that public organizations tended to rely on an assessment whether the
technology works, rather than considering the social impact or value of the technology.
If the outcome was evaluated, it was done through the prism of efficiency in an abstract
manner. Without the formal assessment, it becomes difficult for public organizations to
demonstrate the public value of IoT. Relying on abstract measurement systems, such as
the number of complaints by citizens, could be a viable predictor of the success of an
initiative, but it neglects the more substantial outcomes the technology could produce.
There thus remains a need to explore how IoT created public value can be measured
and is measured by public organizations. As the previous findings suggest, other
aspects besides efficiency are gaining traction in IoT generated public value, the study
concludes that the analysis of IoT should also consider other value generators besides
efficiency when evaluating the solution. Evaluation and presentation of the different
forms of public value generated by IoT could allow public organizations to avoid
public scrutiny and improve the utilization of IoT. Especially, as many IoT projects
were sealed off from external stakeholders due to the fear of criticism and political
harm.
7 Conclusion
To conclude, IoT has the capability to create public value and the intended public value
dimensions have widened from the goal of improved efficiency. There has been a shift
in value creation with other goals and outcomes such as effectiveness, transparency and
collaboration gaining increased presence. Furthermore, the data suggest that the eval-
uation of IoT remains largely insufficient, and is mostly done abstractly or through
financial metrics alone, which inhibits capturing the full potential of IoT. Public value
derivation cannot rest on the implementation of IoT solutions alone, but must include
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improvements in management and policy according to the ample data generated by the
devices.
Finally, there are limitations to be acknowledged. First, the research studied public
value through the perspective of public organizations, however public values are rarely
identical for stakeholders. Thus, additional research is required to study public value
from the perspective of stakeholders like citizens and private organizations. Secondly,
evaluating public value is never an easy task and more longitudinal studies could offer
further in-depth understanding of public value created by IoT.
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Strategies for Reducing Power Consumption
and Increasing Reliability in IoT
Ricardo Reis(&)
Instituto de Informática – Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS),

Caixa Postal 15.064, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
[email protected]
Abstract. The Internet of Things (IoT) demands new challenges in the design
of computing and electronics components. One of the challenges is the power
reduction of this expanding network of connected devices, where the majority is
permanently connected. In a large set of applications, another significant issue is
reliability, especially on critical areas as health and transport. This paper shows
an overview of design strategies that we have developed to reduce power
consumption and to increase reliability in circuits that are components of the
IoT, as the reduction of the number of transistors in IoT devices, using opti-
misation techniques and the physical design of circuits tolerant to radiation
effects.
Keywords: Internet-of-Things Optimization Physical design

Fault tolerance Radiation effects Nanoelectronics
1 Introduction
The growing number of connected devices in the Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the
reasons for the ever increasing increase in the number of transistors produced annually
in the world. Figure 1, based on (SIA 2005), shows the number of transistors manu-
factured annually in the world, year by year. This impressive growth is due to 3 main
factors: the increasing number of transistors integrated into a chip, the growing number
of products that include embedded chips and the increasing number of manufactured
copies of each product. The manufacturing cost of a transistor is relatively cheap. In
(The Economist 2010) a comparison is presented between the cost of a grain of rice and
the cost of a transistor. The price of a rice grain can be equivalent to the manufacturing
cost of more than 125,000 transistors. This would indicate that there is no need to
optimise the number of transistors in a design, since the cost of them is relatively small.
But the cost of energy required for the operation of a transistor is increasing a lot. We
also have to consider that a high-power consumption can reduce the lifetime of a
system, as well as increase the effects of variability that can cause an integrated system
to malfunction and/or also reduce its useful life. With the increasing connection of
electronic and computational devices on the Internet, that is, in the Internet of Things,
power consumption problems tend to get worse, and a lot. How much Power Plants we
will need to cope with the IoT/IoE (Internet of Everything) world? This is a major
issue.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15651-0_8
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Strategies for Reducing Power Consumption and Increasing Reliability in IoT 77
So, an essential keyword on the Internet of Things is optimisation, especially the

optimisation of power consumption, which must be addressed at all levels of
abstraction in the design flow of a computer or electronic system. The total power
optimisation is a summation of the optimisation done at each level of design
abstraction. So, sustainable computing requires optimisation at all design levels of a
computer or electronic system design.
Fig. 1. Number of transistors produced annually in the world (adapted from SIA 2005)
2 Internet of Things
The term Internet of Things has already given rise to several other associated terms,
such as the Internet of Health (IoH), Internet of People (IoP) and the Internet of
Everything (IoE). In fact, the latter term becomes the most comprehensive, but each
one of the others has some specific characteristics. When talking about the Internet of
Health, which includes real-time monitoring of a person’s clinical conditions, as well as
chips injected in a person, the issue of reliability is a key one. And reliability is also
related to power consumption in most cases. High power consumption can reduce the
lifetime of a system. When it comes to the Internet of People, the issue of people’s
security and privacy is of great relevance. But in all cases, the importance of optimising
energy consumption is growing more and more.
When considering optimisation, it means that integrated systems must increasingly
be dedicated to the intended application to optimise the number of components, that
means the number of transistors. Another important strategy for optimisation is the
hardware and software codesign, where one can manage the compromise between
performance, consumption, and reliability.
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78 R. Reis
Devices connected to the Internet of Things (or the Internet of Everything), can
have very different complexities. If it is analysed the complexity considering the
number of components, we can find small devices with few transistors and large
devices with billions of transistors. Of course, large devices will consume much more
power, but we have to consider that most devices on the Internet of Things are devices
with a low number of transistors. But, because they are found in large quantities, they
can represent a total consumption more important than the consumption of the so-called
large devices that are present in a lower number. Therefore, consumption optimisation
must be performed on both large and small devices that are present in large quantities.
Another aspect to consider is that some devices require the application of reliability
techniques (such as those related to transport or health systems), which can increase the
number of components, while other devices are not critical, such as a camera or video,
where an error in viewing a pixel of an image does not cause significant problems.
Also, we can expect that many systems connected to the Internet of Everything will be
Cyber Physical Systems (CPS), that are systems composed by different classes of com-
ponents like electronic elements, mechanical elements, optical elements, physical sen-
sors, chemical sensors, organic components, and many others. So, it is needed to obtain
EDA tools to cope with the design of CPS composed of all these classes of devices.
Figure 2 (The Connectivist 2014) shows an estimate of the number of devices
connected to the Internet since 1992 when they were about 1 million devices. By 2020
when it is estimated that there will be more than 50 billion devices connected in the
network, and there are currently around 35 billion connected devices. In (IHS Markit
2018) the number of devices connected to the network in 2018 is shown by industrial
and commercial sectors, where almost half is in the area of communication. The
significant growth in the number of connected devices to the Internet has naturally led
to a considerable increase in the energy consumed in the Internet of Things. For how
long will we have the energy to meet this growing demand? Therefore, it is necessary
to use techniques to minimise the energy consumption of each connected device in the
Internet of Things.
The Internet of Health (IoH) is a significant way to increase the life of human
beings but also to improve life quality. Some of the examples of devices to be con-
nected to the IoH are: Glasses that can advise eye correction; Toothbrush that can find
cavities and breath issues; Razor that identify acne; Pacemakers that broadcast data to
cardiologist; Underwearables that can provide early detection of cancer and other
anomalies; Combs that can scan for fungus and hair loss; Earphones that does mea-
surement of hearing, analysis of emotional level; Watches able to measure parameters
like blood pressure, heart rate and others.
In critical areas such as the design of implanted devices (chips) in humans (Fig. 3),
the reliability of the implanted systems is obviously critical. Some of the techniques
used are based on the triplication of circuits and the temporal analysis of the propa-
gation of a signal. Previously, the design of fault-tolerant circuits, to cope with radiation
effects, was mainly in circuits that were sent to space. With the reduction of the value of
the supply voltage of integrated circuits, nowadays the integrated circuits for use at
ground level are also sensitive to errors caused by the radiation incident on the earth.
Therefore, in critical areas such as implanted chips in humans, it is necessary to
implement radiation effects tolerance techniques (Velazco et al. 2007). Also, critical
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Fig. 2. Number of devices connected on the Internet (adapted from The Connectivist 2014)
systems used on the Internet of Health should be tolerant to any kind of noise (internal
or external to the human body). They also must have a larger lifetime as possible, for
obvious reasons and also should cope with environmental variability.
Fig. 3. The implantation of Chip Systems in humans demands reliability and ultra-low
consumption
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80 R. Reis
Also, there is the effect of “ageing”, that is, the ageing of the circuit, which is more
eminent in nanometric technologies (Vasquez et al. 2012). One of the most important
effects is known as NBTI (Negative Bias Temperature Instability) that alters the
threshold voltage of the PMOS transistors, degrading the operation of the transistor.
Another effect that causes failures in circuits throughout their life is the effect of
electromigration, which can cause short circuits or rupture of connections (Fig. 4). In
order to increase the lifetime of the chips, it is necessary to use physical design
techniques that reduce the probability of electromigration (Posser et al. 2016, 2017).
Fig. 4. Exemplo of a Void (open circuit) and hillock (short circuit) (Geden 2011).
3 Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Tools
The use of EDA tools is essential for optimising energy consumption and increasing
reliability, as the design flow has a large set of steps as well the number of components
of a cheap can reach billions off transistors. In Fig. 5 we can see the floorplan of an
integrated circuit, where the hotter colours show regions (hot spots) with higher energy
consumption, indicating that in some points there is a significant concentration of
power consumption. One way to deal with the problem is to modify the placement of
the logic cells in the circuit to distribute the cells with the highest energy consumption
over the entire circuit area. But this must be done without compromising the area,
wirelengh and operating frequency specifications (much depends on the routing).
Another way is to decrease the number of transistors, since the static consumption is
related to the number of transistors (Reis 2011A).
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Fig. 5. View of the consumption density on a chip
4 Power Consumption Reduction by Reducing the Number

of Transistors
The reduction of the power consumption of a System on a Chip (SoC) is a function of a

sum of techniques and strategies of design applied in different levels of abstraction in
the design flow of an integrated system (Reis 2010). The summation of the gains is that
it will set the total gain in power reduction. When we deal with the physical synthesis
of a system on a chip, one technique is the optimisation of the number of components,
that is, the number of transistors. In Fig. 6 (Reis 2011A) we can observe two solutions
for the implementation of the same equation. The first solution makes use of 4 basic
logic gates (3 NOR 2-input ports and one CMOS inverter), using a total of 14 tran-
sistors. The second solution makes use of only one logic gate, which performs the same
function but with only 8 transistors. That is, the second solution, having a reduction in
the number of transistors, will also have a proportionally smaller static power con-
sumption. Furthermore, in the example of Fig. 6, we can see that the first solution also
has 3 connections between the basic gates (and therefore even vias and contacts) that
are eliminated in the second option with only one logic gate.
This elimination of connections is increasingly important because it decreases the
number of connections to be implemented using the different metal layers. The
decrease in the number of connections decreases the density of connections and,
therefore, increases the routability of the circuit and also contributes to reduce the
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82 R. Reis
average length of the connections, which implies in a reduction of the delay. In modern
technologies, the delay in connections is so or more significant than the delay in the
switching of logic gates. A greater spacing between the connections also contributes to
an increase of reliability, due, for example, to the reduction of the possibility of
electromigration, as already mentioned above.
14 Transistors 8 Transistors
Fig. 6. Two options for the implementation of the same function (Reis 2011A)
The reduction of the number of transistors depends on the use of efficient Electronic
Design Automation (EDA) tools that transform the logical equations of a system so that
in addition to mapping equations in CMOS gates, make optimum use of complex logic
gates. In (Conceição et al. 2017) we present a tool to reduce the number of transistors in
a circuit through the fusion of networks of transistors that present fanout equal to 1.
Also, it is fundamental the use of an automatic synthesis tool that can perform the
automatic layout of any logical function. There is no use to achieve a logical optimi-
sation if it is necessary to map (transform) the equations according to the logic gates
available in a traditional cell library [which have few functions, in general, no more
than 100 functions], as is still done when using traditional EDA systems. This mapping
step is called technology mapping, and it represents a step of deoptimization. With this
aim, we have developed automatic layout synthesis tools such as ASTRAN (Ziesemer
and Reis 2015) (Fig. 7), which allows automatic generation of the layout of any
network of transistors (Reis 2011A, B).
Another technique to reduce consumption is through the sizing of the transistors.
Modern integrated circuit manufacturing technologies show a significant increase in
static power consumption that is often greater than dynamic power consumption. One
way to mitigate power consumption, especially the static one, is to carry out a sizing of
transistors to optimise power consumption (Posser 2011). In (Reimann et al. 2016)
significant decreases in consumption are obtained through the use of automatic
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transistor sizing tools. This is also called cell selection, where the cells are selected
from a cell library. In this case, cell selection means the selection of cells with a specific
size and Vth (threshold voltage). In traditional cell libraries, one function has in general
3 sizings (one for less area, one for less power, and one for less delay) and 3 Vth
(threshold voltage).
Fig. 7. Transistor network layout generated automatically (Ziesemer and Reis 2015)
5 Reliability
As in the reduction of power consumption, in the design of critical systems, it is needed

to use techniques to increase reliability at different levels of design abstraction. At the
architectural level, a very applied method is the redundancy of modules, especially
triple module redundancy (TMR) (Kastensmidt et al. 2006). Another is the temporal
redundancy (Nicolaidis 1999) where a signal traverses two paths, one with higher delay
and another one with less delay. The difference of delay must be longer than the
duration of a transient. Comparing the signal after traversing the two paths indicates
whether there has been a transient propagation or not. At the physical level, we can
apply different techniques to reduce or avoid problems such as electromigration (Posser
et al. 2016, 2017). In the example of Fig. 8, the position of the output pin in the centre
(point 4) increases the lifetime of the circuit because it allows reducing the maximum
density of current in the segments of the metal layer.
In (Velazco et al. 2007) it is presented a series of works aimed at mitigating the
effects of radiation on integrated circuits. In (Kastensmidt et al. 2006; Neuberger et al.
2014; Gennaro et al. 2017; Aguiar et al. 2016; Lazzari et al. 2011) we present some of
the results that our research group has obtained in the development of techniques
aiming the design tolerant to faults due to transients, as the effects due to radiation.
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84 R. Reis
Fig. 8. Changing current density with the change of position of the output pin (Posser et al.
2016, 2017)
6 Hardware Accelerators
The evolution of computer architectures, that today means, the evolution of micro-
processor architectures has been very significant. In the 1970s, one marketing argument
from microprocessor producers was the number of instructions that the microprocessor
could execute as well as the clock frequency of the microprocessor. In the last decades,
there has been a change of paradigm, discontinuing the race for the increase of the
clock frequency, because the increment of the clock means an increase of the dynamic
consumption. Instead, there was an increase in the number of cores (CPUs) aiming at
increasing performance. Initially with homogeneous cores and later with heterogeneous
cores.
Currently, we can find chips with multiple CPUs and several GPUs (as can be seen
in Fig. 9 (Shao 2016) showing the floorplan of the A8 microprocessor (from Apple). In
this same figure, it can be observed that about half of the area is occupied with
hardware accelerators, which are modules dedicated to the execution of a specific
function. For example, an encryption module placed next to the output/input pins and
which will encode the output data and decode the received data. So, the execution of
this function will be faster, because it is done by a dedicated module (that means
smaller) and with only the needed number of components to perform that function. It
also will consume less power.
A more important fact is that the use of hardware accelerators leads to greater
energy efficiency (allowing more sustainable computing), mainly due to the reduction
in the number of components used to perform a function. At any given time, only the
hardware accelerators in use at that time are being powered. So, the hardware accel-
erators that are not in use are disconnected from the power supply. This strategy is also
known as “Dark Silicon”. We can even predict architectures consisting essentially of
hardware accelerators, with only one or two small CPUs to manage these hardware
accelerators.
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Fig. 9. Apple 8 floorplan with 29 hardware accelerators (AnandTech 2014; Shao 2016)
The introduction of an NPU in A11 is another element characterising the hetero-

geneity of the SoC (chip system). And we can expect increasingly heterogeneous
architectures, with dedicated modules for different operations to be performed by a
SoC. In Fig. 10 (Techinsights 2017) the floorplan of the Apple A11 microprocessor is
presented, where one of the modules is an NPU (Neural Processing Unit). NPU is
mostly dedicated to facial recognition (Techinsights 2017), processing machine
learning tasks more efficiently, consuming less energy than CPUs do. The CPUs
occupy about 15% of the area of the chip and 6 GPUs occupy about 20% of the area.
Most of the area is filled with the hardware accelerators. That is, it is growing in the
architecture of Apple microprocessors the use of hardware accelerators.
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86 R. Reis
Fig. 10. Apple 11 floorplan with an NPU (Techinsights 2017)
7 Conclusions
To have sustainable computing, when the number of connected devices in the Internet
of Things is fast increasing, it is fundamental the design of devices optimised regarding
energy consumption. Most of the chips produced today use much more transistors than
necessary to perform a function. So, there is a significant space for the optimisation of
the number of components. In many devices related to critical applications, the
application of techniques for fault tolerance is also fundamental, as nowadays circuits
at ground level can have faults due to radiation effects. The reduction of power con-
sumption must be treated at all design abstraction levels in a synthesis flow of inte-
grated systems, from the specification of them in high-level languages to the physical
synthesis. It was presented several works that were developed to reduce the power
consumption and increase the reliability of integrated systems on a chip, and more
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details are shown in the mentioned references. The keyword in the age of the Internet of
Things is optimisation.
Acknowledgements. We thank CNPq, FINEP, Fapergs, and CAPES for financial support for
the development of our team’s work, as well as the master’s and doctoral students of PGMICRO
and PPGC and students of Scientific Initiation who have contributed to the research works that
served as the basis for this paper.
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An Internet of Things (IoT) Model
for Optimising Downtime Management:
A Smart Lighting Case Study
Brenda Scholtz1(&) , Mando Kapeso1, and Jean-Paul Van Belle2

1
Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
{brenda.scholtz,mando.kapeso}@mandela.ac.za
2
University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
[email protected]
Abstract. In today’s global, competitive economy, downtime has been iden-

tified as a key performance indicator for field service organisations. The
emergence of an Internet of Things (IoT) has brought new enhancement pos-
sibilities to various industries such as the manufacturing and field service
industry. This paper provides a vision and motivation for using IoT in Field
Service Management (FSM) in order to address data quality and service delivery
issues. The theory of information quality was used to undergird the research and
a model for the optimisation of downtime management in the field service
industry using the IoT is proposed. The model was used to drive the design of a
“proof of concept” prototype, the KapCha prototype. The paper also includes a
report on an empirical study of the application of the proposed IoT model in
FSM. The experiment findings showed that the prototype reduced the round trip
delay time for sending and receiving data and was scalable. As a result, access to
quality information supporting advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence
was provided. Therefore, service technicians can be alerted more quickly as
soon as any potential technical problems occur. In turn improved diagnostics
and more efficient decision making can be achieved. The model and the lessons
learned provide valuable guidance to other researchers and fill the gap in
research of empirical studies conducted on IoT implementations.
Keywords: IoT Smart lightning Design science research
1 Introduction
The lack of accurate, available and real-time information is a common challenge faced
by field service organisations [1]. As a result downtime, which is an important per-
formance measure in this domain, is negatively impacted. Downtime is defined as the
time between a customer’s request for service and the completion of the service by the
field service team to rectify the problem [2]. Field service management (FSM) refers to
the support provided by hardware and software in the management of field service
operations and involves the management of the activities and processes that are
associated with field services. There is a need for solutions that efficiently address the
challenges of FSM and downtime management and that support the provision of

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15651-0_9
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90 B. Scholtz et al.
quality information and ultimately improved decision making and service delivery
levels [3].
One application of downtime management in the field service domain is that of the
maintenance of smart lights. Smart lighting projects have been undertaken by munic-
ipalities as a result of a drive for improved energy management within cities [4]. In the
context of cities, streetlights are one of the most important assets to maintain as they
provide safe roads and enhanced security for homes, businesses and city centres.
However, they are costly to operate and account for an estimated 40% of the amount of
electricity spent in an urban city [5]. To address this issue, city managers are imple-
menting smart lighting solutions. Smart lighting consists of heterogeneous and mul-
tidisciplinary areas of lighting management, with the possibilities of integrating a wide
range of sensory and control technologies with ICTs. This integration can improve
efficiencies in lighting products and lower the negative impact derived from the use of
energy for illumination. Smart lighting provides intelligent features and interfaces for
lighting solutions in the ambient, commercial and public domains [4, 6]. Smart lighting
is linked to the concept of a smart city, which is an urban development that envisions
the efficient management of a cities resources and services with the use of integrated
ICT solutions [4]. Smart cities play an important role in the sustainable economic
development of countries or states seeking to attain environmental sustainability. Smart
cities are made possible through the abundance of smart devices, smart objects and the
emergence and rapid growth of technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT). The
IoT is described as a decentralised system of “smart” objects with sensing, processing,
and network capabilities [7].
Extensive research has been conducted related to the IoT [16, 18, 26]. In particular
several studies have proposed various architectures for IoT, such as a general reference
architecture [27] and others in certain domains such as smart metering [28]. However,
limited studies can be found that report on empirical studies of IoT applications in
practice and findings and lessons learnt from these applications. There is a need for
research into how technologies in the IoT can be applied to various business domains
[20].
This paper addresses this gap by investigating an IoT application in the domain of
smart lighting. The purpose of this paper is to propose an IoT model that addresses the
challenges of information quality leading to poor downtime management. The paper
reports on the application of this model in the smart lighting domain. The model
includes IoT compatible technologies and techniques (protocols and formats) to sup-
port successful downtime management. To address this purpose, a critical analysis of
the literature related to FSM, downtime management and IoT was conducted (Sect. 2).
The context was a smart lighting organisation in South Africa (Sect. 3). From the
literature and consideration of the context, a theoretical model was derived (Sect. 4).
The model was used to design the architecture of and to implement a prototype for the
case study (Sect. 5). The experiments conducted revealed that the new architecture and
protocols implemented resulted in a lower Round Trip Delay time and was scalable
(Sect. 6). The quality of information was improved and provided a foundation for
advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI), since the system provided
intelligent information to technicians and managers; thereby improving diagnostic
decision making, downtime management and service delivery.
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An Internet of Things (IoT) Model for Optimising Downtime Management 91
There are several contributions and implications for future research that are iden-
tified from this study (Sect. 7). The practical contribution is the model, which can
provide guidance to practitioners working in the field service domain and for system
designers. On a theoretical level the model and the implementation issues identified
contribute to the body of knowledge regarding the application of IoT models, archi-
tectures and network protocols.
2 Literature Review
2.1 Challenges in Field Service Management (FSM) and Downtime

Management
In a competitive global economy where every organisation is looking at ways to cut
costs, increase efficiency and gain a competitive advantage, organisations have become
more customer-centric. The effectiveness of field services provided by technicians
affects everything from the retention of customers and the profitability of the organi-
sation [1, 8]. With field-based services, customers receive either an on-site or a remote
service [2]. FSM operations include tracking vehicles, scheduling and dispatching
employees, and integration of these operations with a back-office system for inventory,
logistics and marketing. FSM includes elements such as Enterprise Asset Management
(EAM), maintenance support, sensor networks, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
tags, technical support, contract management and product life-cycle management.
The FSM market has seen a steady growth and evolution in the last 10 years [9], which
can be attributed to new technology developments, as technology is a driver in
improved after-sales service innovations.
Downtime management is an important measure of performance for field services
for both the organisation providing the service and the customer [10]. From the cus-
tomer’s perspective, that is the organisation undergoing downtime, the downtime
period has operational implications such as reduced productivity levels and delayed
delivery of services to the organisation’s clientele. It is therefore imperative that
downtime is kept to a minimal period. Service providers have to adequately manage
downtime in order to satisfy its customers and by doing so efficiently they may gain a
competitive advantage. Agnihothri [2] classified downtime into two subcategories,
response time and on-site time. Response time is the time between the customer’s
request and the service team’s arrival on-site. On-site time is the duration of time taken
between the service team’s arrival at the customer’s site and the rectification of the
problem. Corrective maintenance occurs when the machinery breaks down and
includes activities undertaken to diagnose and rectify a fault so that the failed machine,
equipment or system can be restored to its normal operational state, thus reducing the
extent of downtime.
A lack of information related to a technical breakdown can result in longer cycle
times and possibly a second service visit, thus resulting in longer periods of downtime
for customers [8]. A malfunctioning piece of industrial machinery on a manufacturing
floor can translate into tens of thousands of dollars per minute. It is important to make
critical information immediately available to field technicians and management with
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high levels of accuracy. Critical data related to the problem must be accurate, available
anywhere, and dynamically changing along with the day-to-day operations of field
service teams. Access to this information can assist with optimising the problem
detection step in FSM and field service providers can determine strategies to ensure that
downtime is minimised and managed with optimal efficiency. Within IS literature,
information quality (IQ) can be used as a dimension of IS success [12]. Knowledge is
functionally related to data and information, thus it follows a hierarchy (data ! in-
formation ! knowledge), termed as the knowledge hierarchy [11]. Our study classified
the problems in FSM related to information that impact downtime management
according to six of the attributes of IQ proposed by [12]. These are:
• Timeliness: lack of access to real-time information [1];
• Completeness: missing information [1, 3, 8];
• Accuracy: inaccurate information [1];
• Relevance: aggregated or de-aggregated information [14, 15];
• Consistency: lack of integration between enterprise and FSM systems [14].
This analysis also confirmed the findings of [13] showing a significant relationship
between IQ and individual impact. Individual impact is measured in terms of decision-
making performance, job effectiveness, and quality of work. Challenges faced by FSM
organisations with regards to IQ resulted in negative impact on decision making and
service delivery. Inaccurate or missing information and a lack of real-time availability
of information to employees onsite in the field (for example dispatchers and service
technicians) resulted in operational challenges [1, 3, 8]. Information related to the
customer or the equipment under maintenance or repair is not always readily available
to field service employees, resulting in the poor scheduling of field employees, the
ineffective management of field service resources such as service parts [3] and ulti-
mately in poor service delivery. In a study by Lehtonen [1], it was reported that service
teams could not provide a service due to missing spare parts. The main reason for this
was the inaccurate information on the spare parts that was taken to the client at the time
of repair. Challenges in FSM within Enterprise Systems may also arise due to the lack
of accessibility and integration of various systems [14]. For example, geographical data
is found in Geographical Information Systems (GIS), whilst maintenance-related data
and reports are often stored in an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, thus
resulting in integration and consistency issues. Schneider [14] reported issues related to
the use of aggregated data within an ERP system. For example, in an ERP system
electricity usage data for a manufacturing plant is usually stored as an aggregated figure
for all work centres within the plant. Aggregated data makes the operational perfor-
mance monitoring of a single work centre or equipment within the plant difficult.
Access to real-time information aids organisations in optimising FSM since it can
minimise the time for the service team to locate a client location by using GPS services
and can reduce the on-site time spent servicing a clients’ request [1, 2]. Real-time
access to the clients’ location eliminates the need for the service team to return to the
service provider’s facilities in order to get information about a new client’s request,
thereby optimising the scheduling element [3].
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2.2 Applications of the IoT

The IoT has brought new functionality possibilities for many industries such as
manufacturing and field services [16, 17]. It is expected that soon more than fifty
billion devices ranging from smart phones, laptops, sensors and game consoles will be
connected to the Internet through heterogeneous access network technologies [18].
However, the successful implementation of an IoT system introduces several other
challenges. The abundance of data provided by sensors can introduce inefficiencies in
data transfer and a need for aggregated data since sensor nodes are constrained by
limited resources, for example computational power, memory, storage, communication,
and battery energy [15]. These constraints provide an important challenge to design and
develop approaches to information processing and aggregation that are efficient and
make effective use of the data. For a given query, it may not be necessary or efficient to
return all the raw data collected from every sensor – alternatively information should be
processed and aggregated within the network and only processed and aggregated
information returned. From a system level perspective, the IoT can be viewed as a
dynamic, radically distributed, networked system, consisting of many smart objects that
produce and consume information [19]. It can optimise business processes by lever-
aging on advanced analytics techniques applied to IoT data streams [19]. Thus, it
provides good potential for addressing the downtime problem, if successfully
implemented.
Although technology advances enable the possibility of the IoT, it is the application
of the IoT which is driving its evolution [18]. The potential social, environmental and
economic impact that the IoT has on the decisions we make and the actions we take is
its main driving force. For example, having accurate information about the status,
location and identity of things which are part of our environment opens the way for
making smarter decisions. The application domains that the IoT includes can provide a
competitive advantage beyond current solutions. In its inception the IoT was used in
the context of supply chain management with RFID tags as the enabling technology
[7]. However, in the past decade its applications have covered a wide range of
industries, including transportation and utilities, to name just a few. Hwang et al. [20]
classified the potential business contexts of IoT into three different factors: industry
applications (for example government, education and finance); service domains (for
example transportation, asset management) and value chain activities (for example
sales and marketing, service or procurement). On the other hand, Borgia et al. [18],
classified the IoT into three application areas: industrial (for example agriculture,
logistics or other industrial applications), health/well-being and smart city. The smart
city factor includes safety, mobility, buildings, road conditions, waste collection and
public lighting.
3 Context of Research: Smart Lighting
The case study used in this research is a smart lighting system that is maintained at an
engineering consulting and research organisation in South Africa. For purposes of
anonymity, the organisation will be called LightCo. The smart lights that are used as
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outdoor luminous equipment for parking bays and security lights for building facilities
and are grid independent; meaning they are not connected to a local or municipal
electricity provider for the energy needed to light them. An interview was conducted
with one of the senior engineers at LightCo in order to establish an overview of the
environment as well as the challenges faced by the organisation in delivering main-
tenance services for the smart lighting environment.
Smart lighting consists of the integration of intelligent functionalities and interfaces
at four complementary levels [4], namely: the embedded level; system level; grid level
and communication and sensing level. The embedded level is the lighting engine or the
light itself, whilst the system level is the luminaries and lighting systems. The grid level
consists of the management and monitoring of the power sources, energy generation
and plants and the distribution of utilities and appliances. The final level is the com-
munication and sensing level, which provides complete lighting solutions with moni-
toring, control and management of the applications.
The smart light unit at LightCo consists of an on board 48-voltage battery pack that
is used as an energy storage unit. The solar panel is used to harness solar energy and the
wind turbine generates electricity by the turning of a generator. The architecture of the
smart lighting system allows for remote monitoring. The smart light also contains
sensors and actuators that enable it to measure environmental variables and to respond
to specific conditions by means of the actuators. The sensors include ambient sensors
on the solar panel and voltage and current sensors on the circuit board of the smart
light. Furthermore, the smart light is uniquely identifiable and contains on-board
microcontrollers that provide computational and communication capabilities. The
microcontrollers receive voltage and current data readings from the solar panel and
wind turbine and also record the voltage and current that is outputted to the LED light.
The battery management system manages the flow of current to the battery. Once these
readings have been recorded they are then sent to a remote server for processing.
Prior to starting this study, the smart lighting system at LightCo did not provide for
efficient or effective downtime management. Technical problems with the lights were
not being reported timeously and were not correctly diagnosed due to IQ issues
reported in literature [1, 14]. These problems could be for example, an LED light or
circuit board is damaged. The system that was in place for detecting technical problems
with their lights used a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) SMS-based
messaging/polling protocol to transfer data from a smart light to a server at a remote
location. This protocol was reported as inefficient due to its high latency times and high
data costs affiliated with the sending and receiving of SMS messages. Increasing the
latency was not an option, since it would increase the data costs. Data transmission was
not bi-directional and data was merely recorded in a CSV file, with no processing
performed on it. An Arduino microcontroller was situated in each smart light with a
GSM Shield, which allowed the Arduino board to send and receive an SMS as well as
connect to the Internet using the GSM library. However, the system did not use the
GPRS wireless component that would enable the Arduino to connect to the Internet.
Technicians had to manually peruse the data to diagnose any issues or potential issues.
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4 IoT Model for Downtime Management
The Three Phase Data Flow Process model proposed by Borgia et al. [18] (Fig. 1), the
four layers of IoT [25], and IQ theory were used as the main guiding theories for the
proposed IoT Model for Downtime Management (Fig. 2). The model describes the
flow of data in the IoT over three phases [18], namely the Collection Phase; the
Transmission Phase; and the Process Management and Utilisation phase and four layers
[25] (the Sensing Layer; the Networking Layer; the Service layer; and the Interface
layer). The Sensing Layer consists of hardware that senses and controls the physical
world and acquires data. Examples are RFID, sensors and actuators. The Network
Layer provides networking support and transfers data over either a wireless or a wired
network. The Service Layer is responsible for the provision of services to satisfy the
user needs and creates and manages services. The Interface Layer (or Application
Layer) interacts with other applications and users.
Fig. 1. The three phase data flow process [18]
The Collection Phase reports on the event driven processes during the collection
and acquisition of the data from the environment [18]. Data acquisition technologies
attached to sensors and cameras collect information about the physical environment
(temperature, humidity and brightness), or about the objects (identify and state) in real-
time; while data collection is accomplished by short range communications, which
could be open source standard solutions or proprietary solutions. In the FSM context
these would be integrated into the equipment or assets in the field, for example the
smart light. The Transmission Phase involves mechanisms that deliver collected data to
various applications and external servers [18]. Once data has been collected it must be
transmitted across the network so that it can be consumed by applications. For wired
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technologies the standard is Ethernet IEEE802.3. The primary advantage that wired
networks have for data transmission is that they are robust and less vulnerable to errors
and interference. However, they are costly. Therefore Wireless LAN (WLANs) are
often used to access the network. Due to the flexibility of WLANs, it is believed that
they will be the main communication paradigm of the IoT. However, the restricted
wireless spectrum available for cellular networks is a major limitation to their wide-
spread use.
Fig. 2. IoT model for downtime management
The Processing, Management and Utilisation Phase incorporates the processing and
analysing of information flows, data forwarding to services and applications and the
provision of feedback to control applications [18]. It also involves device discovery and
management, data filtering, aggregation and information utilisation. The Service
Platform & Enabler sub-phase covers an important role for managing these functions
and is necessary in order to hide the heterogeneity of hardware, software, data formats,
technologies and communication protocols that are a key feature of the IoT. Its
responsibility is to abstract all the features of objects, networks and services, and to
provide a loose coupling of components.
5 Methodology and Development of the Prototypes
5.1 Methodology
The Design Science Research (DSR) methodology [21] was adopted in this study to
create and evaluate the artefacts (model and prototype). The model was derived from a
systematic literature review as well as from the case study of smart lighting
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maintenance, which was used for implementing and evaluating the model. The
Technical and Risk efficacy evaluation strategy from the Framework for Evaluation of
Design Science (FEDS) is used in the DSR methodology for evaluations conducted in
the design cycle of DSR and was used in this study to evaluate both the model and the
KapCha prototype [22]. An artificial-summative evaluation was used to evaluate the
design of the model, but due to space limitations these results are not reported on in this
paper but are available on request. Iterative formative evaluations were conducted
during the development of the prototype; after which a summative-naturalistic evalu-
ation was conducted in order to determine the performance of the prototype under real-
world conditions.
5.2 The Prototypes and Their Mapping to Requirements

The KapCha prototype was developed using an incremental prototyping process
comprising of three prototype components (Table 1). ProWebSoc is the web socket
protocol; ProObjWeb is the web socket client; and ProDT is the interface layer and
web socket server. The IoT Model for Downtime Management (Fig. 2) was used to
design the architecture of the prototypes.
Table 1. Prototype components

Collection and transmission phases Process management and
utilisation phase
ProWebSoc web ProObjWeb web ProDT (interface layer)
socket protocol socket client web socket server
Data transmission Transmission of data from the Intelligent algorithms, advanced
protocols; smart light and integration of analytics and interfacing with
security and CPS principles applications and mobile technologies
standardisation
Collection and Transmission Phases (ProWebSoc and ProObjWeb)

As an alternative to the SOAP/XML data transmission protocols used by LightCo prior
to this intervention, a protocol based on JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) was
implemented. JSON, is a text-based open standard format that is designed for human-
readable data interchange and used for the serialisation of structured data making it
easy for machines to parse and generate it. JSON is ideal for low processing compu-
tational capabilities (such as the smart light) and can result in less data that needs to be
generated as compared to SOAP/XML.
ProObjWeb, through the web-socket client, enabled the smart light in the case study,
as an OEM, to interface with a remote web-server using the KapCha web-socket
protocol and to transmit data over a web socket protocol (ProWebSoc). Web sockets
enable bi-directional communication (upstream and downstream) through the intro-
duction of an interface and the definition of a full-duplex single communication
channel that operates through a single socket [23]. They provide a reduction in network
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traffic and latency as compared to polling and long-polling solutions that are used to
simulate a full-duplex connection by maintaining two connections. They also reduce
the amount of port openings on the server side, as compared to the traditional means of
retrieving resources such as polling. This reduction also reduces maintenance of con-
nection channels from the server side, therefore decreasing the overhead network
traffic. The web socket protocol also has the ability to traverse firewalls and proxies,
which is a problem for other protocols. The protocols provide real-time communication
(RTC) between a smart object and a central system or other smart objects and supports
ad hoc and continuous data transfer as well as operational status communication and
Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs).
A GPRS wireless component was used to enable the Arduino to make use of web
socket technology. The web socket client was developed on the Arduino board using
the Arduino open source software and several web socket methods. During connection,
the web socket detects the presence of a proxy server and automatically establishes a
tunnel to pass through the proxy. The tunnel is established through the opening of a
TCP/IP connection. The connection is established by the client issuing an HTTP
connect statement to the proxy server for a specific host and port. Upon the tunnel
being set up communication flows uninterrupted through the proxy.
The web socket protocol (ProWebSoc) was designed to work with existing web
infrastructure, therefore the protocol specification defines that the web socket con-
nection starts as an HTTP connection [24]. This guarantees full backwards compati-
bility with HTTP based communication protocols. The upgrade from an HTTP to web
socket is referred to as a handshake. In this process the client sends a request to the
server indicating that it wants to switch protocols from HTTP to Web sockets, by
means of an upgrade header. During the handshake process the server accepts the
request and responds with an upgrade switch header. The server acknowledges receipt
of the client’s request by taking the |Sec-Web socket-Key| value and concatenating it
with a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) in string form. An SHA-1 hash (160 bits)
base64-encoded of this concatenation is then returned in the server’s response. This
prevents an attacker from tricking a web socket server by sending it carefully crafted
packets using XMLHttpRequest or a form submission.
Web sockets are ideal due to the ability to use customised protocol calling
depending on the service being offered [23]. In ProObjWeb, when the client receives a
response with no errors the connection is upgraded to a web socket over the same
TCP/IP connection. Once the connection is established data frames between clients and
servers can be transferred. Once the web socket client application connects to the
webserver, the webserver initiates an upgrade sequence to upgrade the connection from
an HTTP connection to a web socket server. ProObjWeb was functionally tested using
the web socket.org echo server, which allows developers of web socket applications to
test the ability of their applications to successfully upgrade the connection from HTTP
to a web socket protocol. The test results showed that ProObjWeb successfully man-
aged to connect to the web.org server and upgrade from HTTP to web sockets.
Management and Utilisation Phase
The third prototype (ProDT) focused on the development of the web-socket server
application, a decision tree algorithm implementation and a REST (Representational
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State Transfer) API web interface. REST APIs with web socket Requests/Responses
were used to form an intermediate layer between a client and the database, translate the
raw data from the database to a format that the client requests and transmit the data.
Most databases provide real-time notifications for added or updated data. However,
real-time notification passage between the database and the client was required,
therefore an Interface Layer was created in ProDT using a web socket server. The web-
socket server also handled communication with the database, which is the core of the
application architecture. These techniques (including the protocols) provided real-time
notification between the database and the client, eliminating the need for the Ajax
techniques of polling. The database contained information about each smart light such
as the date of manufacture and installation, its GPS location, object data sent by the
Smart Light, the fault issue result after data analysis and job card data.
In order to generate an issue, data analysis using a decision tree learning algorithm
was implemented. A decision tree is a tree structure consisting of nodes that each
represent a test of an attribute with each branch representing a result of the test [29].
The tree splits observations into mutually exclusive subgroups until observations can
no longer be split. The ID4.5 is a popular splitting algorithm that builds a decision tree
by employing a top-down, greedy search through the given sets of training data to test
each attribute at every node. Decision trees require little effort for data preparation
unlike some statistical techniques and they are easy to interpret. The data collected was
categorised data and therefore is ideal for decision tree. Furthermore, as there was no
historical information on the diagnosis of faults or issues the decision tree was the ideal
AI technique to be used as the classifier would be developed from the expert’s opinion
of plausible issues. The diagnosis of a set of problems based on these opinions was
determined as a classification problem.
The improvements in the quality of information provided by these techniques thus
allowed for advanced data analytics and intelligent algorithms (such as decision trees)
to be conducted on the IoT data streams. The ability to interface with mobile tech-
nologies was also provided.
6 Experiment Procedure and Findings
The aim of the experiments was to evaluate the Round-Trip Delay time (RTD) of
messages, latency, accuracy of the decision tree analysis and scalability. Due to space
constraints this paper only provides details of the RTD and accuracy experiments.
Round-Trip Delay time (RTD). The RTD experiment measures the time taken for a
client to send a signal to a server and the time it takes for the server to acknowledge the
signal and send a response [22]. In this context the client was the smart light and the
server was the remote web socket server application. For the RTD experiment a
connection had to be established between the smart light and the web socket server
application. The experiment procedure involved running the applications in three
cycles; the first cycle involved sending a data packet 10 times, then the second cycle
100 times and the third cycle 1000 times. The data packet was an array data object that
was instantiated and sent to the server.
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Two phases of experiments were performed: the first phase (local testing) consisted
of running the server applications on a local host machine; and the second phase
(remote testing) of the experiment involved running the server applications on a remote
server. The performance metrics for the RTD evaluation were delay time and messages
per second.
From the results of all three cycles it is evident that the KapCha web socket had a
lower RTD time as compared to the Ajax protocol (Table 2). The results can be
attributed to the fact that there are fewer HTTP overheads when using web sockets as
compared to Ajax requests. Upon the connection being established all messages are
sent over the single socket connection rather than the creation of new connections for
new HTTP request and response calls created every time a message is sent over the
Ajax protocol.
Furthermore, the web socket protocol had more messages sent per second as
compared to that of the Ajax protocol. The messages per second for web sockets are
higher because the web sockets establish the connection once over a single socket,
unlike Ajax techniques that require multiple connections to be opened and closed
during request/response calls. Therefore, web sockets do not have messages delayed
during the connection process and can send more messages per second. The messages
sent per second over the web socket protocol increased exponentially with the number
of iterations completed.
Table 2. Experiment results – RDT and messages per second

First phase: local host
Cycle Num packets Time (sec) Messages
Ajax Kapcha Ajax Kapcha
1 10 0.130 0.082 80.135 150.235
2 100 0.435 0.082 301.720 1502.235
3 1000 3.104 0.558 340.832 2215.621
Second phase: remote testing
Cycle Num packets Time (sec) Messages
Ajax Kapcha Ajax Kapcha
1 10 1.241 3.705 3.212 1.752
2 100 22.016 17.213 2.907 3.352
3 1000 153.352 147.25 3.191 3.714
The results from the remote testing set of experiments revealed that the web socket
protocol had a lower RTD time as compared to the Ajax protocol when the number of
packets was lower than a certain level. This result could be due to the upgrade sequence
overhead during the web socket handshake process. The additional overhead connec-
tion, however, is not significant as the number of iterations increase due to the
maintenance of the single socket connection. The RDT results highlighted the
advantages of applications that use web sockets have over HTTP polling mechanisms.
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The advantages are lower latency and the provision of a single socket connection that
enables the web server to push data to the client at will, creating a fully duplex bi-
directional data exchange web-protocol.
Accuracy of decision tree: Prior to the development of the prototype there wasn’t any
data stored regarding the cause of a fault or the documentation of the diagnosis of a
fault at LightCo. Therefore, the accuracy of the training dataset created was based on
the expert’s verification. The C4.5 decision tree algorithm was used to analyse the data
and deduce the cause of the faults that occurred. For the experiment, the algorithm was
deployed/executed to analyse three sample data set sizes of 50, 100 and 175. The
number of correct predictions after each execution was recorded and verified by an
expert at LightCo. This process was undertaken to establish the accuracy of the
algorithm in diagnosing faults. The execution time of the algorithm was also recorded
to determine the turnaround time of the fault diagnosis. The formula used for deter-
mining the accuracy percentage was:
Number of correct predictions f11 þ f100

Accuracy ¼ ¼ . ð1Þ
Total number of predictions f11 þ f10 þ f01 þ f00
The accuracy results are summarised in Table 3. The sample size of fifty (n = 50)
resulted in a percentage accuracy of 82.2% meaning that 41 out of the 50 predictions
were correct. The sample size of 100 had 79 correctly predicted faults with a percentage
accuracy of 79%. The final sample size had an accuracy percentage of 77% that is 96
faults were correctly predicted. Whilst the accuracy results were all above 70% addi-
tional testing is required to determine accuracy of larger datasets. However, this could
not be done since previous records were non-existent and the training set was small.
This is a limitation of this study. Future studies should perform the accuracy tests on
the larger data set, which will increase rapidly with time. However, in spite of this
limitation useful results and lessons learned were obtained regarding the IoT techniques
used in the model.
Table 3. Accuracy results

Size of dataset Accuracy (%)
50 82
100 79
125 77
Mean 79
7 Conclusions
In this paper a theoretical prescriptive model for optimising downtime management is

proposed that was derived from a systematic literature review of FSM, IoT and IQ
theory. The use of intelligent algorithms and data accessibility are features of the model
that can aid in the reduction of downtime. The model also supports geographically
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dispersed devices and clients. From a practical viewpoint, an organisation in the smart
lighting industry was used to test the model as a proof of concept. In the case of the
smart lighting scenario, prior to the intervention of our study, an SMS/Ajax polling
system was used that was slow and expensive due to the data costs. As a results
insufficient data was provided to assist with detecting and diagnosing problems. The
solution lacked real-time information and field service technicians had to rely on
human ‘diagnostics’ and sometimes travelling to the smart lights in order to physically
detect problems. The proposed IoT model for downtime management was used to
design an architecture and to develop and implement a system prototype for optimising
downtime management in the smart lighting environment.
The evaluations of the prototype revealed that web-sockets are more efficient and
cost-effective than other web-based data transfer protocols such as Ajax. The imple-
mentation of a web-socket based protocol provided a low-cost data communication
protocol with real-time bi-directional capabilities and fully duplex communication
between a smart light and a remote server. The use of IoT-enabled communication
protocols reduced the latency time and data exchange costs. Furthermore, the web-
socket server implements an expert system mechanism using intelligent algorithms for
data analysis. The intelligent algorithm, a C4.5 decision tree, automates fault detection
and provides an issue report. The intelligent algorithms can assist service technicians to
identify and diagnose problems. The practical contributions of this research are
therefore the model, which can be used by FSM organisations in the implementation of
IoT. The results of the evaluations revealed that the implementation of the various
techniques and features of the model optimised downtime within the smart lighting
environment. A problem encountered during the study related to restrictions on GSM
protocols by the mobile service providers, some of which do not support the use of
web-socket connections. Another challenge was inventor patents on the smart lights in
the case study that restricted testing of the prototype in its natural environment. As a
result only historical data was used for testing. A further limitation was that not all
elements of the model could be tested due to time and resource constraints. However,
the findings of this study can still be used by other researchers as a valuable source of
reference when conducting similar research. The lessons learnt can be useful to other
researchers and practitioners working in FSM and similar industries that can benefit
from IoT.
The combination of advanced big data analytics, cloud-computing and IoT enables
users to not only gather vast amounts of data but also enable them to process it without
having to acquire high infrastructural costs. This leads to several opportunities for
researchers in these fields. Future research directions could extend the study to include
functionality such as predictive maintenance. AI mechanisms can be implemented in
the model to support the prediction of faults before they occur. Additional intelligence
can be achieved by interacting with other systems in the same environment that have a
direct impact on the equipment’s performance. The addition of predictive mechanisms
as well as enabling object interaction with other systems will transform regular
equipment into a self-aware and self-learning machines, and consequently improves
overall performance and maintenance management. The model serves as a reference
model for standards and protocols in an IoT-based implementation in the field of
downtime management within the after-sales industry. Although the study was limited
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to evaluating the prototype in only one environment it provided valuable lessons that
could be used by other practitioners and researchers to guide the implementation of IoT
in FSM.
Acknowledgements. The financial assistance of the National Research Foundation (NRF) to-
wards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at are
those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the NRF.
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IoT Enabled Process Innovation: Exploring
Sensor-Based Digital Service Design Through
an Information Requirements Framework
Niclas Carlén, August Forsman , Jesper Svensson(&) ,

and Johan Sandberg
Department of Informatics, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden

{niclas.carlen,august.forsman,jesper.svensson,
johan.sandberg}@umu.se
Abstract. Through digitisation of physical artefacts and environments, the

Internet of Things carries vast potential for process innovation. However, nav-
igation of the quickly evolving technological landscape and identification of
emerging opportunities for value creation remains challenging. To this end, we
combine existing frameworks on information requirements, IT capability, and
business value of IT. We evaluate the usability of these frameworks for IoT
enabled innovation in our analysis of two sensor-based process innovation
projects. We investigate the fit between process characteristics and technological
functionality, and the implications of this alignment. Our analysis demonstrates
that the framework provides a practically useful and theoretically coherent
conceptual device for analyzing process characteristics and digital options to
innovate processes. Furthermore, we find that IoT sensors are well suited to
address connectivity and uncertainty requirements. However, in order to
leverage them to address high equivocality requirements designers need deep
contextual understanding to align IoT capability with information requirements.
Keywords: Process innovation Internet of Things Information requirements
1 Introduction
The ongoing pervasive digitisation of physical artefacts and environments, often col-
lectively referred to as the Internet of Things (IoT), signifies a new paradigm in data
processing and communication. It is not a new technology per se, Wortmann and
Flüchter (2015) describes IoT as “a global infrastructure for the Information Society,
enabling advanced services by interconnecting (physical and virtual) things based on,
existing and evolving, interoperable information and communication technologies”.
IoT has evolved into an ecosystem of possible objects or things to connect to the
internet where basically anything that has an on and off switch can be connected e.g.
sensors. Combined with an expected battery life of several decades for many sensors
allows for data collection around the clock. Sensors like this are making headway
around the world with the emergence of smart cities, i.e. cities that are connected and
efficient collecting data to manage its resources and serve its citizens in the best way

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15651-0_10
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106 N. Carlén et al.
possible (Sundmaeker et al. 2010). The global market for IoT is growing tremendously,
resulting in significant market opportunities and an expected turnover at around 8.9
trillion dollars combined with an estimated 26–100 billion connected devices by the
year 2020 (Statista 2017). Currently, there are significant uncertainties when companies
engage in IoT; lack of standards, low understanding of technology and security issues
are all sizeable problems hindering development (Forbes Insight 2017). Most com-
panies feel uncertain which IoT-solution will collect the data they need, this results in a
discrepancy in what companies need and what they get with regards to data and
information (Forbes Insight 2017). In this paper, we argue that this uncertainty can be
mitigated by synthesising two theoretical frameworks combining both analysis of
information requirements and corresponding digital options with effects on processes
by different IoT implementations.
We have been involved extensively in two IoT-projects and have seen issues
regarding information requirements and process analysis arise throughout both. Both
cases illustrate the need to understand the working environment and the technology at
hand. While most studies thus far have focused either on the technical or business side
of IoT (Forbes Insight 2017), we argue that there is a need to understand both aspects to
generate successful outcomes. Since in most cases there is going to be humans inter-
acting with the technology in their daily work life, we also argue that it is of great
importance to understand the duality of technology and social activity. We have,
therefore, focused on a micro-level perspective by investigating how IoT-systems affect
work practices. This paper seeks to examine the effects of implementing sensor-based
systems in organisations, i.e. how the implementation effects the process and value
chain. This study will be limited to two separate case studies where sensor-based
systems have been both designed and implemented in the organisations. Specifically,
we explore the following research question:
How can IoT sensors be used for digital service design to innovate processes?
2 Internet of Things in Business Processes
With the emergence of ICT in the 20th century a lot of IT projects have had lacklustre
results, one reason is the assumption that technological functionality solves organisa-
tional issues (Alter 2006). The argument against this is that an IT system should be
viewed as a resource for the solution and not the solution itself (Alter 2006; Meyer
et al. 2013). IoT is also argued to have a decentralising effect on the value chain in
business as parts of it become connected. As the value chain becomes decentralised the
decision-making rights are moved to the individual components in the chain, and the
different parts become more independent, arguably creating a more efficient and
streamlined process chain throughout (Haller et al. 2008). We would add to the current
research by enacting these principles in real-world implementations. Doing so with the
intention of showing real-world scenarios with the technology in place, we argue that
the current body of research will benefit by the holistic perspective applied in this
study.
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IoT Enabled Process Innovation 107
2.1 A Framework for Analysing Process Effects with IoT and IoT
Capability
In this paper, we synthesise two different theoretical frameworks. The first is a
framework developed to identify what digital options are available to organisations and
what information requirements different processes have (Sandberg et al. 2014). The
second framework is intended to measure the effects of the chosen solution on the
process (Mooney 1995). By synthesising we refer to using the frameworks in tandem,
iteratively, throughout the process analysis, implementation and evaluation of the
systems. This in turn contributes to the body of research with a practical framework
encompassing the entire process of implementing IoT in an organisation with intent to
innovate business processes.
Information Requirements
Information requirements are used to identify what digital options there are for a
specific business process. Digital options should here be understood as opportunities
for leveraging IT in process innovation. The conceptualisation is grounded in earlier
research, but Sandberg et al. (2014) further develop the concept of a specific tasks
requirements about uncertainty and equivocality by adding connectivity to modernise
the theory. We extend existing applications of the framework by using the information
requirements in an IoT context. Establishing information requirements for each case is
the first step of the innovative work process to map if and how IoT can support or
transform a business process. This analysis, enables generation of the digital options
available to organisations. To identify information requirements there are three aspects
to consider and analyse: connectivity, uncertainty and equivocality.
Connectivity relates to the informational dependencies between processes and
systems within an organisation, i.e. the need for information sharing across boundaries
in an organisation (Malhotra et al. 2005). If the connectivity need is regarded as high,
the focus for managers should be to counteract technical or social barriers by increasing
information reach, characterised as “the number information sources that can be
accessed during task execution” (Sandberg et al. 2014, p. 428). If information can be
accessed across organisational and geographical boundaries, process information
requirements have low connectivity requirements. When the connectivity need is low,
it can be relevant to increase richness which refers to “the number of data points
available regarding a given object during task execution” (Sandberg et al. 2014,
p. 428).
Uncertainty refers to the availability and accuracy of information needed for actors
to execute their task within an organisation. Uncertainty requirements can be addressed
by continually balancing information production and information consumption
(Ramaprasad and Rai 1996). Information production occurs when actors generate new
information based on stimuli in the process and its environment. Information con-
sumption turns the existing and available information into business process actions. If
the information requirements are high in uncertainty, i.e. the current information is
inaccurate, unreliable or insufficient, organisations should aim to increase production of
information as they should not want to consume unreliable information. When
uncertainty requirements are low, organisations can instead focus on consumption of
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information. If the information is reliable, available options for consumption emerge

which can drive an organisation to make better data-driven decisions.
Equivocality refer to confusion and lack of mutual understanding when executing
a task, or the level of complexity and ambiguity in the tasks information processing
(Sandberg et al. 2014) (Mathiassen and Sørensen 2008). When a task is to be executed,
there may be a need for mutual understanding between actors or processes, as they may
have to rely on contextual knowledge. Conversely, there can be situations where actors
or processes can rely on their codified knowledge and routines. If information
requirements are high in equivocality, then the situation or task context is unknown for
the involved parties. A relationship enables success in these situations; there needs to
be a high level of understanding and trust within the system and in the systems
supporting situational knowledge and contexts. If the requirements are low, however,
then the characteristics are based on encounters where standardised protocols and
workflows are utilised.
Table 1. Information requirements and digital options characteristic (Adapted from Sandberg
et al. 2014)
Information Corresponding digital option Example of IoT capability
requirement characteristic investment
Connectivity High Reach: the number of Open data sharing of sensor
information sources that can be data between organisational
accessed through IoT during departments, generating easy
task execution access to new information
Low Richness: the number of data Flow sensors generating exact
points available through IoT measurements of waste flow in
about a given object during task a waste management facility
execution
Uncertainty High Production: the extent to which Multiple sensor measuring soil
IoT supports the creation of and crop health in modern
information from stimuli agriculture
Low Consumption: the extent to Heatmaps showing movement
which IoT support translation of patterns of visitors in a public
information into action taken building
Equivocality High Relationship: extent to which Correct analysis of contextual
IoT supports contextual environment with the
consideration and development implementation of sensors that
of trust by adaptation and measure the exact values
sharing of information across needed for the task
subsequent episodes
Low Encounter: IoT based on a Photoelectric sensors measuring
standardised approach without visitors entering and leaving a
variation across customers; facility from a permanently
limited regarding time and fixed position
flexibility but efficient due to
uniformity
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IoT Capabilities in Organisations

Sandberg et al. (2014) refer to the organisation’s IT capabilities as a firm’s previous
investments in IT resources, such as technology or IT competence. We use the concept
and expand upon it to fit the field of IoT and thereby refer to them as IoT capabilities.
Table 1 shows both information requirements, their corresponding digital options and
examples of IoT capabilities that reflect the requirement characteristic.
2.2 Measuring Effects of IoT on Processes

We draw on Mooney’s (1995) framework for assessing the business value of IT.
Business performance is best measured from the performance of its processes (Ray
et al. 2004; Mooney 1995). Sensors collect a limited range of data in an environment
which in turn supports business processes. Therefore, we conclude that examining
sensor implementation impact is most efficiently done in the context of the processes
which they intend to support. In this study, we analyse the automational, transforma-
tional and informational effects of the IT-systems designed for each case, which are
classifications derived from Mooney’s process-oriented framework and have been used
in similar studies (Stenmark and Jadaan 2010; Visich et al. 2009).
The automational dimension relates to how sensors data collection can substitute
manual labour. Different kind of sensors can continuously collect data which are to
support or initiate processes. Automational effects on business value are gained through
aspects such as improved customer service, increased productivity and a more efficient
labour distribution (Stenmark and Jadaan 2010; Visich et al. 2009).
Informational effects are those that are caused by IT-enabled collection, storage,
processing and spread of information acquired from the sensors. Case studies of RFID
implementations have shown that business value can arise from improved resource
management and reduced manual labour (Stenmark and Jadaan 2010; Visich et al.
2009).
The transformational dimension affects and supports process innovation and
transformation. Sensor data may support and improve existing processes but may also
be utilised for business innovation. Data acquired to support a specific process chain
can be used in combination with other aspects of the organisations’ knowledge base to
innovate the business (Stenmark and Jadaan 2010).
3 Methodology
For this paper we conducted a multiple case study consisting of two cases where
sensor-based IoT-systems, through collection and visualisation of data, were designed
and implemented to support different process chains. Case studies are a preferred
strategy when research questions related to “how” and “why” are posed (Yin 2003),
and multiple case-studies when the logic of the study is to “produce contrasting results
but for predictable reasons” (Yin 2003, p. 47). We argue that this makes a case-study
approach viable with regards to the framing and research question stated earlier. By
evaluating this innovation process through multiple cases, we intend to generate
general findings and propose practices which could be built upon in further research.
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We chose the cases based on an analysis of two different research sites. The classifi-
cation for inclusion was that the case should present one or several concrete problems
in a process chain where sensor-based technology could be a solution. These problems
could either be a lack of ability in performing activities which could be enabled by the
technology or addressing problems currently present in an organisation.
A process is “a structured, measured set of activities designed to produce a spec-
ified output for a particular customer or market” (Davenport 1993, p. 5) and can be
classified into two different categories; operational processes and management pro-
cesses (Mooney 1995). Operational processes are the set of activities an organisation
performs to produce something that generates value and is referred to as an organi-
sation’s primary activities. Management processes are related to streamlining and
improving the efficiency of an organisation’s primary set of activities such as coordi-
nating and handling different information. Process innovation in this context refers to
the practice of analysing an organisation’s processes and redesigning them using
innovative technology to improve performance and support the processes (Davenport
1993). In this case, that innovative technology is LoRa-sensors, which enables remote
monitoring and control of different aspects of a process, and the IT-artefacts of the
software designed to visualise or manipulate the data generated by the sensors. Each
case process chain was broken down into sub-processes depending on what type of
activities and the complexity of the tasks performed. We then mounted sensors at each
research site to collect data and designed IT-artefacts with the purpose of solving
specific problems related to the sub-process. The effectiveness of these systems was
analysed in the context of what type of value and effects the data generated when
innovating operational and management processes.
3.1 Research Sites and Sensor Technology

The sensors used in the project are based on LoRa technology, and a specific type of
gateway delivers connectivity to the sensors. Because of lacking infrastructure in the
northern municipality, we were tasked to mount two base-stations; this implementation
took place in September 2017. One of these base-stations was installed on the highest
point in the town, which is a water tower, the other one on the roof of the local
secondary school. We also installed a base-station in the city where the cleaning
company project took place to further the existing coverage. The base-stations have
guaranteed coverage of a 3 km radius, however, depending on disruption and quality of
air it may be greater than that (LoRa-alliance 2015).
LoRa stands for Long Range and is the physical layer utilised to create long-range
communication links. LoRa is based on chirp spread spectrum modulation, using its
entire spectrum of bandwidth and is therefore very resistant to channel noise. LoR-
aWAN is based on Low Power, Wide-Area Networks i.e. LPWAN, and defines the
communication protocol and system architecture for the network. LoRaWAN has a
great influence on battery times for nodes, network capacity and security. LoRaWAN is
explicitly designed for sensors and applications that need to send small amounts of data
over long distances at different time intervals, making it ideal for IoT sensors appli-
cations. As IoT is still a new phenomenon and standards are currently lacking, other
technologies are competing to become the business standard. In likeness with LoRa,
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several LPWAN networks are emerging as competitors; examples are Sigfox and
Narrowband IoT that operate similarly (LoRa-alliance 2015).
In this study, we have used two different types of LoRa-sensors that measure
different values while having some similar readings; temperature inside the casing,
humidity at the sensor and battery-level (Table 2).
Table 2. LoRa Sensors utilised in projects with corresponding properties

Sensor Properties
name
ERS Passive infrared (PIR) sensor registering movement in its field of view
ELT-1 Analogue input sensor capable of coupling with external analogue
measurement tools, e.g. thermometer, voltmeter, ultrasonic level indicator
3.2 Data Collection and Analysis

The data collection process consisted of an analytical phase where we in conjunction
with each organisation collected data regarding the problem background of their pro-
cess chains. An implementation phase studying the physical environment of the
research site, collected data relevant to the practical implementation of the system, and
an evaluation phase where the data related to the results of the system was collected.
All interviews conducted are semi-structured and were conducted throughout all three
phases to capture viewpoints from the participants on both current problematic aspects,
initial impressions of the implemented system, and impressions regarding its effects.
Observations refer to activities where we have studied staff members performing the
process chains, as well as documenting areas of interest. This was performed mainly
during the analytical phase in order discover details relevant to mapping the process
chains and capture insights possibly missed using the other methods. Workshops are
meetings where we collected data related to our subsequent design choices and was
mainly conducted in the analytical phase with participants in each innovation project.
Informal encounters are the interactions with the organisation where we have per-
formed different tasks or exchanged minor pieces of information related to the projects,
a method which was applied throughout all three phases.
A total of 9 interviews, 11 observations, 7 workshops and 46 informal encounters
were conducted, spanning all three cases in the study during a time frame spanning
from 20th September 2017 to the 29th of Mars 2018 (Table 3).
Table 3. Data collection overview

Case Interviews Observations Workshops Informal encounters
Swimming pool 4 5 2 7
Cleaning company 5 6 5 39
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The data analysis was performed in iterations together with the organisation
throughout the time-frame of the data collection, where the input in the analytical phase
formed the basis for our description of the information requirements and IT-capabilities
in each case. The results of the evaluation period (testing the systems in practice)
formed the input for the process effects each system had on the corresponding process
chain it supported.
4 Results
This section consists of the results of our research, each case will be presented with a
description of the research site, problem background and information requirements of
the process chains, with a subsequent description of practical implementation and
effects from each case.
4.1 Swimming Pool
Research Site
The research site of the public swimming pool-case is in a municipality in the north of
Sweden and is run by a small organisation of six people who maintain the pool, a gym
and a gymnasium in the same building. The public pool is a facility open during
weekdays and Saturdays on regular weeks.
Process Chains and Problem Backgrounds
The organisation lacks data on the number of visitors and which hours and days during
the week generate most activity. The main areas of activity which the organisation
found interesting were the entrance to estimate the overall number of customers, the
cafeteria to investigate the air quality during peak hours, and the locker rooms to
investigate differences in attendance between the genders. This data is interesting for
the organisation when optimising staffing and air quality, and to create an overview of
when and how much the facilities are used during the week. To achieve these infor-
mational effects, the sensor implementation sought to address the high uncertainty and
low connectivity information requirements through continuous collection of visitor
data. Further, the information regarding the number of visitors is non-equivocal as the
collected data is readily interpreted in the context.
The second process chain in the case is optimising heating of the swimming pool.
According to the person responsible for this routine, the pools are heated to 32 °C
every week during Tuesday nights, and then the temperature falls successively to
around 27 °C during the weekly cycle. This practice leads to uncertainty amongst the
customers on the current temperature and generates phone calls to the organisation
increasing the workload. Further, the facilities have shown signs of increased wear in
forms of mould and moisture damage due to the increased evaporation generated by
higher temperatures. The organisation seeks informational effects on the managerial
level through an increased amount of temperature data points and implementing sen-
sors to address the connectivity and uncertainty requirements. The equivocal require-
ments were low as temperature data is readily understood in the context.
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The third process chosen for this case is the documentation of pool water quality,
which is a process chain performed by the staff daily to discover anomalies and
potential health risks related to the pool water. Water samples are collected, analysed
and documented as the first task of every day: water temperature, pH-value and
chlorine-levels. To collect this data, the staff places a thermometer in the pool water
where it is submerged for 15 min. During this time, they gather two water samples
which are analysed using a pool water quality kit establishing its pH-value and amount
of chlorine. This data is then documented manually in a binder and stored in the staff
office of the facilities. Due to the repetitive manner of the data collection and docu-
mentation, the organisation seeks to explore to what extent it could be automated using
IoT sensors. To achieve these effects, automatic production of information regarding
temperature, pH-value and chlorine levels is required, which characterises an infor-
mation requirement high in uncertainty. We found the connectivity and equivocality
requirements to be low as the information is to be utilised within task entity boundaries
and well understood in the context.
Implementation
To support the first process chain, we mounted four sensors at areas for which the
organisation had expressed interest. The main units of observation these sensors were
to measure were motion activity and temperature in each respective area. The sensors
were placed at the entrance of each respective area at the height of around 150 cm’s
ensuring measurements of every individual passing.
This motion activity and temperature-data is uploaded every 30 min to a database,
imported into tables and transformed into graphs, both real-time and historical. The
information was made accessible to the organisation through a web application where it
could be studied and form part of the basis for process innovation. The implemented
system has the characteristics referring to the production of information to address
uncertainty requirements. As this process aims to collect information about motion and
temperature in the facility we argued that the four sensors would address the uncer-
tainty requirements.
To support the second chain, we mounted one temperature sensor in the bottom of
the swimming pool, hidden behind a ladder. This sensor uploaded water temperature
every 30 min to a database and was imported into tables and graphs made available to
the organisation. The historical data generated by the sensor can be utilised to measure
how much time it takes to heat the pool to the preferred temperature and get a more
detailed overview of its heating cycle. This data could serve as a basis for innovating
the heating process chain and minimise the problems of their current practices. The
third process chain utilised the same temperature sensor as the second as the only
relevant unit in the process chain collected and documented is the temperature data.
This data was then uploaded every 30 min and presented in the form of tables and
graphs. For this process, we addressed the information requirements with the intent to
increase richness by collecting data with the sensor as well as produce more infor-
mation to lower uncertainty.
Effects
The first process chain showed primarily informational effects. The data collected from
the motion sensors generated an estimate of which areas has the most activity, and
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during which hours can be established by studying the graphs in the web application.
The organisation had ideas of using the data to optimise the air conditioning. However,
the functional capabilities of adjusting the air conditioner cycles to reflect usage or be
automated by the data seemed to be limited which was uncovered later in the project
when this issue was discussed with a janitor responsible for the air conditioning.
A side-effect of studying the comprehensive dataset was the discovery that the tem-
perature in the cafeteria rises around 2–3 °C during the nights when the facility is
closed. This occurrence was unknown to the organisation when they were informed of
it, and according to one of the staff members, may be related to the underfloor heating
being active during the night time when the ventilation is inactive.
The effects on the second process chain had informational effects. The historical
data generates a clear and consistent timeframe over how long it takes for the swim-
ming pool to reach its intended temperature and shows some anomalies. An example is
the re-warming of the pool, which usually happens around 4 h after it has reached its
maximum temperature. Why this happens is unknown to us right now but will be of
interest in further evaluation of the system. The third process chain has potential to be
completely automated, generating both automational and transformational effects, but
since the sensors automate only 1/3 of the data collection, the staff must still perform a
majority of the process chain in the same manner as before. A future update of the
system will be to implement sensors collecting data of the chlorine level and pH-value.
With a complete system in place, the whole process will be performed continuously
and automatically document the data in the same way as current practice. The per-
manent character enables transformational possibilities in the sense that with a system
documenting the water quality continuously, anomalies in the water can be discovered
faster.
4.2 Cleaning Company

Research Site
The research site for the case of the cleaning company is located in a university
building. The organisation is responsible for cleaning all facilities and have a staff of
six managing and executing this task at the research site.
Process Chains and Problem Backgrounds
The staff have expressed a problem of prioritising which order that classrooms are
cleaned after the weekend in an effort to work more condition-based. The current
situation is such that the activity in the classrooms during the weekends is unknown to
the staff when they begin cleaning on Mondays, and they clean each room in a set
routine. The consequence of cleaning in a routine-based manner could result in rooms
with less cleaning needs getting cleaned, and rooms with higher cleaning need left
unattended. The cleaning process of each room constitutes four sub-processes: cleaning
the floor, cleaning the tables, wiping the whiteboard and emptying the waste bin, and
the cleaning need of each sub-process in combination is what constitute the cleaning
need of the classroom. The organisation seeks informational effects through collection
of information regarding classroom cleaning need. This information requirement has
the characteristics of high equivocality, as assessing cleaning need is non-algorithmic
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and is based on situated knowledge about the specific context. The process chain has
high connectivity and both high and low uncertainty requirements as cleaning need
information must be collected and accessed remotely. Since the organisation currently
lacks data on the activity in the classrooms during the weekends, it cannot innovate its
processes in such a way that it aligns with the ambition of working more condition-
based.
The second process chain presented as problematic by the organisation is assessing
if a room is vacant. In the current situation, the staff do not clean rooms which are
occupied and wait until the rooms are vacant to clean them. This problem means in
practice that they sometimes spend time visiting rooms only to discover that they
cannot be cleaned, and delay that process until later, having wasted time moving to the
classroom. The organisation seeks informational effects on the operational level
through remote access to information with regards to classroom vacancy. To achieve
these effects, vacancy information need to be produced and remotely accessible to
cleaning staff, which characterises the information requirements as high in connectivity
and uncertainty. Lastly, information regarding classroom vacancy is non-equivocal as
the room is either vacant or not.
The third process chain is the comparison between the presumed usage based on the
booking schedule and actual usage of the specific classrooms. According to the
organisation, it is not uncommon for a room to be booked during the week, but its
actual usage is unclear. The staff can plan the cleaning of classrooms only to discover
that they have not been used and, therefore, not in need of cleaning. This could also be
used as a basis when negotiating terms with its currently largest customer which is the
university itself. Part of how many hours the company can bill the university is based
on the number of hours booked in the electronic booking schedule. The organisation
seeks informational effects on the managerial level through remote information col-
lection of classroom usage. High connectivity, high uncertainty, and low equivocality
characterises its information requirement. The multiple data collection points increase
reach and production of this non-equivocal information.
Implementation
To support the process chains described in the case we mounted sensors in classrooms
collecting motion data. The sensors were placed at the entrance around 170 cms from
the floor, registering every motion near the entrance door. This data was uploaded
every 10 min to a database. We then designed a web-application containing various
artefacts which utilise this data to address the information requirements in the process
chain. Due to the high connectivity requirements the purpose was to increase reach
through multiple data collection points. For the uncertainty requirements, there was a
need for both production and consumption to address the requirements relating to
uncertainty. The sensors installed addressed the information production aspect, and the
web application was developed to increase consumption of information. As the
equivocality requirements were high, the need for a relationship characteristic was of
high priority. Due to the organisation wanting to measure cleaning need in the rooms,
which is a highly equivocal measurement, the sensors and web application needed to be
utilised in conjunction with the cleaning staffs’ knowledge and routines.
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The artefacts contained in the application display three sets of data; accumulated
motion in each room, a two colour-button signalling if motion has been detected the
last 10 min and historical data available for export in the form of graphs. The appli-
cation was made accessible for the cleaning staff in their day-to-day work by a tablet
placed on their cleaning cart.
The system was tested for three weeks, during which the staff had access and
utilised it when performing their tasks. Furthermore, they graded the experienced
cleaning need which was defined on a three-grade scale where one was clean, two was
normal and three related to a high cleaning need. Interviews with the staff were con-
ducted before, during and after the test period. During this period, we also tested the
hypothesis that an increased motion value from a classroom during the weekend rep-
resents a higher cleaning need. This hypothesis was tested by photographing every
aspect related to the sub-processes of the cleaning process chain after the weekends,
comparing the empirical findings with motion data captured by the sensors.
Effects
The implemented system had various effects on the organisation depending on which
process chain it supported, but how well it improves the general organisational per-
formance remains inconclusive and needs to be evaluated further. Although the system
generated the motion data we presumed when designing and implementing the system,
the usability of this data in the context of the first process chain, determining the
cleaning need of a specific classroom, is still unclear. The system was designed to have
mainly informational effects on the first process chain, by presenting information to the
staff which could be used to determine which classrooms that had a more significant
cleaning need. The empirical findings, however, related to the hypothesis that higher
motion value represents a higher cleaning need are vague. We believe that further
evaluation of the system is necessary to establish its effects.
The effects on the second process chain, which was to inform the staff if a class-
room is vacant and possible to clean, has mainly been of informational and automa-
tional character, with the intended ability successfully generated. According to the staff,
the system correctly identifies if a classroom is vacant or if there are students present,
which informs them in a way that improves their performance. Since they do not have
to spend time collecting this information manually, it has automated the process chain.
The long-term effects of having this ability, its possible flaws (no motion input if
students are very still) and how great of a value it brings to the organisation, due to it
solving a relatively minor problem, will have to be further evaluated.
The system has generated the desired ability to analyse and compare between the
booked hours in the electronic booking schedule and the actual amount of activity in
the classrooms, which would classify it as having a transformational effect on the
organisation’s ability to innovate. This ability may contribute to having informational
effects which improve performance, depending on how generated data is utilised. The
organisation has expressed an ambition to integrate the graphs, and sensor data with the
current electronic booking schedule to easier compare the data, but this feature has yet
to be implemented.
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5 Discussion
To provide actionable guidance for the use of IoT sensors to innovate processes through
digital service design, we have illustrated the applicability of a synthesised framework
facilitating opportunity recognition, design and analysis of effects. The analysis provides
insight both to the general applicability of the framework across the innovation process,
and the bearing of specific components of the framework for IoT sensors.
Although developed for different tasks, our application of the framework suggests
that it is beneficial to apply the whole chain of analysis in the different subparts of the
innovation process. While the business value of IT provides support for retrospective
analysis of effects (Stenmark and Jadaan 2010; Visich et al. 2009), the desired out-
comes in terms of informational, automational and transformational effects should
guide the design of the digital service system. Thus, in accordance with Alters (2006)
arguments regarding a holistic view in systems design, such ambitions need to be
considered in the initial analysis phase. By establishing information requirements for a
process chain or specific sub-processes during this phase, potential complexities related
to generating the desired effects can be discovered, e.g. processes with a high level of
equivocality. With a desirable effect-outcome and the information requirements nec-
essary for generating this outcome established, we argue that this provides a more well-
grounded basis for process innovation with sensors.
For sensor-based process innovation, the process information requirements in part
determine the degree of automational effect that can be achieved. A process with the
purpose of simply collecting or communicating one type of data may be automated in its
entirety through implementing a sensor-based system. Automational effects of this kind
are shown in the swimming pool case where the process chain of documenting pool water
quality has the potential of being automated completely by the utilisation of sensor-based
systems. This high degree of automational effects arises from alignment between infor-
mation needed to complete the task and sensor capacity to produce data output. This
outcome differs from a process with high equivocal information requirements, such as the
process of evaluating the cleaning need where there are four sub-processes to complete
the process chain. Each sub-process requires information with regards to its specific
cleaning need, and the sum of the informational output from these sub-processes are then
what constitutes the cleaning need of the classroom. The sensor used to support this
process chain provides information of movement around the entrance to the classroom.
This information of movement does not map precisely to any of the sub-process outputs
of assessing a cleaning need. For example, to assess if a whiteboard needs cleaning there
is a requirement of visual examination of the whiteboard and from this draw a conclusion
regarding its need for cleaning. Information of movement is only a proxy variable that
does not directly respond to use of the whiteboard. Similarly, to assess if the floor needs
mopping, information is required on the amount of dust and dirt that is currently present
on its surface. Again, the type of information provided by the sensor used does not
immediately support an assessment of mopping need.
The sensor-produced data may be used to make assumptions of cleaning need based
on the information of activity around the sensor, without showing a one to one rela-
tionship between the amount of movement and the equivocal cleaning need. For
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instance, while movement information does not show how dusty or dirty the floor is, it
shows the cause of this effect: people have walked on the floor. Any value of activity
data means that the floor has been walked upon. If the floor has been walked upon, it is
reasonable to assume that some amount of dirt and dust have been transferred from the
shoes to the surface of the floor. Thus, a value of activity data increases the need of
mopping the floor.
This reasoning may be used on the other sub-processes of the cleaning case as well,
though with a weaker conclusion. We have argued that movement information show a
relationship with the degree of dirt on the floors. However, movement information is
not directly correlated with the use of whiteboards. Recorded activity data means that
there has been a person around the entrance of the classroom. It does, however, not
capture the type of activity the person has engaged in, e.g. if they used the whiteboards.
Similarly, the data does not show if the person(s) moving close to the classroom
entrance also throw waste into the waste bin. The IoT sensor capabilities do not address
these equivocal information requirements directly. Thus, conclusions regarding the
cleaning need of these processes cannot be drawn solely from the information provided
by the sensor. Movement information may, however, be used in conjunction with
visual evaluation of the state of classrooms over time to show statistical probabilities of
whiteboard cleaning need, waste bin level and table dirt. Cleaning staff collected this
data during the testing phase of the cleaning case by grading the classrooms total
cleaning need in conjunction with them cleaning it. This method of evaluation could be
improved by splitting it into an evaluation of each sub-process, thus increasing its
accuracy. There are degrees to this relationship between process information require-
ments and sensor data output. This relationship spans from misaligned, exemplified by
assessing cleaning need of whiteboards with movement sensors, to aligned, as shown
by addressing temperature requirements with a temperature sensor. Thus, we argue that
IoT sensors could be implemented to processes with various degrees of success
depending on the process equivocality information requirements (Table 4).
Table 4. General descriptions of IoT capabilities addressing information requirements.

High connectivity IoT-sensors by nature increases reach due to many individual data
Reach collection points that are accessible over organisational borders
High uncertainty IoT-sensors can continuously produce data outside human intervention,
Production day as night
High equivocality IoT-sensors can supply relations, however, important to match sensor
Relation capabilities with the process information requirements
Low connectivity IoT-sensors add richness and granularity due to continuous, focused data
Richness collection
Low uncertainty IoT-sensors do not directly address consumption, but through data-
Consumption analysis and visualisation of sensor-data consumption can be addressed
Low equivocality IoT-sensors can fortify encounters through stabile data collection that
Encounter supports codified knowledge and routine-based tasks
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6 Conclusion
In this paper, we provide a synthesised framework for IoT sensor-based process

innovation. The framework draws on extant theory on (1) the role of information
requirements analysis in identification of IT-based process innovation opportunities
and (2) effects on business value. The synthetisation of these theoretical devices
enables a holistic analysis, from opportunity recognition to evaluation of achieved
effects. We have explored the practical usability of the framework through an analysis
of two different implementations of IoT systems and associated organisational effects.
We found areas where the sensors have shown potential for process innovation and
demonstrated the applicability of an information requirements perspective in an IoT
context. Through this we have been able to identify areas where complexity becomes
an issue for implementation of IoT systems. In particular, the results point to IoT
sensors general capacity for responding to high connectivity and uncertainty require-
ments, and the need for aligning functionality with organisational needs to respond to
high equivocality requirements. Thus, the functionality provided by IoT sensors does
not reduce the importance of organisational ability for process analysis and identifi-
cation of values to measure. We also identify the effects and relate them to levels of
alignment between information requirements in the process and sensor capacity. Lastly,
we have argued for a need to understand IoT through a micro-level perspective in
organisational processes and proposed a set of practices for overcoming challenges
encountered in the cases. As the field continues to grow we believe it is essential for
organisations to further understand how to utilise IoT-technology when innovating
their work processes.
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www.dbooks.org
An Internet of Things Based Platform
for Real-Time Management of Energy
Consumption in Water Resource
Recovery Facilities
Mário Nunes1 , Rita Alves2, Augusto Casaca1(&) , Pedro Póvoa2,

and José Botelho2
1
INOV/INESC-ID, R. Alves Redol, 1000-029 Lisbon, Portugal
[email protected], [email protected]
2
Águas do Tejo Atlântico, Fábrica de Água de Alcântara,
Av. de Ceuta, 1300-254 Lisbon, Portugal
{rita.alves,p.povoa,j.botelho}@adp.pt
Abstract. The article describes the design of an Internet of Things based

platform having as main objective the real-time management of energy con-
sumption in water resource recovery facilities and their integration in a future
demand side management environment. The monitoring of several electrical
parameters, including energy consumption, is done via a dedicated energy
meter, whose design is detailed in the article. The high level data communica-
tion from the energy meters to a central platform of the wastewater utility is
done via the MQTT protocol. Within the water resource recovery facility, the
access network is based either on Wi-Fi or LoRa, which are two enabling
technologies for the Internet of Things. The meters are deployed in pilot
demonstrators located in two water resource recovery facilities in Lisbon,
Portugal.
Keywords: Wastewater management Internet of Things Smart cities

Energy meters
1 Introduction
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the support for a large number of applications. Many of
these applications are fundamental for implementing the concept of smart cities,
namely in domains like e-health, smart buildings, transportation systems, energy grids
and wastewater management. In this paper we focus into a smart wastewater man-
agement application, supported in an IoT infrastructure, having in view the real-time
control of energy consumption in Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRF) of a
Portuguese Wastewater Utility.
Energy is often the second-highest operating cost at WRRF after the labor cost; it
can be above 50% of an utility´s total operating costs [1]. The reason for this is that

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122 M. Nunes et al.
most of the processes that occur in WRRF require energy for their operation and are
intensive energy consumers. Also, when the drainage system is not gravitational,
energy is required for operating pumping stations. In Portugal, the Águas de Portugal
(AdP) Group, which is the utility in charge of water distribution and wastewater
treatment plants in Portugal, represents about 1.4% of the total electrical consumption
of the country and the energy cost represents 60% of the operating costs of AdP.
On the other hand, nowadays, new challenges appear due to the limited water and
nutrient resources, to the existence of the circular economy framework and to climate
changes concerns associated with the fossil fuel consumption; additionally there is an
increasing cost of energy for the utility. In this context, a new paradigm for the use of
the domestic wastewater was created. Domestic wastewater is being looked more as a
resource than a waste and the wastewater treatment plants now are known as WRRF,
where it is possible to recover nutrients and water to achieve a more sustainable use of
the wastewater energy potential, and become a driver for the circular economy [2].
Águas do Tejo Atlântico (AdTA), which is one of the companies of the AdP group,
is in charge of the wastewater treatment in the Lisbon region and in the west region of
Portugal. AdTA is a consortium member of the running European Union H2020
research project “Intelligent Grid Technologies for Renewables Integration and Inter-
active Consumer Participation Enabling Interoperable Market Solutions and Intercon-
nected Stakeholders”, which has the acronym INTEGRID. The main objectives of
INTEGRID are to test the flexibility of electrical energy consumption for domestic and
industrial consumers, to test energy storage systems and make forecasts of renewable
energy production and consumption. The main role of AdTA in this project is to
manage the flexibility of its internal processes in order to minimize the energy costs
according to the market and to the requirements of the grid operators, leading to an
optimization of the AdTA internal processes.
The AdTA focus on the flexibility of energy consumption and in the new chal-
lenges of turning a wastewater treatment plant into a WRRF is an important path
towards its objective of achieving operational optimization and flexibility of processes.
To optimize and make processes more flexible it is essential to know the performance
of the processes. Thus, one of the variables to monitor is the energy consumption of the
process or equipment. This paper is related with the specific work done for real-time
monitoring of the electrical energy consumption in WRRF. It is being developed by
AdTA, within the INTEGRID project, in collaboration with INOV, a Portuguese
research institute.
The objective of this collaboration is to design and implement a low cost smart
energy meter capable of being integrated in an Internet of Things (IoT) environment.
The meter will periodically measure electrical energy consumption and several other
electrical parameters, and will communicate those measurements to a central system
and a database. The meter has a bi-directional communication with the central system,
being allowed a remote control of the meter, namely for altering the configuration
parameters. The meter is equipped with a state of the art communication technology
compatible with the IoT communication protocols. Low cost for the meter is a must, as
a large number of meters will be required for the complete universe of WRRF. Pilot
demonstrators are being deployed in two WRRF in Lisbon, Portugal. The demon-
strators have a total of 30 energy meters, and two different IoT communication
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An Internet of Things Based Platform for Real-Time Management 123
technologies were chosen to be tested in the two pilots. Each of the pilots also follows
an IoT deployment framework with respect, not only to the communication protocols,
but also to the used platforms.
The article is organized as follows. In Sect. 2 related work is reviewed, and in
Sect. 3 the communication architecture is presented. Section 4 deals with the meter
structure. The pilot deployment is treated in Sect. 5 and the last section concludes the
paper.
2 Related Work
In the context of the ability to collect, transmit and process data, with a view to make
the most of the collected information by transforming it into knowledge, there was a
need at AdTA to implement systematic and integrated approaches, i.e., the imple-
mentation of decision support tools. Thus, the AQUASAFE platform was developed at
AdTA [3], integrating data already existing in the company, in order to produce
answers to the specific needs of the operation and management. The AQUASAFE
platform is a structure that allows managing all the information flows necessary to
obtain an adequate response in the context of the management problems (overflows,
energy management, emergency response, etc.). The measured data, mainly from water
flows, is imported in real-time and the models run periodically in the forecast mode in
simulation scenarios chosen by the user. The AQUASAFE platform is in full use in
AdTA nowadays.
With regard to energy use, energy systems are sensitive to energy consumption
spikes and, therefore, measurements have to be taken, either to optimize energy gen-
eration and distribution or better to reduce or shift peak power demands. While there is
plenty of experience in optimizing energy generation and distribution, it is the demand
side management that is receiving increasing attention by research and industry [4].
Thus far, there still exists a gap between energy consumption and costs since there is no
generalized cost model describing current energy tariff structures to evaluate operating
costs at WRRF [5]. In most energy studies, the energy consumption is multiplied by an
average energy price. However, operating costs significantly depend on the energy
tariff structure applied. Different time-of-use and/or peak penalty charges may change
the cost efficiency of a control solution completely [6].
For the first time, an application of a real energy pricing structure was applied to a
calibrated model for evaluating operational strategies in two large WRRF, in the
context of the Portuguese “SmartWater4Energy” project [7]. The importance and need
of mathematical modelling for energy optimization of specific energy costs at real
WRRF processes was assessed. Time periods with potential for further optimization
were identified, supporting a smart grid basis in terms of water and energy markets that
respond to the demands [6]. This work was developed in the AQUASAFE platform,
where the different models and the data from different sensors (flow, energy con-
sumption, dissolved oxygen concentration, NO3 concentration, etc.) were included for
calibrating and evaluating the models. However, in the AQUASAFE platform, the
energy consumption measurements are done in an indirect way, through the SCADA
system.
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124 M. Nunes et al.
There is, however, a need to have accurate measurements on the energy con-
sumption and other electrical parameters in real-time for all the WRRFs. Also, those
measurements need to be communicated to a central platform with analytical capa-
bility, which allows extracting information from the data being measured. Based on the
analytical studies performed at the platform it will be possible to devise a strategy for
shifting peak loads and reducing energy consumption on the whole. These are the main
reasons that originated the current developments described in this paper.
On what concerns the development of dedicated energy meters to measure several
electrical parameters like current, voltage and power in real-time, and adapted for
wireless sensor network communications, there is previous work already done for the
smart grid environment [8, 9]. In the present case, the energy meters will be different
from those ones as they must have the following distinctive characteristics: (i) to be
adapted to the constraints of a WRRF deployment; (ii) to measure the parameters
required in WRRF; (iii) to comply with the IoT communications paradigm and plat-
form architecture, which is the state of the art for smart cities deployment; (iv) to be
low cost.
3 Communication Architecture
The basic design idea for the communication architecture is to consider each meter, and
the respective equipment to which it is connected, as a “thing” in an IoT context and
collect the information from all the “things” in a central platform of AdTA, where the
data can be stored in a database and data analytics be performed. Secure communi-
cation is a must and for that purpose we have available the AdTA private communi-
cation network that provides a security guarantee for the wide area communication.
The first decision to be taken was concerned with the IoT communication protocol
(s) to use. From the universe of IoT communication protocols [10], we have considered
that Wi-Fi and LoRa are two appropriate standard communication technologies for use
in this solution and, therefore, in the pilot demonstrators. Wi-Fi is a well - known
technology, having low cost communication modules for the meters, a low cost Access
Point (AP), and high data rates (Mbps). As low cost is a key objective, the choice of
Wi-Fi as one of the candidate technologies looked promising.
LoRa was the second candidate technology selected for the tests. LoRa is the
physical layer containing the wireless modulation utilized to create a long range
communication link. The complete stack of protocols used over LoRa is known as
LoRaWAN. Compared to Wi-Fi, LoRa is a higher cost technology, namely for the
LoRaWAN gateway, and has lower data rates (Kbps). However, it enables a longer
communication distance than Wi-Fi, which is very useful for the communication
between some remote equipment in the WRRF and the LoRaWAN gateway. The
decision for the pilot demonstrations was to test both technologies, Wi-Fi in one WRRF
(Chelas WRRF) and LoRa in the second one (Beirolas WRRF).
As it is required to transmit the data from the meters to the Control Centre, we had
to establish a communication architecture that allows a seamless and secure trans-
mission. The chosen architecture is shown in Fig. 1 for the Wi-Fi access case.
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Fig. 1. System communication architecture based on Wi-Fi access
There might be several Wi-Fi APs installed in a WRRF. The WRRF energy meters,
from now on called AdP meters, are deployed at the different WRRF equipments, e.g.,
recirculating pumps, equalization pumps, ventilators, etc. The meters communicate to
the nearest Wi-Fi AP, sending a message containing the meter identification, followed
by the electrical measurements. The data is forwarded from the Wi-Fi AP to the
Communication Server (CS) located at the Control Centre via the AdTA private
communication network. The CS will upload the data into the database, by means of
the SQL protocol. The users can access the data either via a direct connection to the
database or indirectly through a Web server.
Figure 2 shows a simplified protocol stack of the Wi-Fi based access network.
A conventional TCP/IP stack of protocols is used over the Wi-Fi Medium Access
Control (MAC) and Physical (PHY) layers. The Network server is implemented as one
of the components of the CS in the Control Centre. The Wi-Fi AP converts Wi-Fi into
Ethernet and communicates with the CS via the AdTA private wide area network.
Application layer encrypted

Application layer User Server logic
TCP/IP stack IP TCP/IP stack

Wi-Fi Eth.
Wi-Fi stack Wi-Fi stack Ethernet Ethernet
(MAC/PHY) (MAC/PHY) (MAC/PHY) (MAC/PHY)
Wi-Fi based Meter Wi-Fi Access Point Network Server
Fig. 2. Protocol stack of the Wi-Fi based access network
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126 M. Nunes et al.
For LoRa, the system communication architecture is similar to the one shown in
Fig. 1, having as main difference the use of a LoRaWAN Gateway instead of the
Wi-Fi AP.
Figure 3 shows the protocol stack of LoRaWAN, which comprises 4 layers: RF
layer, Physical layer, MAC layer and Application layer.
Fig. 3. LoRaWAN protocol layers
The RF layer defines the radio frequency bands that could be used in LoRa, namely
for Europe and USA. We adopted the 868 MHz band available for Industry, Scientific
and Medical (ISM) applications in Europe.
The LoRa physical layer implements a derivative of the Chirp Spread Spectrum
(CSS) scheme. CSS was first developed in 1951 at Bell Telephone Laboratories for the
military radars. It aimed to offer the same efficiency in range, resolution and speed of
acquisition, but without the high peak power of the traditional short pulse mechanism.
The MAC layer defines 3 classes of end nodes, respectively Class A, B and C. In this
project we use only Class A, since it is the most energy efficient and the only one that is
mandatory. To achieve this high energy efficiency, the nodes in this class are 99% of
the time not active (neither transmitting nor receiving) and are only ready to receive
immediately after transmitting a message. The Application layer is related with the user
application layer.
As LoRa is a communication technology dealing with many connected nodes, it
needs a robust end-to-end security. LoRa achieves this by implementing security at two
different levels: the first one at the network level and a second one at the application
level. Network security ensures authenticity of the node in the network and application
security ensures that the operator has not access to the end user’s application data.
The basic components of the LoRaWAN architecture are the following: nodes,
gateways and network server. The nodes are the elements of the LoRa network where
the sensing or control is undertaken. The gateway receives the data from the LoRa
nodes and then transfers them into the backhaul system. The gateways are connected to
the network server using standard IP connections. On this way the data communication
uses a standard protocol, but any other communication network, either public or pri-
vate, can be used. The LoRa network server manages the network, acting to eliminate
duplicate packets, scheduling acknowledgements, and adapting data rates. The network
server is also included in the CS, as it happened in the Wi-Fi solution. Figure 4 shows a
simplified protocol stack of the three components interconnected.
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Fig. 4. Protocol stack of the LoRa based access network
The high level communication between the AdP meter and the CS (see Fig. 1) uses
the Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol. MQTT is an IoT con-
nectivity protocol. It was designed as a lightweight broker-based publish/subscribe
messaging protocol, which is open, simple, lightweight and easy to implement. These
characteristics make it ideal for use in constrained environments, for example, where
the network has low bandwidth or is unreliable, as is the case of wireless sensor
communications, or when run on an embedded device with limited processor or
memory resources, as is the case of the AdP meters.
The AdP meter contains a MQTT client and the CS a MQTT Server or Broker.
Periodically, e.g., every 5 min, the meter sends a MQTT Publish message to the MQTT
Broker, located in the CS, with the following structure: Meter ID, Voltage, Current,
Power, Power Factor, Energy, Service Time, Timestamp. For configuration of the
different parameters in the AdP Meter the MQTT Server uses Subscribe messages with
different topics, namely: Change of the measurement period, Change of the commu-
nication parameters (specific of Wi-Fi or LoRA), Set date/time, Set the initial value of
the energy counter, Set current transformer ratio, Set Power Threshold (defines the
power threshold to consider the equipment is in service), Set Meter mode (tri-phasic or
3 x mono-phasic).
In the MQTT architecture the elements that generate information are called Pub-
lishers and the elements that receive information are called Subscribers. The Publishers
and Subscribers are interconnected through the MQTT Broker, as shown in Fig. 5.
Fig. 5. MQTT communication architecture
The CS transmits the received information to the database by using the Structured
Query Language (SQL). In the CS a software module converts the received messages
coming from the Wi-Fi or LoRa based meter to a SQL message and transmits it to the
database.
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128 M. Nunes et al.
4 The AdP Meter
The AdP meter was designed to allow the monitoring, not only from energy con-
sumption, but also of other electrical parameters like current, voltage, power and power
factor. The AdP meter has the electrical interfaces shown in Fig. 6, and can be con-
nected to a tri-phase electrical system.
Fig. 6. AdP meter interfaces
There are 4 inputs for the three voltage phases and neutral connection on the top
left. On the bottom left, there are 6 inputs for the connection of 3 current transformers,
one for each phase. In Fig. 7, we can see the physical layout of the AdP meter, with the
Voltage connectors and the antenna connector on the top and the current connectors on
the bottom.
Fig. 7. AdP meter prototype
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The AdP meter block diagram is shown in Fig. 8 and comprises four main mod-
ules: Measurement module, Processing and Communication module, Galvanic Isola-
tion module and AC/DC dual power supply module.
Fig. 8. AdP meter block diagram
The Measurement module and the Processing and Communication module are
galvanic isolated for user protection, namely for the antenna connector and antenna
cable handling. This requires a dual power supply with one of them connected to the
Measurement module and the other to the Processing and Communication module. The
Galvanic Isolation module requires to be connected to both.
The power, power factor, energy consumption and service time are calculated
internally in the AdP meter from the voltage and current readings. They are transmitted
to the CS, via MQTT protocol messages, using the following units for the different
parameters: Voltage: 0.1 V, Current: 0.1 A, Power: Watt, Power Factor: 0–100 (100
correspond to PF = 1), Energy: 0.1 kWh (accumulated value), Service Time: minutes
(accumulated value), Time Stamp: seconds.
5 Deployment
The meters are being tested in two large WRRF in the Lisbon area, named Chelas and
Beirolas. Meters with the Wi-Fi module are installed in Chelas, while meters with the
LoRa module are installed in Beirolas. The first objective is to test both communication
technologies in order to make an evaluation of their strong and weak aspects, from the
technical and economic points of view. The second objective is that AdTA is able to
perform demand side management operations. By having the knowledge on the real-
time energy consumption and on the values of other electrical parameters, in a demand
management situation, AdTA will be able to shift loads in a controlled way so that the
impact is minimized in the WRRF.
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130 M. Nunes et al.
The Chelas WRRF covers an area of around 37,500 m2 (250 m 150 m) in a

central area of Lisbon. Figure 9 shows the plant of the Chelas WRRF where Pi signals
the points where the meters equipped with Wi-Fi are located. There are two meters in
each Pi. The meters are connected to different WRRF equipment, such as pumps and
ventilators. The total number of Wi-Fi APs to be deployed depends on the result of the
on-going communication tests.
Fig. 9. Chelas WRRF
Fig. 10. Beirolas WRRF
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The Beirolas WRRF covers a larger area of around 100,000 m2 (400 m 250 m)
in Lisbon. Figure 10 shows the plant of the Beirolas WRRF where Pi are the points
where the LoRA meters are located. There are also two meters located in each Pi. P0 is
the location of the LoRa gateway and antenna. The communication tests have already
been performed and have validated this configuration with a single LoRa gateway.
6 Conclusion
An IoT based platform for real-time management of energy consumption in WRRF was
presented. The developed work included the design and implementation of the ade-
quate meters for measuring different electrical parameters (including energy con-
sumption), the deployment of those meters in two WRRFs in the Lisbon area, the
economical and performance analysis of two IoT communication protocols (Wi-Fi and
LoRa) for access networks in the WRRF and the transmission of the data from either
Wi-Fi APs or LoRa gateway to a central platform and database, where data analytics
will be performed.
The objective of the pilots is, in first place, to decide on the communication
technology to be used, when a more extended deployment of the system is done for
other WRRF. The second objective is to be able to do demand side management
operations, having in view the shifting of loads from peak load situations so that a
better balance of the energy consumption can be achieved.
This work has to do with the so-called smart wastewater management, which is an
important component of the smart city concept. It is worthwhile noticing too, that the
project uses IoT technologies and architecture, which makes it up to date with the status
of communications and platforms in smart cities. The future work includes the running
of the platforms, extraction of the meter data and performance of data analytics on
those data, so that guidelines can be designed for the extension of the platform to other
WRRF.
Acknowledgment. The research leading to this work is being carried out as a part of the
InteGrid project (Demonstration of INTElligent grid technologies for renewables INTEgration
and INTEractive consumer participation enabling INTEroperable market solutions and
INTErconnected stakeholders), which received funding from the European Union’s Horizon
2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation under grant agreement No. 731218.
The sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors.
References
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pdf
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3. AQUASAFE: an R&D complement to Bonn Network tools to support water safety plans
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article/pii/S0043135415002705
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8. Grilo, A., Casaca, A., Nunes, M., Bernardo, A., Rodrigues, P., Almeida, J.: A management
system for low voltage grids. In: Proceedings of the 12th IEEE PES PowerTech Conference,
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2666018
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A New Reconfigurable Architecture
with Applications to IoT and Mobile
Computing
Amir Masoud Gharehbaghi(B) , Tomohiro Maruoka, and Masahiro Fujita
The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

{amir,maruoka}@cad.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp, [email protected]
Abstract. Traditional reconfigurable devices known as FPGAs utilize

a complicated programmable routing network to provide flexibility in
connecting different logic elements across the FPGA chip. As such, the
routing procedure may become very complicated, especially in the pres-
ence of tight timing constraints. Moreover, the routing network itself
occupies a large portion of chip area as well as consumes a lot of power.
Therefore, limiting their usage in mobile applications or IoT devices with
higher performance and lower energy demands. In this paper, we intro-
duce a new reconfigurable architecture which only allows communica-
tion between neighboring logic elements. This way, the routing struc-
ture and the routing resources become much simpler than traditional
FPGAs. Moreover, we present two different method for scheduling and
routing in our new proposed architecture. The first method deals with
general circuits or irregular computations and is based on integer lin-
ear programming. The second method is for regular computations such
as convolutional neural networks or matrix operations. We have shown
the mapping results on ISCAS benchmark circuits as general irregular
computations as well as heuristics to improve the efficiency of mapping
for larger benchmarks. Moreover, we have shown results on regular com-
putations including matrix multiplication and convolution operations of
neural networks.
Keywords: Reconfigurable architecture · Placement and routing ·

FPGA · Mobile computing · IoT · Convolutional neural network
1 Introduction
Recently, with the advances in internet of things (IoT) technology as well as the
increase in the computing power of mobile devices, there is a growing interest in
performing different computational tasks on IoT or mobile platforms, especially
for edge computing solutions.
In the edge computing paradigm, it is essential to reduce the amount of data
that is transferred between IoT nodes and the servers. Therefore, the IoT nodes
or mobile devices require to perform more computation tasks. This way, the
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134 A. M. Gharehbaghi et al.
communication bottleneck due to data transfer bandwidth or communication

latency is avoided.
Programmable hardware devices, such as Field Programmable Gate Arrays
(FPGAs), have shown to be superior in term of performance as well as energy
efficiency for different computation tasks compared to using CPUs or GPUs [1–
5]. Consequently, very promising to be used in IoT or mobile platforms. Another
category of programmable devices is Coarse Grain Reconfigurable Architecture
(CGRA). CGRAs usually provide a less complicated and more regular com-
munication among the processing elements or the processor cores compared to
FPGAs to enable acceleration of applications [6–9].
In this work, we have proposed a new reconfigurable hardware architecture
suitable for IoT or mobile platforms with the following characteristics.
1. Traditional FPGA devices have a complicated routing architecture to provide

flexibility in connecting internal logic blocks together. Consequently, mapping
an application to an FPGA device may become very difficult when the uti-
lization of internal blocks is high, or the timing constraints are very tight
and hard to achieve. Therefore, we have proposed an architecture which pro-
vides connectivity only to neighbors employing a mesh topology, similar to
CGRAs; consequently, simplifying the routing architecture as well as the rout-
ing method greatly.
2. In the traditional FPGA devices, the routing network, because of its com-
plexity, occupies a large portion of the chip area; consequently, increasing the
power consumption. However, in our proposed architecture, because of con-
nectivity to only neighbors, the routing network is greatly simplified, reducing
its size as well as the power consumption.
3. Traditional FPGA devices are very fine grained, meaning that the basic func-
tional blocks can only implement basic logic functions. However, in our archi-
tecture, the basic functional blocks may be more complicated, for example
ALUs or more complicated processing elements. However, unlike CGRAs the
functional blocks are not very coarse grained.
In addition to the new proposed architecture, we have provided a scheduling

and routing algorithm using integer linear programming (ILP). Starting from
a data-flow graph model of the application, ILP formulation results in efficient
mapping of the application to our proposed architecture, as well as the optimum
latency for executing the application. Moreover, we have introduced heuristics
to improve the efficiency of the routing method for larger circuits.
The proposed mapping method is general and may be used for random logic
or irregular computations as well as regular computations such as operations
on a matrix or convolution operations in neural networks. However, for regular
computations there is a more efficient way that is scalable to even very large
problems that employs the inherent regularity of the operations. Our proposed
mapping method for large regular computations is based on automatic mapping
for the small instances of the problem, and induction-based generalization for
larger problem.
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A New Reconfigurable Architecture 135
Fig. 1. Traditional FPGA architecture Fig. 2. Traditional CGRA architecture
Please note that because of our simpler and more regular routing architec-
ture compared to traditional FPGA devices, it is possible to achieve very deep
pipelining with higher clock frequency, consequently improving the performance
of the computation on our proposed architecture.
The rest of the paper is organized as follows. Section 2 gives a background
on reconfigurable devices and ILP. Section 3 presents our proposed hardware
architecture. Section 4 presents our scheduling and routing (mapping) method
for general circuits or irregular computations. Section 5 presents our method
for regular computations. Section 6 shows the experimental results. Section 7
concludes the paper and gives some future directions.
2 Background
2.1 Reconfigurable Hardware

Field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is a semiconductor device with a matrix
of programmable logic blocks and a programmable routing network. Figure 1
shows a simple architecture of a FPGA. Configurable logic blocks (CLBs) con-
tain 1 or more lookup-tables (LUT) to implement small logic functions. LUTs
may have 4 or more inputs and can implement any logic function of 4 or more
inputs. Each CLB may contain 1 or more LUTs. The routing network con-
sists of programmable switch blocks (SB) and a number of links connecting SBs
together. By programming SBs, CLBs can be connected together to implement
larger logic functions. Moreover, some SBs are connected to input/output (I/O)
pins to be able to transfer data between FPGA and the outside world.
Coarse grain reconfigurable architecture (CGRA) is another kind of reconfig-
urable device, shown in Fig. 2. One main difference between CGRA and FPGA
is the communication network. CGRAs usually use 2-D mesh or torus network.
Moreover, the processing elements of CGRA are processor cores or some com-
plicated processing units, providing coarse grained parallelization of operations
or tasks.
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Fig. 3. Proposed architecture
2.2 ILP
Integer linear programming (ILP) is an optimization method that tries to find
the values for a set of integer variables given a set of linear constraints, such that
a linear function becomes minimized or maximized.
For example: minimize x + 6 ∗ y subject to:
2 ∗ x + y ≤ 7, 3 ∗ x + 5 ∗ y ≤ 15, x, y ≥ 0
There are numerous problems in the field of electronic design automation
(EDA) that can be mapped to an ILP problem, including scheduling and routing,
which is the target of this paper.
3 Hardware Architecture
In this section, we present our proposed hardware architecture and comparison
to the traditional FPGA architecture.
The general architecture is shown in Fig. 3 (left). The basic building blocks
are configurable logic block (CLB), that are connected in a 2-D mesh architec-
ture. Each CLB is connected to its four neighboring CLBs (North, South, East,
West), as shown in Fig. 3 (center). Moreover, each CLB’s data can be used in
the next cycle with the Local link. CLBs at the edges are connected to I/O pins
to transfer data to/from the device.
Inside each CLB is shown in Fig. 3 (right). Each CLB contains a number of
4-input lookup tables (LUTs). LUTs can be used to implement any 4-input logic
function. The 4 inputs of the LUT are selected from the 5 inputs (N, S, E, W,
L). Output of each LUT is latched and is send to all the four neighbors.
Each CLB may have a number of LUTs (n). Therefore, n different logic
functions may be implemented in a CLB. Also, because of the connectivity to
all neighbors, n data line exists between every two neighboring CLBs.
Although in the architecture shown in Fig. 3, LUTs are used inside CLBs,
LUTs may be replaced with more complex processing elements such as ALUs.
This way, higher-level applications, instead of logic functions, can be mapped to
the hardware easily.
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Fig. 4. Comparison of pipelining in a FGPA (left) and the proposed architecture (right)
Following are the main differences between the proposed architecture and a
traditional FPGA.
In the proposed architecture, data can be transferred only from a CLB
to a neighboring CLB. Therefore, to transfer data from a CLB to other non-
neighboring CLBs, some CLBs in between should be used as transfer points.
However, in a FGPA data may be transferred from any CLB to any other CLB
as long as there is an available routing resource. Consequently, data transfers
in FPGA may take a long time, increasing the critical path delay, and reducing
the clock frequency. However, in our proposed architecture, all data transfers are
between two neighboring CLBs, and take exactly one clock cycle. Moreover, the
critical path delay is fixed, and so the clock frequency.
This means that a given application, when mapped to our architecture,
may result in very deep pipeline. In general, having a very deep pipeline helps
to improve the performance, although the latency may be increased. Another
important feature of our proposed architecture is that the critical path delays
are fixed; hence, the timing closure problem may not happen. Figure 4 illustrates
the differences in the pipelining of a FPGA and our proposed architecture.
4 General Mapping Method

In this section, we present our mapping method for the proposed hardware archi-
tecture. The input of the mapping method is the data-flow graph (DFG) of the
application, and the general information about the hardware such as the archi-
tecture mesh size, and the number of LUTs in a CLB. The output of the method
specifies that each node of the DFG is executed on which LUT of which CLB,
and at which cycle. For example, the simple DFG shown in Fig. 5 (left) will be
mapped to the proposed architecture as shown in Fig. 5 (right).
4.1 ILP Variables

We have formulated the problem of mapping as an integer linear programming
(ILP) problem that can be solved with any ILP solver, as follows. We have
defined the binary variable D to represent the data transfers.
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Fig. 5. Example of mapping a DFG in to the proposed architecture
Fig. 6. Parameters in mapping DFG nodes
D(op, t, p): op data is mapped to be used at cycle t on CLB number p

op, t and p parameters are shown in Fig. 6.
An example of binding is shown in Fig. 7. Assuming, each gate in the figure
is going to be executed on one LUT, one possible way is as follows. Gate1 is
executed in CLB5 at time 2, and data is transferred at time 3: D(1, 3, 5) = 1.
Gate2 is assigned to CLB8, which is a neighbor of CLB5, and executes at time
3, and its output is transferred at time 4: D(2, 4, 8) = 1.
Fig. 7. Mapping example
4.2 ILP Constraints

There is a constraint that all the nodes’ data should appear at least once, mean-
ing that all the operations are performed, as follows:

∀op, D(op, t, p) ≥ 1
t p
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Note that in the definition of variables, we have assumed that any op can
be mapped to any CLB, meaning that all CLBs are capable of executing any
DFG node function. However, in general, we may have different DFG node types
and different CLB types, and each type of DFG node may be mapped to dif-
ferent CLB types. In that case, we need additional constraints to define not
allowed resource bindings, by adding constraints that which data transfers are
not feasible. It means that some D(op, t, p) variables are always 0.
Data transfer constraints make sure that all the edges of DFG are assigned
at least once. Moreover, because of the proposed architecture, data transfer con-
straints make sure that correct sequence of data transfer is performed, meaning
that data is only transferred to the neighboring nodes in one cycle. The con-
straints are as follows:
∀op, t, p, oppar ,

−D(op, t, p) + D(op, t − 1, p ) + D(oppar , t − 1, p ) ≥ 0
p ∈ps p ∈ps
∀op, t, p,

−D(op, t, p) + D(op, t + 1, p ) + D(opchi , t + 1, p ) ≥ 0
p ∈ps opchi p ∈ps
The other constraint is regarding the number of registers in a block. Assuming

the number of registers is n, maximum n operations may be performed in a block:

∀p, D(op, t, p) ≤ n
op t
4.3 Objective Function

In our problem, the goal is to map in such a way that the latency is minimum,
meaning that the last cycle that any DFG node is executed (T ) be minimum.
The constraint for the objective function is as follows:
∀op, t, p, (t ∗ D(op, t, p) ≤ T )
However, practically we can avoid adding the above constraint, as the addi-
tional constraints slow down the ILP solver. In our solution, when we are gener-
ating the problem for the ILP solver, we only add D(op, t, p) variables for t ≤ T .
This way, if the problem has a solution with time limit of T, it can be solved.
Otherwise, the problem has no solution, meaning that the execution of the given
DFG in the given architecture cannot be finished in less than T cycles.
5 Regular Computations Mapping Method

The general mapping method presented in the previous section works for any
kind of circuit. However, it is required to employ heuristics to become scalable to
larger circuits, and, heuristics may largely affect the quality of results. Therefore,
we are proposing another mapping method that is both scalable and optimal
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Fig. 8. Matrix-vector multiplication Fig. 9. Multiplication solution with

global communication
for large regular computations. One of the important characteristics of regular

computations, like matrix operations or convolutions on neural networks, is that
the general flow of the operations is very similar or the same for different sizes
of the problem. Therefore, if the optimal solution for the small size problem is
known, its generalization to larger size problems is possible.
The general flow of the proposed mapping method for regular computations
is as follows:
1. Map the smaller size problem optimally by an automatic method, like the
proposed method in the previous section.
2. Use induction methods to generalize the solution of small problem for large
one, semi automatically by human guidance.
3. Map the large problem optimally, automatically, utilizing the induction.
The generalization phase results in a set of constraints that basically limits the
search space of the solver; consequently, larger problems can be solved very
efficiently by an automated method. Following, the method is shown on two
different examples.
5.1 Matrix-Vector Multiplication

Matrix-vector multiplication is one of the basic operations on matrices that have
many applications in different domains including neural networks. Figure 8 shows
the multiplication of a 4 × 4 matrix, and Fig. 9 shows its corresponding data flow
graph that is mapped to 4 blocks. The flow of data among the blocks is like a ring
connection, and the mapping is followed by the “natural” order of operations by
a human. As shown in the figure, the mapping in this case is not optimal as it
requires a lot of global data transfers among the blocks.
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Fig. 10. Multiplication solution 1: Fig. 11. Multiplication solution 2:

local transfer of partial products local transfer of input vector
Following the proposed method, we have tried to find the optimal solution
for this matrix-vector multiplication. Two different optimal results are obtained
that are shown in Figs. 10 and 11. In the first solution, the partial products are
propagated from one block to its neighbor block, while in the second solution,
the input vectors are propagated.
The above observations regarding the flow of data in the solutions can be
done by a human, and that knowledge can be used in a program to automati-
cally generate and verify the solution for larger size matrices, as shown in the
experimental results section.
5.2 Convolutional Neural Networks

Nowadays, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are used in many applica-
tions; hence, acceleration of the convolution operations are very important. In
this section, we present an optimal mapping of convolution operations in one
convolution layer of CNN for image classification as an example.
Figure 12 shows a typical neural network for image classification. At first, a
moving window of different sizes performs feature extraction on the input image,
using convolution operations. At the end a fully connected neural networks per-
forms image classification based on the extracted features from the image.
The convolution operation on a moving window usually requires a lot of
processing power; hence, a target of acceleration. We have proposed a sequence
of operations for a window, following ring connection-like order of operations as
well as moving the window on the input image to maximize the utilization of pro-
cessing element in each block as well as making data transfers locally. Figure 13
shows the order of operations for 4 × 4 window, though it can be extended to
other window sizes. Figure 14 shows the data flow graphs for image of 4 × 4 and
window size of 2 × 2. Similarly, it can be extended to any image size and any
window size.
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Fig. 12. An example CNN for image classification
Fig. 13. Order of convolution operations: ring connection in mesh architecture
6 Experimental Results
In this section, we present our experimental results on mapping different DFGs
into our proposed architecture. In our experiments, we have used DFGs obtained
from ISCAS benchmark circuits and mapped them to our proposed hardware
assuming LUTs in our blocks. Similarly, the DFGs may be obtained from other
applications, and the block contents may be ALUs or other more complex pro-
cessing elements, without affecting the mapping process or the mapping results.
The process of obtaining DFGs is as follows:
1. The original circuit is synthesized and mapped into to netlist of LUTs with
ABC tool [11]
2. The netlist of LUTs is converted to DFG as follows: each LUT in the netlist
becomes a node in DFG, and for each connection in the netlist we have the
corresponding edge in the DFG.
We convert DFGs to ILP formulas with our mapping program written in Python.
For the experiments, we have used Gurobi optimizer [12]. All the experiments
are performed on a server with Xeon E5 2.2 GHz processor and 512 GB memory
running Linux kernel 4.16.
In the first experiment, we generated DFG for the combinational ISCAS
benchmark circuits, as explained above. The DFG are then mapped to our hard-
ware structure, as shown in Table 1. Columns 1 and 2 show the circuit name,
and its number of inputs/outputs, respectively. Columns 3, 4, and 5 show the
number of nodes, edges, and levels in the DFG, respectively. Columns 6 shows
the size of the mesh structure. Columns 7 and 8 show the size of the ILP prob-
lem in terms of number of variables and number of constraints of ILP formula.
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Fig. 14. Data flow graphs for 4 × 4 image and window size of 2 × 2
Table 1. Experiment 1: mapping of DFGs from ISCAS benchmark circuits
Circuit DFG Mesh ILP Latency Mapping

size time
I/O Nodes Edges Level Var. Const.
s298 17/20 42 148 6 6×6 4,528 12,693 6 7.0 s
s344 24/26 44 147 6 6×6 5,484 13,615 6 17.4 s
s382 24/27 56 201 6 6×6 5,368 15,214 6 19.5 s
s400 24/27 55 203 6 6×6 5,336 15,409 6 19.0 s
s420 34/17 59 216 7 8×8 9,364 27,019 N/A >1 day
s444 24/27 55 216 6 6×6 5,284 15,085 6 17.6 s
s510 25/13 98 353 7 8×8 11,692 41,840 7 32,664 s
s526 24/27 83 299 6 8×8 9,773 30,406 6 836.5 s
s641 35/24 79 234 9 8×8 31,356 75,939 N/A >1 day
Column 9 shows the latency of the mapped circuit that is the number of clock
cycles to finish executing the DFG on the target hardware. Column 10 shows
the execution timr of the ILP solver to find the optimum solution.
As shown in the results, the complexity of finding optimum solution increases
by increasing the number of DFG nodes as well as the number of I/O of the
circuit. Therefore, for some circuits the optimum results could not be found
even in 1 day.
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Fig. 15. Partitioning of the architecture into 2
In the next experiment, we tried to improve ILP solving time by partitioning

the DFG into 2 sections, such that each section will be implemented in one of
the 2 partitions of the hardware as shown in Fig. 15.
We have used hMETIS graph partitioning tool [13]. hMETIS tries to partition
the graph into 2 subgraphs in a way that each subgraph has almost the same
number of nodes, and the number of edges crossing a subgraph into another
subgraph is minimum. In other words, the number of data transfers among the
subgraphs is minimum, while almost uniformly distributing the DFG nodes.
The results are shown in Table 2 for the four hardest cases. Comparing the
results without graph partitioning and with graph partitioning, the latency is
not increased while the execution time of ILP solver is reduced by an average
more than one order of magnitude. Note that hMETIS is very fast and for all
the DFGs finishes in less than 100ms. Moreover, for one of the cases that could
not be solved because of timeout, the optimum solution is obtained. However,
for one of the circuits we still cannot find optimum solution, and we need other
heuristics to reduce the runtime further, and it is part of our future work.
In the next experiment, we used the proposed mapping method for matrix-
vector multiplication. First, we tried the mapping for 4 × 4 matrix, as explained
before, as the guidance for generalization to larger matrix operations. Then, we
added constraints to the mapping program to limit the flow of operations for
arbitrary size matrices similar to the case of 4 × 4. The results of mapping larger
matrices are shown in Table 3. Without the generalization of the solution for
4 × 4 matrices, the problem for matrices larger than 8 × 8 could not be finished
in one day. However, with the proposed generalization methods, matrix size of
32 × 32 can be mapped into 4 cores in less than 25 min.
Table 2. Experiment 2: mapping after partitioning original DFG to 2
Circuit Mesh Sub-ILP Whole-ILP Latency Mapping Mapping time

size time (no (w/partition)
partition)
Var. Const. Var. Const.
s420 8×8 4,374 13,745 5,224 14,625 8 >1 day 18,936 s
s510 8×8 2,602 8,413 4,241 15,231 7 32,664s 1,415 s
s526 8×8 2,284 7,532 3,795 10,411 6 836.5s 40.0 s
s641 8×8 7,030 17,934 N/A N/A N/A >1 day >1 day
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Table 3. Experiment 3: mapping of matrix-vector multiplication
Matrix dimension (N) # cores (M) Mapping time (s)

15 3 14
16 4 15
8 2 1.2
12 4 1.6
32 4 1437
7 Conclusions
In this work, we have presented a new reconfigurable architecture for IoT
and mobile platforms. Our hardware consists of several logic blocks connected
through a mesh network. The proposed hardware architecture provides a general
platform for both fine- and coarse-grained computation. Compared to traditional
FPGA devices, our proposed hardware can achieve easily very deep pipelining;
hence, providing high performance computation.
In addition, we have proposed the general mapping method based on ILP
formulation and heuristics to improve its efficiency. Our mapping method starts
from the data-flow graph (DFG) of an application and results in optimal latency.
The general mapping method works for any kind of computation. However, for
regular computations such as matrix operations or convolutions on CNN, we have
proposed a method scalable to large designs. The method is based on solving
the problem automatically for small problem, generalize it by human, and solve
the problem for larger problems automatically.
Our future work is improving the efficiency of the general mapping as well
as experimenting with mapping high-level applications to coarse-grained blocks.
Moreover, we are working on automation of the generalization process.
References
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5. Song, M., et al.: In-situ AI: towards autonomous and incremental deep learning
for IoT systems. In: International Symposium on High Performance Computer
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(2015)
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figurable array-based accelerators. IEEE Trans. Comput.-Aided Des. Integr. Cir-
cuits Syst. 37(11), 2301–2310 (2018)
10. ISCAS’89 benchmarks. http://www.pld.ttu.ee/∼maksim/benchmarks/iscas89/
11. Berkeley Logic Synthesis and Verification Group, ABC: A System for Sequential
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gkhome/metis/hmetis/overview
made.
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Unexpected Inferences from Sensor Data:
A Hidden Privacy Threat in the Internet
of Things
Jacob Kröger(&)
Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
[email protected]
Abstract. A growing number of sensors, embedded in wearables, smart electric

meters and other connected devices, is surrounding us and reaching ever deeper
into our private lives. While some sensors are commonly regarded as privacy-
sensitive and always require user permission to be activated, others are less
protected and less worried about. However, experimental research findings
indicate that many seemingly innocuous sensors can be exploited to infer highly
sensitive information about people in their vicinity. This paper reviews existing
evidence from the literature and discusses potential implications for consumer
privacy. Specifically, the analysis reveals that certain insufficiently protected
sensors in smart devices allow inferences about users’ locations, activities and
real identities, as well as about their keyboard and touchscreen inputs. The
presented findings call into question the adequacy of current sensor access
policies. It is argued that most data captured by smart consumer devices should
be classified as highly sensitive by default. An introductory overview of sensors
commonly found in these devices is also provided, along with a proposed
classification scheme.
Keywords: Privacy Sensors Internet of Things Inference attacks

Information leaks
1 Introduction
At the latest since the advent of smartphones, a variety of embedded sensors is con-
stantly surrounding us – whether we are at work, in transit, or even within our own four
walls. The emerging Internet of Things (IoT) is predicted to further increase the number
of sensors in our everyday environment by many orders of magnitude [17].
New services and business models are enabled through the increasing pervasive-
ness and interconnection of sensors which promise to bring transformational
improvements in many areas including health, safety, security, convenience, produc-
tivity and sustainability. At the same time, with sensing technologies reaching ever
deeper into people’s lives, there is growing concern about potential privacy violations.
These concerns need to be addressed before IoT technologies are widely deployed –
not only to protect the fundamental right to informational self-determination, but also to
foster trust and acceptance among users.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15651-0_13
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148 J. Kröger
While cameras, microphones and navigation systems like GPS are commonly
perceived as privacy-sensitive [26, 32] and require explicit user permission in current
mobile operating systems [6], many inconspicuous sensors such as accelerometers,
gyroscopes and barometers are less well-understood in terms of their privacy impli-
cations, and also less protected [57]. Countless embedded sensors in consumer elec-
tronics, such as smartphones, smartwatches, and smart home appliances, can be freely
accessed by various possibly untrusted parties ranging from device manufacturers [48]
and service providers [59] to third-party apps installed on mobile devices [6] and even
website operators [8].
Numerous studies have shown that highly personal information can be inferred
from seemingly innocuous sensor data. Accordingly, an international group of data
protection and privacy commissioners argued in the Mauritius Declaration on the
Internet of Things that all IoT sensor data should be treated as personal data [33]. This
paper substantiates this view with empirical evidence from the existing literature and
illustrates potential implications for consumer privacy.
2 Sensors in IoT Devices
2.1 Classification
A wide variety of sensors can be found in consumer IoT devices. Depending on the type
of device and its field of application (e.g. home automation, fitness monitoring, gaming),
sensor measurements fulfil many different purposes. In the context of IoT consumer
privacy, sensors can be meaningfully classified according to the following properties:
Measured Variable. Sensors can be classified based on the specific physical or
chemical property they measure (e.g. air pressure, temperature, acceleration), or – in the
case of fusion sensors which combine the results of multiple underlying sensors – the
computed result they provide (e.g. absolute orientation of a device).
In the privacy context, this seems more accurate and meaningful than the wide-
spread classification of sensors based on their intended purpose. In Android, for
instance, accelerometers are exclusively classified as motion sensors because their
declared purpose is to monitor a device’s motion [1]. More relevant for assessing their
potential privacy impact, however, is the fact that accelerometers can also be used to
infer much more sensitive information, including a user’s location [24, 27], activities
[55], and login credentials [49]. Therefore, a classification of sensors based solely on
their most common purpose can be misleading.
Internal or External Focus. It can be differentiated between sensors which measure
internal properties of their encapsulating device (e.g. internal temperature) and sensors
which measure environmental properties (e.g. ambient illumination).
Possible Deployments. Depending on their size, functionality and intended purpose,
sensors can vary in mobility. While some sensors are usually stationary (e.g. carbon
dioxide sensors) or even wall-mounted (e.g. passive infrared motion detectors), others
can be carried around or even be embedded into mobile devices (e.g. microphones,
gyroscopes, accelerometers).
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Unexpected Inferences from Sensor Data 149
Reporting Mode. Sensors can be classified based on how frequently they generate
events. Android, for instance, differentiates between continuous reporting (events are
generated at a constant rate), on-change reporting (only if the measured values have
changed), one-shot reporting (upon detection of a specific event) and special reporting
(according to specific sensor requirements) [2].
Level of Protection. Depending on the assumed sensitivity of their data and other
factors, sensors in IoT devices enjoy different levels of legal and technical protection.
Specific protection mechanisms and access policies can vary significantly between
devices of different manufacturers [6]. Further insights into the sensitivity and pro-
tection of different types of sensor data are provided in Sect. 2.2.
Accuracy. The measurement accuracy of sensors can greatly differ and often depends
on their technological complexity and production quality. Sometimes, the granularity
of sensor data is intentionally reduced to enhance privacy [16].
Visibility. Sensors can also be classified based on their degree of visibility. While
some sensors can be completely hidden within a device (e.g. accelerometer) or even
sense through walls (e.g. radio tomography), other sensors require visual contact to
function (e.g. infrared). Also, the size and appearance of a sensor should be considered
when assessing its degree of visibility.
2.2 Sensitivity and Protection of Sensor Data

There are considerable differences in the perceived privacy intrusiveness of different
sensor types. Cameras, for instance, are commonly regarded as highly privacy-sensitive
[34] and therefore often rejected in private rooms [44]. Similarly, microphones [13],
biometrical sensors [44], and GPS data [32] are widely believed to intrude user privacy.
By contrast, sensors that do not directly record or locate the user are often considered
harmless. Examples include inertial sensors such as accelerometers [32] and sensors
capturing environmental data such as room temperature [44].
This sentiment is reflected in the permission policies of current mobile operating
systems. All mainstream platforms, including iOS, Android and Windows Phone,
allow third-party apps to access various built-in sensors without requiring security
permission [6]. An overview of common smartphone sensors and their permission
requirements on Android is provided in Table 1. While Google’s mobile operating
system leaves numerous sensors unprotected, access to GPS, camera and microphone is
restricted [38].
It can be expected that the policies of technology and market leaders like Apple,
Google and Microsoft will substantially inspire and shape data protection mechanisms
in the future IoT. Apart from mobile devices, other IoT devices such as smart meters
[16, 23, 59], motion detectors [25, 59] and smoke alarm systems [48] have also been
shown to share potentially sensitive data with service providers and device manufac-
turers without privacy-related restrictions. It is therefore important to investigate
whether the widely assumed innocuousness of certain sensors matches reality.
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150 J. Kröger
Table 1. Overview of common smartphone sensors

Sensor type Output Restricted in Android
[6, 38]
Accelerometer Acceleration of device No
Ambient Room/air temperature No
temperature
Camera Recorded image or video Yes
GPS Geographical location Yes
Gravity Force of gravity No
Gyroscope Device’s rate of rotation No
Light Level of ambient illumination No
Magnetometer Ambient geomagnetic field No
Microphone Recorded audio Yes
Orientation Device’s degrees of rotation No
Pressure Ambient air pressure No
Proximity Proximity of an object to the device’s No
screen
Relative humidity Relative ambient air humidity No
Temperature Temperature of the device No
3 Localization
3.1 Indoor Localization and Occupancy Monitoring
Various unobtrusive sensors can be used for the purpose of monitoring room occu-
pancy and locating people indoors. A technology commonly found in home security
systems are passive infrared (PIR) sensors which detect moving objects based on
changes in ambient temperature. Besides from binary room occupancy, PIR sensors
have been used to infer the number of occupants and even to identify people [59].
Since humans naturally exhale carbon dioxide (CO2), the air composition in a room
or building can also be an indicator of occupancy. CO2 sensors have already been
exploited to estimate the number of room occupants with high accuracy [3]. Similarly,
human presence can be detected through measuring other environmental parameters,
such as ambient humidity, illumination, and sound rate [4].
Even the on/off state of household appliances and their level of power consumption
over time allow inferences about binary [16] and ranged [59] room occupancy. The
energy usage patterns required for such inferences can be derived from residential
smart meter readings [18] which are commonly shared with electric utilities for the
official purpose of demand-response management and billing [59].
Radio Tomographic Imaging is another technique that has been exploited for
human presence detection. This approach is based on the fact that the human body
absorbs and thereby weakens a radio signal between sender and receiver, which can be
measured in terms of the received signal strength (RSS). Within wireless sensor net-
works, which are considered an enabling technology for IoT [52], radio tomographic
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imaging can be used for indoor localization [10] and even multi-target tracking [45]
without requiring any additional hardware.
Radar sensors have also been proposed for the purpose of indoor localization.
Aside from just detecting human presence and motion, existing approaches can sense
through walls [21] and investigate the physical characteristics of targets [31]. Other
technologies that are being explored for unobtrusive indoor positioning and room-level
tracking include ultrasonic sensors [26], door-operated switches [30], and pressure-
sensing floors [51]. In contrast to some of the data sources mentioned earlier, sensors
like radar and ultrasound are unlikely to be underestimated in terms of their sensitivity.
However, these technologies may be completely invisible to the tracked person which
could be utilized for covert intrusions of privacy.
Indoor location information can be highly privacy-sensitive. Among many other
possible inferences, indoor location traces have been used to obtain personal properties
of targets, such as age, work role, coffee consumption and smoking habits [41].
3.2 Geographical Localization

Studies have shown that sensors in mobile devices can be exploited for geographical
user localization, even when GPS is disabled. For instance, accelerometers in smart-
phones can reveal the device’s location while the user is driving a car [24] or using a
metropolitan train system [27]. These approaches are either based on supervised
learning with labeled training data or on mapping the phone’s motion trajectory to the
shape of existing routes on a map through computing a similarity score.
Smartphone owners can also be located while they are walking or travelling on a
train or plane by exploiting a combination of easily accessible mobile sensor data and
publicly available auxiliary data [43]. For this approach, neither training data nor prior
knowledge about the user is required. Researchers have even shown that a smart-
phone’s location can be learned from tracking its battery level over time [42]. This
method builds on the fact that the level of power consumption is affected by the
distance and any obstacles between a phone and its current cellular base station.
Highly sensitive information can be inferred from location traces. Through spatial
clustering and the identification of temporal mobility patterns, it is possible to obtain
the true identity as well as the home address and points of interest of a person from his
or her location history [19]. Spatio-temporal information can also be used to infer a
person’s mode of transportation and to predict where a driver will drive [35]. It is
important to understand that certain visited locations alone (e.g. betting office, mosque,
vegetarian restaurant) can reveal sensitive personal properties such as habits, prefer-
ences or religious affiliation. In combination with various unprotected smartphone
sensors, location data has even been used to draw inferences about a user’s emotional
state [37].
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152 J. Kröger
4 Activity Recognition
Data from various inconspicuous sensors in IoT devices can be used to infer infor-
mation about basic physical activities (e.g. walking, running, climbing) and activities of
daily living (e.g. grooming, cooking, washing dishes) of individuals in their vicinities.
Recent studies in the field of sensor-based human activity recognition have mostly
focused on accelerometer data from wearable devices such as smartphones, smart-
watches, or wrist-worn fitness trackers [11]. In [55], 3-axis accelerometry collected
with an off-the-shelf smartwatch was successfully used to recognize eating moments of
users in free-living conditions. Data from wrist-worn inertial sensors has also been used
to recognize various other actions including drinking and cigarette smoking [50, 54].
Whole-body motions, such as descending and ascending stairs, walking, jumping, and
jogging, can be recognized with high accuracy from smartphone inertial sensor data
[11]. Motion sensors in smartphones have even been used for the assessment of driving
behavior [29].
Another unobtrusive but revealing data source for activity recognition in an IoT
environment are smart electric meters. Various behaviors of residents including bath-
room activities, cooking, housework, sleep cycles, and meal times can be inferred from
seemingly non-sensitive smart meter readings [16]. It has been shown that even the
current TV channel and specific audiovisual content displayed on a television can be
identified based on the corresponding household’s electricity usage profile [23].
Data from infrared motion detectors, which is normally used for monitoring room
occupancy and often shared with security companies [59], has also been exploited for
activity recognition. In [25], passive infrared sensors were used to detect the operation
mode of kitchen appliances, such as water cooker and toaster, as well as human actions,
such as opening a refrigerator and taking a shower. While many current techniques for
automated activity recognition require pre-processing of collected data, approaches
have already been presented for extracting activity-related information from infrared
sensor data in real-time [34].
In a smart home environment, data from multiple sources can be combined for
improved recognition accuracy. Nef et al. [47] used a set of sensors measuring several
parameters including luminescence, temperature and ambient motion to recognize eight
different activities of daily living such as grooming, cooking, eating, and watching TV.
5 User Input Inference
Among the most sensitive information in the context of consumer electronics is the
input that users provide through touchscreens and keyboards, which includes personal
notes, text messages, transaction details, and login credentials.
Multiple so-called keystroke inference attacks have been developed for inferring
such user inputs from seemingly innocuous sensor data. Most of these attacks are based
on the observation that the keys typed into a device correlate with micro-motions of the
user’s hand, and – in the case of mobile devices – with micro-motions of the device
itself. Owusu et al. [49] show that data from accelerometers in smartphones can be used
to obtain entire sequences of text entered through the touchscreen, including
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passwords. The same kind of data can also be exploited to infer graphical password
patterns [5]. As demonstrated by Spreitzer [53], even ambient-light sensors in mobile
devices may leak sensitive user inputs such as the personal identification number (PIN).
Not only can embedded sensors reveal user inputs to their encapsulating device,
they can also allow inferences about what users type into other devices. Motion sensors
in modern smartwatches, for instance, have been exploited to recover text typed on
laptop and desktop keyboards [40, 56].
The possibility to infer user inputs from sensor data could enable malicious parties
to gain insight into sensitive communications and transactions. Beltramelli [7] even
suggests that a user’s entire technological ecosystem could be compromised when
passwords are leaked through embedded sensors in consumer IoT devices. Although
current keystroke inference attacks are mostly based on accelerometer and gyroscope
data, it has been proposed that other potential side channels such as magnetic field
sensors should also be investigated [56].
6 Identification
6.1 De-anonymization of Sensor Data

Sensor data collected through consumer IoT devices is particularly sensitive when it
can be linked to the real identity of the user. In scenarios where data is accessed by
untrusted service providers or device manufacturers, identifying information such as
name, address and bank account is often already available to them from the respective
service or purchase agreement.
Even if this is not the case, the sensor data itself and inferred location information
can often reveal a user’s identity to the data controller. As detailed above, work and
home addresses of individuals can be derived from their geographical location traces
[19]. Such information – even at coarse resolution – can be used in conjunction with
employment directories, white pages, tax records, and other public or private datasets to
uniquely identify a tracked person [22]. Social networks have also been proven to be
excellent sources of auxiliary data for the de-anonymization of smartphone sensor data
[36]. Some researchers even argue that no method exists to reliably prevent the de-
anonymization of location data [46].
The linkage of data sources has been recognized as one of the major privacy threats
in IoT [60]. The term quasi-identifier, coined by Dalenius [14], is generally used to
describe pieces of information that are not personally identifiable when considered in
isolation but can quickly become unique identifiers when combined with other data
sources. When it comes to IoT sensor data, an adversary’s auxiliary information does
not even need to be drawn from external sources (e.g. information brokers, public
datasets) but can also be collected from within a user’s own ecosystem of connected
devices. As shown in [36], mobile sensor data can become personally identifiable
through linkage with less protected data streams of the same user. Seemingly
innocuous sensors could thus be used as gateways to de-anonymize sensitive streams of
user activity.
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154 J. Kröger
6.2 Tracking and Profiling of Anonymous Users

Even in cases where an adversary is not capable of obtaining a target’s real identity
from collected IoT sensor data, substantial privacy issues may arise. For some of the
most common intentions behind data misuse, such as price discrimination and targeted
advertising, it can be fully sufficient to distinguish between anonymous individuals
without ever learning their real names.
In the context of consumer IoT devices, unidentified users can be told apart based
on their physical characteristics and movement patterns, which are often reflected in
sensor data from mobile devices. According to Jain et al. [28], body movements can
serve as biological fingerprints if they are universal, repeatable, collectible, and dis-
tinctive. It has been shown that head movements, as captured through the sensors of
head-worn IoT devices, fulfill these requirements [39]. Similarly, users of sensing
devices can be uniquely distinguished based on their typing motion behavior [20] and
other natural gestures such as lowering/raising an arm [58]. The required motion data
can be drawn from sensors in smartphones [9] and wrist-worn devices [58] without
requiring any permission or conscious participation from the user. Where accessible
through IoT sensors, physical characteristics such as body weight may also be used to
distinguish observation targets from one another [26].
Following another approach called device fingerprinting, users can be told apart
based on imperfections and specific features of their personal devices. Even calibration
errors in sensors commonly regarded as non-sensitive, such as gyroscopes and
accelerometers, have been exploited to uniquely identify IoT devices [8, 15].
The ability to recognize and track individuals through sensor data is a potential
basis for behavioral profiling [60] and can thus result in people being treated differ-
ently, even without names attached to the data.
7 Discussion and Implications
As shown in the previous sections, sensitive information regarding a user’s location,

activities and device inputs can be obtained from seemingly benign IoT sensor data.
Through cross-linking different sources of sensor data with auxiliary information, an
adversary can potentially identify the victim and draw further undesired inferences
about his or her habits and preferences. Thus, even if an IoT device is not designed or
expected to capture sensitive information, its data streams can indirectly enable serious
invasions of user privacy.
It can be assumed that this threat will continue to grow with further improvements
of sensor technologies in terms of size, cost and accuracy, further advances in machine
learning methods, and – most importantly – the predicted rapid proliferation of con-
sumer IoT devices [17]. Therefore, the privacy-intrusion potential of seemingly
innocuous sensors needs to be addressed and dealt with urgently in order to effectively
protect consumers’ fundamental right to privacy.
The level of legal and technical protection of sensor data should always be chosen
in consideration of all reasonably conceivable inferences that can be derived from the
data, and not based on the sensor’s official purpose. No distinct line can be drawn, for
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instance, between GPS data and currently less protected sensors such as accelerometers
and gyroscopes when it comes to their potential of revealing sensitive information [24,
27]. Further research into the privacy impact of specific sensors is needed, taking into
account state-of-the-art data mining and machine learning techniques. As it is extre-
mely difficult, however, to meaningfully determine the limits of continuously
advancing inference attacks, most types of IoT sensor data should be classified as
highly sensitive by default.
Consumers need to be warned about the invisible privacy threats of IoT. Although
surveys have shown that many individuals do not want IoT devices to record all of their
inhome behaviors [12] and worry about inferences from otherwise anonymous data
[44], people are not particularly concerned about unobtrusive sensors such as the ones
discussed in this paper [32, 44]. It seems apparent that the possibilities and implications
of data linkage and pattern recognition are not well-understood by the average con-
sumer. Thus, truly informed consent to data processing, as required by the EU’s
General Data Protection Regulation and other data protection laws, can often not be
obtained. Improved education of consumers and their voiced objection against the
insufficient protection of sensitive sensor data could also exert pressure on policy
makers and device manufacturers to incorporate effective privacy preserving mecha-
nisms in IoT systems and the corresponding regulation.
In order to enable consumers to remain in control of their personal data and
understand the complex privacy implications of IoT sensor technology, information on
data collection and processing must be presented in an intuitive and easily under-
standable manner. For this purpose, new tools and approaches need to be developed.
8 Conclusion
The emerging Internet of Things promises to improve our quality of life in many ways.
However, the large variety of sensors embedded into connected devices also poses a
rising threat to consumer privacy. The overview provided in this paper illustrates that
even sensors that are generally thought to be harmless can be used to infer highly
sensitive personal information, such as a user’s location, activities and real identity, as
well as keyboard and touchscreen inputs. Since the access to seemingly innocuous
sensors is often unrestricted, various parties can regularly capture and use their
potentially revealing data, including device manufacturers, service providers, and third-
party apps installed on mobile devices.
Many sensors discussed in this paper are usually hidden inside their encapsulating
device and thus completely invisible to the user. Where no access permission is
required, these sensors might enable fully covert surveillance of device owners and
other people in their vicinity. Considering the extensive protection of sensors which are
commonly believed to be privacy-sensitive, such as cameras, microphones and GPS, it
is important to prevent malicious parties from using less-protected sensors as substi-
tutional data sources.
Judging from the research findings presented in this paper, many disregarded types
of sensor data in the IoT should be classified as sensitive by default and protected
accordingly. Furthermore, improved consumer education and more intuitive ways of
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156 J. Kröger
presenting privacy-related information are necessary to achieve true informational self-

determination in an increasingly complex and diverse environment of sensing devices.
This paper, however, provides only an initial exploration of the topic. Further empirical
and conceptual research into the privacy implications of sensors in IoT devices is
strongly encouraged.
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Issues in Implementing a Data Integration
Platform for Electric Vehicles Using
the Internet of Things
Martin Smuts(&), Brenda Scholtz, and Janet Wesson
Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

{s210035447,Brenda.Scholtz,
Janet.Wesson}@mandela.ac.za
Abstract. The emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) has brought new
improvement and development opportunities to the automotive industry, such as
electric vehicles (EVs). EVs are well-known for their short ranges and many
studies have reported on the challenges of trip planning and accurate remaining
driving range (RDR) estimation. While the demand for connected vehicle
applications and its enabling technology has progressed significantly in recent
years, there are several constraints for connected and collaborative vehicle
application deployments. Data integration issues are currently hindering the
development of effective trip planning and RDR estimation solutions for drivers
of EVs. Additional constraints have been identified in developing countries,
including lack of charging station networks, EV data sources, and software
applications. The purpose of this paper is to report on some of the main issues
hindering EV data integration, as well as to report on an implementation in
South Africa of a Data Integration Platform for EV data using the IoT. The
findings show that data integration issues primarily relate to data availability,
data quality, and interoperability between devices, IoT platforms, and EV ser-
vice providers. The paper also identifies enabling technologies, drivers, and
future directions for researchers in the IoT and EV domains.
Keywords: Internet of Things Internet of Vehicles Connected vehicles

Electric Vehicles Trip planning Telematics Vehicular networks
1 Introduction
The Internet of Things (IoT) presents a range of potential opportunities for the
improvement and development of Electric Vehicles (EVs). The emergence of the IoT
has brought sensor-based “intelligent” technologies, high bandwidth networking sys-
tems, and cheaper memory to EVs, which has enabled more detailed travel/traffic data
exchanges between transport infrastructure, mobile phones, and navigation systems [1].
Sensing devices transmit data on a massive scale and, in some cases, adapt and react to
changes in the driving environment automatically as infrastructures, cloud computing
models, and machine learning algorithms can manage real-time streams of EV and
smart grid data [2]. Service providers and auto manufacturers, however, struggle to
access all the required data as it differs in accuracy, resolution and structure [3], and

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15651-0_14
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Issues in Implementing a Data Integration Platform 161
they haven’t mastered the technologies needed to capture and analyze the valuable data
at their disposal [2]. A need exists for higher investments in vehicular technologies and
infrastructure. The need for accurate trip planning applications is growing since their
usage can reduce drivers’ range anxiety [3–6].
One issue with EVs is the inaccuracy of the Remaining Driving Range (RDR) in
on-board displays [3, 7]. The RDR is the distance an EV can cover with the energy
stored in the battery at any given time, whether fully charged or not. RDR displays are
important as they can help drivers with “trip planning”, but are insufficient by them-
selves as the battery’s residual energy can be utilized in many ways. Other issues relate
to limited battery capacity, availability of public charging stations, and long charging
cycles [8]. Existing on-board RDR calculations only consider a limited number of
factors, and often ignore the effects that driving behaviour, weather, traffic, and terrain
have on future trips [3, 7]. EVs also suffer from a lack of suitable data integration
technologies within the EV infrastructure [4, 9]. A lack of standards and methodologies
has led to a proliferation of proprietary systems and data formats, with limited inter-
operability [4, 10]. These systems are tailored to work only within specific scenarios,
e.g. in a given geographic area with specific target users or EV models [4]. Many
connected platforms are not supported in all countries and/or lack consistency and
reliable information [11]. For example, when charging station applications are not
updated with the latest locations of chargers, drivers could potentially avoid taking a
trip, as they fear they will not reach their destination. Drivers require a “trip plan” that
assists them to drive in the most efficient way to obtain a desired range and trip
time [4].
The lack of connectivity between EVs and software platforms cause these systems
to remain unintegrated and force drivers to use several software products simultane-
ously. Drivers are forced to develop their own coping mechanisms such as finding
charging possibilities during the day, plan detours, or use alternative transport modes
[12]. These problems require an extension of traditional in-vehicle dashboard displays
and navigation systems to consider EV limitations and drivers’ preferences [1, 11].
Integrating EVs and the IoT can benefit from the virtually unlimited capabilities and
resources of cloud computing to compensate for EVs’ technological constraints (e.g.,
storage, processing, communication) [13]. Cloud technologies provide the ideal solu-
tion to manage various data sources in a distributed and dynamic manner. The above
mentioned issues are worsened in developing countries such as South Africa, as limited
infrastructure and EV management software is available [14].
The purpose of this paper is to address the gap in the literature related to data
integration issues for EVs using the IoT. The paper reports on a literature review of
data integration challenges related to EVs, with a particular focus on ‘connected
vehicles’ and the IoT. The main goal of the paper is to propose a Data Integration
Platform to successfully integrate EV data that can be used as a foundation to develop
trip planning and RDR estimation applications. The research reported on in this paper
forms part of a larger study that aims to develop a solution to estimate the RDR based
on various factors (weather, route typology, traffic, and driver behaviour) to display
useful information to drivers about all aspects necessary for trip planning and EV
management. A case study methodology was adopted in conjunction with the Design
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162 M. Smuts et al.
Science Research methodology. The case study was an e-mobility research organiza-
tion in South Africa. For purposes of anonymity the organization is referred to as
Emobi.
The paper is structured to present the main contributions in chronological order: A
short introduction to the IoT is provided to help readers understand the complex data
integration and data management issues with EVs and the IoT (Sect. 2). A real-world
South African case study is presented of an electric mobility (e-mobility) organization
(Sect. 3). A Data Integration Platform is proposed that uses cost effective and easily
available resources such as smartphones, plug-in devices, cloud computing, the IoT and
data services for EVs (Sect. 4). The data integration issues encountered and lessons
learned from the case study are related to security, availability, quality and interop-
erability, and confirmed some of those from literature (Sect. 5). Finally, the paper
concludes with remarks and future research directions (Sect. 6).
2 Background: Internet of Things and Connected Vehicles

2.1 Connected Vehicles: A Subset of the Internet of Things
The development of enabling technologies in modern vehicles does not only provide
computation capabilities via embedded chips and remote clouds, but also support by
mobile and complex networks [15, 16]. These networks are capable of sensing, wide-
area connectivity, inference, and action consisting of up to 70 electronic control units
(ECUs) capturing more than 2500 signals for the chassis, powertrain, user interfaces
and safety networks [9]. The unity of the underlying technologies enable ‘Connected
Vehicles’ or Vehicular Communication Networks (VCN), which fall into a category
known as the Internet of Vehicles (IoV), a subset and indispensable member of the IoT
paradigm [2, 15, 16]. The IoV allows for an environment where vehicles are equipped
with dedicated on-board units (OBUs), capable of communicating with other vehicles,
Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) connections, and receiving data services from infrastructure
(e.g. smart grids, road side units), cellular base stations, and Wi-Fi access points
regarded as Vehicle-to Infrastructure (V2I) communications [15, 16]. The IoV relates
to the scenario where drivers, passengers, and pedestrians can enjoy services provided
through the Internet.
2.2 Enabling Technologies

For an EV to have an integrated data platform five types of technologies should form
part of the connected vehicle environment [9]. These are: Sensing, Intravehicular
Connectivity, Intervehicle Connectivity, Inference, and Action and Feedback.
Sensing. Electronic Control Units (ECUs) consist of various control modules, such as
Engine Control Module or Brake Control Modules. The ECUs are typically embedded
with software and sensors that monitor the internal systems of the vehicles. Vehicle
sensors and systems fall into two categories: internal sensor systems and external
sensor systems [17]. Internal sensors monitor the performance of vehicles such as
wheel speed, yaw rate, steering inputs, driver inputs, powertrain outputs, or hydraulic
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braking [17]. Other internal sensors, specifically for EVs, can monitor battery state of
charge (SoC), battery temperature, and battery current and voltage from the Battery
Management System (BMS) [7]. External sensor systems have grown exponentially in
recent years and are focused on enhancing driver safety, perception and autonomous
navigation. These systems include a combination of camera, GPS, RADAR, LIDAR,
Ultrasonic, and Dedicated Shortrange Communications [17, 18].
Intravehicle Connectivity. Intravehicle networks, or internal networks, are purposely
built to share data among the different sub-systems, ECUs, sensors, and actuators to
facilitate the operation of a single vehicle [9, 19]. Standardized intravehicle networks,
such as the Controller Area Network (CAN), Local Interconnect Network (LIN),
FlexRay, and Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) are well documented and
allow different technologies to communicate with each other [19, 20]. The purpose of
these networks is to ensure that On Board Diagnostics (OBD) services are readily
available for drivers and technicians to monitor vehicle performance and health by
offering fault tolerance, determinism, and flexibility [9]. Although the sensors and
networks are proprietary to original vehicle manufacturers, these technologies typically
follow standards that allow for vehicle diagnostics and future connected applications
via interfaces, allowing external technologies from the vehicle network to communicate
with the vehicle [19].
Intervehicle Connectivity. Intervehicle connectivity relates to networking approaches
that allow data to move from within the vehicle to remote computing devices and other
cloud computing infrastructures [9]. While local applications are contained within the
vehicle, remote applications may make use of the vehicle data and combine it with data
from external sources, such as traffic or weather data. Advancements in data collection
and wireless transmission via telematics units or plug-in devices use cellular networks
to share data among vehicles and infrastructures to facilitate data collection and opti-
mization. Numerous competing IoT and intervehicle network standards and protocols
exist, which can be a problem when considering interoperability and integration
between vehicle and infrastructures [10]. Although a detailed discussion of different
intervehicle networks are beyond the scope of this paper, popular networking com-
munications found in connected vehicles are either categorised as mesh networks or
cellular networks [8, 9].
Cellular networks are ideal for machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity as they are
commoditized and ubiquitous [21]. They also offer benefits of being robust, long range,
and are capable of sharing data as parallelized streams when traffic density is sparse [8,
13]. As cellular networking technologies such as 4G/5G and LTE expand and costs fall,
vehicles may rely on cellular technologies to facilitate connectivity for critical appli-
cations and often connect to users’ personal devices [8, 15, 21].
Indirect cellular connectivity can refer to Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and other vehicle
interfacing hardware devices or visualization tools [15]. The signals from most sensors
and systems flow through the CAN and can be captured through the OBD interface/port
using either a wireless dongle [18] or wired equipment [22]. The dongles are usually
equipped with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi functions that are able to interface with smartphones
or computers, allowing data to be extracted over HTTP(S) [13, 22].
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164 M. Smuts et al.
Inference. The combination of sensors and connectivity in EVs is producing massive

amounts of valuable data. The advancements in in-vehicle and cloud computing power,
as well as scalable data handling platforms, has made aggregation and synthesis easier
in recent years. Cloud computing poses the perfect supplement for scalable server-side
processing to transfer in-vehicle processing to remote locations [13]. Analyzing EV
data with other vast datasets for insights can provide critical new services for EVs and
their drivers. By applying big data and machine learning tools, applications can assess,
learn, and adjust EV operations, and serve as a foundation for larger applications to
make informed decisions. For example, to use live GPS and EV performance data and
combine it with third-party devices like smartphone apps to predict or predict driving
behaviour [18]. While in-vehicle analytics demonstrates the value of data in controlling
EV functions in real-time, remote analytics demonstrates the potential to apply large-
scale connectivity, computation and distributed information toward improving vehicle
efficiency, reliability, and performance [9].
Action and Feedback. The data insights and intelligence of ‘inference’ technologies
will enable data-informed control over the connected vehicle to attain maximum impact
on the IoV environment. The control can either be a direct or an indirect approach [9].
A direct approach relies on ECU controllers and networked data to manipulate the
vehicle functions. For example, light sensors will switch on the vehicles headlights
automatically if daylight diminishes. An indirect approach uses the data from the
sensors and other sources to provide feedback to a human operator on an in-vehicle
display, or a second-screen interface to provide occupant feedback [9]. Examples of in-
vehicle displays are used to monitor and improve energy economy at a glance. Second-
screen feedback displays are typically found on smartphones, tablets, and more
recently, smart watches, to increase the level of interactivity drivers have with their
vehicles and allow applications to run on upgradable hardware [4, 8, 23].
2.3 Drivers, Platforms, and Applications of the IoT for Electric Vehicles
The evolving market of IoT is expected to offer promising solutions to transform
transportation systems and automobile services [13]. In the context of EVs, solutions
are needed to better communicate with their users, charging stations, and utilities to
effectively manage energy resources [8]. Applications and platforms that connect EVs,
users and infrastructure have been created to address this need. Telematics applications
have been developed to integrate EVs into the IoT environment to provide applications
such as roadside assistance, remote door unlocking, charging activity feedback, navi-
gation services and collision notifications [9]. Many automobile manufactures allow
drivers to check the status of their EVs and remotely control their charging through
mobile apps [8]. Some examples of smart charging software applications are Char-
gePoint, PlugShare, and BMW iDrive [8]. Other researchers have combined IoT and
cloud computing with machine learning approaches to identify driving behaviour [18],
estimate the RDR and battery SoC [3], V2I applications and charge recommendations
[16], predict cost of charging [6], trip planning decision support and navigation sug-
gestions [4], and calculation of CO2 emissions [22].
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3 Research Methods and Contributions
The research reported on in this paper adopted the Design Science Research
(DSR) methodology of Johannesson and Perjons [24]. A case study approach was used
in conjunction with DSR and the case study was an e-mobility organization in South
Africa, which for anonymity purposes is referred to as Emobi. The case study illustrates
the application of the IoT in the EV domain and provides a real-world context for
implementing the proposed EV Data Integration Platform using the IoT to support a
solution for integrating EV data. An interview was conducted with a senior engineer at
Emobi to establish an overview of their EV environment and the data integration issues
faced. Emobi owns a fleet of three Nissan Leaf model vehicles, which are used for
general transport activities and experimentation activities. Emobi needs to collect data
from the EVs to better manage their driving experience and improve their energy
usage. Prior to this study, Emobi had no data integration platform. Staff at Emobi stated
that they have no sophisticated navigation or trip planning system to help them deal
with the limited range issues inherent to EVs. Staff keep track of drivers and trips by
entering driver details and EV parameters manually in a logbook. These records are
then given to a receptionist to type manually into a spreadsheet and to perform manual
summary statistics, e.g. distance travelled.
To collect and store data, a GPS was installed into the EVs by a service provider
(called LogCo). The available data was generated with a logger device recording the
CAN bus signals of a 2015 Nissan Leaf (24 kWh Li-Ion battery, 80 kW electric motor,
1700 kg vehicle mass). The logger registered the battery’s current and voltage, the
SoC, the GPS coordinates, and the timestamp for a period of seven months. The data
can be retrieved using a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) API provided by
LogCo in either a summarized format (e.g. duration, distance, energy used, path, date
etc.) or in finer granularity that records data directly from the CAN bus (e.g. time
stamp, latitude, longitude, speed).
Several novel contributions are made by this study when compared to existing
literature. Prior studies do not consider all factors when estimating the energy con-
sumption. This study considers five main factors as summarized in the authors’ prior
paper to estimate energy consumption [25]: weather (wind direction and temperature),
route typology (highway vs urban routes, traffic), battery parameters (voltage, state of
health, and SoC), as well as historic driving behaviour. Most studies focus on efficient
routing algorithms based on graph-theory concepts to navigate drivers to destinations
or chargers. This study proposes to integrate existing services and technologies (e.g.
Google Roads API, ChargeNow API). To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the
first study that has proposed a Data Integration Platform based on a case study situated
in a developing country, such as South Africa. Further, many studies are evaluated in
simulated EV environments, whereas this study worked with a real-life e-mobility
company to analyze challenges when implementing an EV data management platform.
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166 M. Smuts et al.
4 Data Integration Platform for Electric Vehicles Using

the Internet of Things
The main, high-level objective of the EV Data Integration Platform is to provide EV

drivers the tools to manage EV data and to receive services such as RDR estimations as
part of a trip planning solution. The RDR estimations and trip planning services, such
as charge recommendations, are enhanced by using machine learning algorithms to
learn driver behaviour patterns. Deploying machine learning algorithms is important as
energy consumption is heavily dependent on the driver behaviour. The platform will
allow the driver to plan an EV itinerary considering spatial (route typology and length),
temporal (duration of charging and route) and costing issues (cost of charging).
4.1 Overview and Requirements

The EV Data Integration Platform had three main requirements: (1) allow for data
interoperability, (2) allow for service expandability, and (3) allow for device hetero-
geneity. In order to meet these three requirements, the platform incorporates the
Microsoft Azure IoT and the HDInsight suite [26]. One reason for selecting the Azure
IoT suite was that it provided various configuration and interconnected services to build
large scale data analytics applications. Furthermore, Azure offered scalable and flexible
services, such as facilitating a central IoT gateway hub, stream analytics engine, dis-
tributed databases, and configurable machine learning algorithms in the cloud. The
Azure suite was critical for data integration and extensibility for developing trip
planning services.
Fig. 1. Proposed Data Integration Platform for EVs using the IoT (constructed by author).
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The proposed Data Integration Platform for EVs using the IoT (Fig. 1) is based on
the five categories of enabling technologies (Sect. 2.2) and the five integration phases
for integrating connected vehicles in the IoT ecosystem [10]. The platform describes
the flow of data from the EV, the IoT, and cloud technologies through the five phases
proposed in [10]: from the Resource Discovery phase, the Provisioning phase, to the
Data Fusion, Data Dissemination and Actuation phases.
4.2 Resource Discovery Phase and Provisioning Phase

The Resource Discovery phase includes the configuration and uniform descriptions of
available resources such as sensors, actuators and other associated OBUs that form part
of the EV and its infrastructure. The platform mostly relies on the sensors installed in
the Nissan Leaf EV, such as temperature, tyre pressure, light, rain, ABS braking,
speedometer, and gear sensors. Third-party sensors are also considered such as the GPS
installed via the logger unit and the smartphone accelerometer and GPS sensors. The
measurements from these sensors are communicated via the CAN as raw data that need
to be interpreted. This phase also includes the discovery of other sensors such as the
GPS and accelerometers in the smartphone used, and the GPS from LogCo.
While the Resource Discovery phase retrieves a set of available sensors to provide
raw data, the Provisioning phase monitors the rules, ontologies, protocols, and semantic
reasoning for data to be transmitted via the networks. For example, the CAN coordi-
nates the data that is transmitted from various sensors in the EV and enforces the
permissions to prevent unauthorised devices to retrieve data from the network.
When adopting the platform in the case study of Emobi, two popular methods for
extracting raw data were used as described in Wang et al. [18] and Tseng et al. [22].
The first method used a GPS logger installed by LogCo to extract data from the CAN.
This approach is like the ‘sniffing tool’ approach where CAN message traffic is
observed and requires knowledge of CAN protocols to program firmware to record and
extract the CAN packets [22]. The second method, and an easier way to extract data, is
to use an OBD dongle, which plugs into an OBD-II port generally situated in the cabin
of the EV. The OBD dongle is programmed to interpret the CAN message traffic and
parses them to return human readable parameters based on OBD conversion rules. The
data were logged at a 5 Hz frequency as in Wang et al. [18] and De Cauwer et al. [12].
4.3 Data Fusion Phase

The Data Fusion phase acts as a distributed knowledge base within the EV and IoT
ecosystem. Data interoperability is important in this phase. It is worth noting that
service providers (e.g. charging station providers) are responsible for their own data
management platforms, which are characterised by their own data representation for-
mats [4]. As mentioned before, the Data Integration Platform does not aim to replace
existing systems but is rather aimed at serving as a data collector or integrated
repository for EV data management. Raw data originating from the EV and other smart
devices (smartphone GPS sensors) are integrated or ‘fused’ to attain a higher level of
intelligence.
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168 M. Smuts et al.
When adopting the platform at Emobi, the technical complexities of retrieving data
from the CAN had to be considered. The choice was made to use a mobile application
called LeafSpy, which has gained popularity in the EV community, to monitor Nissan
Leaf diagnostics from a smartphone using an OBD dongle. LeafSpy has a large support
community, allows a large variety of EV parameters to be traced from the CAN, and
supports configuration settings to send data in JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)
format to a server using a cellular network. This allowed for quick access to EV data.
Although LeafSpy allows additional configuration to setup a server, a RESTful (rep-
resentational state transfer) API had to be developed to divert the streamed data to the
Azure IoT gateway server. This API was developed using the Node.js programming
language, which is invoked when the data is sent from the smartphone.
Despite the cloud’s scalability and relative low cost of operation, increasing
computing power does not address data management challenges [9]. Traditional
databases cannot handle real-time requests and require technologies that use distributed
storage and parallel computing. For this reason, the data is streamed from the smart-
phone and is stored in a MongoDB instance (NoSQL database) hosted in Azure, which
allows for quicker access. Due to popular issues with telematics devices being inter-
mittent [13], the platform collects EV data from both the OBD dongle and the tracking
unit (LogCo) as a backup for potential data loss. The benefits and challenges of having
both devices are compared in Table 1. Nine criteria were used to perform this com-
parison: the graphical user interface, supported APIs for data access, data governance,
flexibility, cost, mobile connectivity, data backup and driver identification. Effort refers
to the amount of effort to configure the data collection approach [27]. Graphical User
Interface refers to information displays about the EV or driver performance [28]. API
support relates to additional web services that allow data to exchange between the EV
and a server to either render data to an end-user device or another server for storage or
processing purposes [4, 13]. Data governance is the extent to which a service provider,
or EV owner, is responsible for the installation, processing, and safeguarding of the
data retrieved from the EV [9, 27]. The cost relates to the installation cost and ongoing
costs to retrieve and maintain the data [28]. Flexibility refers to the ability to manip-
ulate the approach to collect, transform and use data for applications [19, 22]. Data
transport protocol refers to the protocol that is used to transport data from the EV to an
end-user device or storage device. Driver identification relates to the ability to identify
the driver [18].
The EV Data Integration Platform relies on web services from third parties to
collect and integrate data for the five factors influencing RDR. Data sources were
selected based on their ability to provide data on each of the following five factors:
Weather (W), Route and Terrain (RT), Vehicle Model (VM), Battery Model (BM), and
Driving Behavior (DB). The available data sources were mapped to the data attributes
that they contribute to as inputs to the machine learning and prediction algorithms
(Table 2). The data sources for some of these factors, are webservice APIs available
through RESTful formats (JSON). Other APIs that were used are the AccuWeather API
and the Google API, which provided both XML and JSON data formats, as per
Table 2. A smartphone application, called the Trip Planner App (TP-App) was
developed as a user interface to consume services from the Data Integration Platform
and perform trip planning activities (e.g. input destination and driver ID).
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Table 1. Comparison between LeafSpy OBD approach and LogCo tracking services.
Criteria LogCo (Telematics CAN-based) LeafSpy (OBD-based)
Effort [27] Once-off On-going
Graphical user None Live monitoring of EV data
interface [28]
APIs support [4, SOAP/XML (Provided) RESTful/JSON (self-managed)
13]
Data governance Service provider (web service Self-managed (own server and
[9, 27] provided) database)
Cost [28] Monthly subscription Mobile data costs
Initial installation Once-off
Flexibility [19, 22] Limited to technical knowledge and Limited to software
service level agreement
Cost [27] Installation fee + monthly Initial purchase fee for
subscription equipment + cellular network
Data transport Satellite-based (GPS/GSM) Cellular network-based/HTTP
protocol [13, 22]
Driver None None
identification [18]
AccuWeather. Weather data from hourly forecasts based on the location’s coordinates
was obtained from the AccuWeather API [29]. The coordinates can be provided from
the Google Maps API for the current location and segments of the planned route, if the
destination is known. Data can be retrieved for all Weather data needs, such as tem-
perature, wind speed and direction, visibility, cloud cover and precipitation. Of par-
ticular importance is the head on wind speeds that create additional forces on the EV,
and possible rain that will cause the EV to use its headlight and windscreen wipers.
Google APIs provide a variety of services that satisfy the data needs for the Route
and Terrain, and Driving Behaviour factors [30]. These APIs make use of a smart-
phone’s GPS and mobile network to communicate with cell towers and Wi-Fi nodes to
provide real-time trip data. Support is provided for collecting and retrieving data on
points of interests, travel times, live traffic alerts, directions, elevation data, and offers
geocoding services to track full-length trips.
Charging APIs such as PlugShare [31], Google Places, and ChargeNow [32] were
used to supplement missing data related to the other factors. PlugShare was selected as
it supported the most charging stations in South Africa at the time of this study. Data
can be retrieved in a JSON format, which allows developers to integrate details for
listed charging stations across all three platforms based on location information. Data
can be retrieved related to charging stations, such as connecter type, charging station
type, operating hours, cost, and location. Google maps can select the most suitable
route based on charging station availability and route.
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170 M. Smuts et al.
Table 2. Comparison of available data attributes for each factor from sources.
Data attributes LeafSpy LogCo Accu- TP- Google Plug-
Weather App maps Share
RT Latitude and ✓ ✓ x ✓ x x
longitude
Elevation ✓ x x x ✓ x
GPS heading x ✓ x x x x
Time stamp ✓ ✓ x ✓ x x
Distance x x x x x ✓
Gradient and terrain x x x x ✓ x
Speed limit x x x x ✓ x
Traffic x x x x ✓ x
Charging location x x x x ✓ ✓
W Wind x x ✓ x x x
speed/direction
Ambient ✓ x ✓ x x x
temperature
VM Speed ✓ ✓ x x x x
Braking ✓ x x x x x
Tyre pressure ✓ x x x x x
Auxiliary items ✓ x x x x x
Acceleration ✓ x x x x x
Odometer ✓ ✓ x x x x
BM SoC ✓ ✓ x x x x
Battery health ✓ x x x x x
Voltage and current ✓ ✓ x x x x
Battery temperature ✓ x x x x x
DM Driver ID x x x ✓ x x
Driver score x x x ✓ x x
4.4 Data Dissemination Phase

Future applications of EVs will provide powerful analytical and machine learning
services to drivers, thus requiring heterogeneous data collected in the Data Fusion
phase. In the Data Dissemination phase, two analytical components are included: The
Batch Processing Layer and the Streaming Layer.
Batch Processing Layer. This layer is concerned with data from persistent or long-
term storage, such as those large datasets found in the NoSQL database (MongoDB).
Machine learning algorithms are executed here in regular time intervals to adapt to
changes in patterns in data. The main machine learning algorithms applied here are for
detecting patterns in driving behaviour and scoring drivers according to aggressive,
normal or calm categories. Once drivers are classified, analytics are performed based on
energy usage per route segment (e.g. highway, urban, mixed). Azure allows for
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configurable machine learning algorithms and scripts through a drag-and-drop inter-

face. This enabled easy configuration for cleaning and aggregating datasets, feature
selection and training, and evaluating and publishing of results in the Azure IoT
platform. Two important processing steps were applied, namely pre-processing and
model training.
Pre-processing required a number of Python scripts to process the raw data in order
to obtain a list of features that is suitable for applying the machine learning model. For
raw sensor data, this typically included further sub-stages such as a sampling stage,
data cleaning, feature extraction and noise filtering [33]. The first Python script that was
written handled the cleaning of the trip data to ensure that there are no missing or
incomplete values. Once cleaning was complete, specific data attributes had to be
derived that provide a suitable input to the machine learning model. For example,
energy consumed, distanced travelled, trip number (ID), acceleration, elevation, and
gradient. Other APIs that were used were Google’s Roads and Elevation APIs, and the
AccuWeather API to understand the route segment, traffic, and weather conditions at
recorded GPS coordinates and timestamps. By doing this, driving behaviour and
energy consumption patterns could be determined.
Streaming Layer. The purpose of the streaming layer is to analyze the incoming EV
streams in real-time and combine them with the data from other sources required for the
trip ahead. The data is also pre-processed in this step using the same pre-processing
step as for the Batch Layer.
Azure’s IoT Hub was used with its Stream Analytics job functionality to aggregate,
filter, and compute data streamed from a smartphone. Once again, the data was com-
bined with other APIs from other service providers, based on the user inputs. For
example, the driver would input his/her identification and the planned destination in the
TP-App. The input data was important when considering retrieving the driver category
(aggressive, calm, normal), as the energy consumption estimation algorithm would
adapt its calculations accordingly. Data was also retrieved from Google Roads and
AccuWeather APIs to retrieve route and weather inputs for the specified route. This
was mainly used to estimate energy consumed over the planned route and to provide
charging recommendations. Azure’s publish/subscribe approach was incorporated,
where machine learning and stream analytics functionality can be published as a series
of web services; thus, allowing for the results of the Stream Processing and Batch
Processing learning layers to be published to a front-end application using HTTP
RESTful interfaces.
4.5 Actuation Phase

During the Actuation Phase, the smart mobile devices of passengers and/or the on-
board ECUs can take decisions and send commands to actuators allowing the EVs to
react to the environment [10]. The developed mobile application (TP-App) subscribed
to the RESTful services hosted on the Azure suite. An example of the smartphone’s use
is where the driver can view the estimated energy usage for a trip or view charging
opportunities along the path to the inserted destination. If the driver chooses a new
destination, the route and energy requirements are recalculated based on the machine
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172 M. Smuts et al.
learning model and a check is performed to know if enough energy is stored in the
battery to reach the destination. The driver is informed of the amount of energy
required to recharge the EV to reach the next destination. If no destination is entered,
the model relies on historical driving cycle data, driver category, and real-time GPS
data to predict driving routes.
5 Issues Identified and Lessons Learned

5.1 Data Availability and Governance
Despite the heterogeneity of data sources that are required for effective data integration
in EVs, one of the major challenges is the lack of publicly available real-world data for
EVs and their charging infrastructures [23]. The reasons are partially due to privacy
issues of driver, non-disclosure agreements set with telematics service providers, or
unsupported data sharing formats (e.g. poorly developed APIs) [4, 13]. Some of these
issues were experienced when attempting to connect to the LogCo APIs, which were
often unavailable and inflexible in terms of upscaling the frequency of logging
equipment and the number of parameters recorded. EV data and characteristics were
often aggregated (e.g. trip summaries instead of logged data), which made simulation
of real-life environments and the evaluation of predictive models difficult [23].
A strategy to protect EVs from security and privacy breaches is to shield network
components using gateway devices and software to monitor network interceptions [20].
The retrieval of data from sensors is difficult to attain as the utility of sensors are
governed to mask raw data in the EV [9, 22]. A thorough understanding of CANs is
required to extend the scope of data parameters.
5.2 Heterogeneity and Interoperability

IoT platforms need to support data interoperability, service-level expandability, and
device heterogeneity in connected vehicles as a way to communicate effectively and
efficiently [4]. The heterogeneity of existing sensing hardware, end-user devices (e.g.
smartphones), and vehicle characteristics often differ in vehicular M2M communication
[8, 10]. Cloud-based IoT platforms and services depend heavily on RESTful webser-
vices and IP technologies to provide interoperability and ease development [10]. For
this reason, third-party apps that interpret OBD readings from CAN were purchased.
Often these configurations are prone to cause higher latency and quality of service [10],
whereas the ideal solution would be to send the data directly from the EV network to
the cloud.
5.3 Security, Privacy, and Authentication

Security controls are required for EV data management and backup data storage
facilities as sensitive information can be exposed to attacks [20]. Challenges were
encountered when attempting to send data to Azure from the TP-App as well as to
connect to the RESTful (MongoDB) and SOAP APIs (LogCo). This issue was due to
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computers that were not provisioned in the Azure suite, as well as computers trying to
access the databases from unauthorized IP addresses. Additional programming was
required to pass a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) from the smartphone to Azure to
establish a secure connection.
5.4 Accuracy, Reliability and Completeness

Data accuracy and reliability is critical for connected applications in the context of EVs
[9, 13]. During test runs with the EV, the telematics solution and cellular network for
the smartphone were often intermittent and suffered from imprecision and signal loss.
Some of the logs were incomplete and missing data could be averaged by following a
similar approach as in [12]. For example, speed values were missing from the GPS
logs. If the speed was monotonically increasing (positive acceleration) or decreasing
(negative acceleration) over multiple measurement points, the acceleration was aver-
aged up to a maximum of four measurement points (4 s). Although averaging is a
workaround method for incomplete data, this method negatively affects the accuracy of
data. Another issue was that the telematics logger often became intermittent, impacting
its reliability. The logger often indicated that the EV was moving, but did not show
changes in SoC measurements. In this case, if the SoC readings could not be recovered
from the alternative LeafSpy logs, the trips had to be disregarded as the energy usage
could not be determined and would skew the training results of the machine learning
model. Another issue was that LeafSpy user interface often stopped, but still logged the
data to the server during a trip. The issue was overcome by purchasing a newer version
of LeafSpy.
5.5 Training and Human Error

Using the OBD dongle and smartphone equipment for each trip relies on people, which
means that improper configuration or forgetting to charge the gateway smartphone can
cause a data loss [9]. Although the issue never occurred, it was a challenge to install
preventative measures such as training drivers to use the OBD and smartphone
app. Reminders were placed inside the EV to charge the smartphone, check that the
phone was connected to the OBD dongle, and to power the phone off after each trip to
save battery consumption.
5.6 Timeliness and Temporal Issues

The timeliness of data is often impacted by unpredictable issues, which causes real-
time applications to experience poor performance. While a significant challenge exists
to attain stable, acceptable network performance between devices and cloud resources,
it is often difficult to ensure timeliness of data. IoT applications that require quick
reactivity for provisioning and authentication often suffer due to delays in network
traffic, which negatively impacts performance, usability, and user experience. One issue
experienced after analyzing the logged data was that often trips are recorded for short
periods where the EV is either idle or travelling short distances (under 1 km). This
issue related to Emobi drivers switching on the EV to check the SoC or odometer
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174 M. Smuts et al.
readings, or moving the EV from one parking lot to another. These trips are
insignificant for the broader RDR estimation problem and its consequences caused
outliers in the analyzed data. It was important to automate the cleaning of such trips in
the data set. A similar approach was taken to clean data as described in Sect. 5.4.
6 Conclusions and Future Directions
This paper forms part of a larger study and extends the work on enhanced RDR
estimation models to support drivers in efficient trip planning for EVs. The main
theoretical contribution of this paper is a Data Integration Platform for EVs using the
IoT and several enabling technologies found in modern EVs. The platform was
implemented at an e-mobility organization in South Africa to demonstrate the practi-
cality of the proposed platform. A second contribution is the data integration issues
identified in a real-world case study in South Africa. These issues verified some of
those reported in other literature, but additional issues were also reported. Furthermore,
this paper highlights some of the main drivers and applications for connecting EVs
using the IoT. A comparison was derived between investing in data retrieval services
(e.g. telematics provider) and self-managed data retrieval techniques (OBD and
smartphone).
The Data Integration Platform can support drivers to accurately estimate the RDR
and to plan their trips. To fully benefit from the platform and its overall design,
associated enabling technologies and IoT platforms need to support a variety of data
sources and analytical techniques. Data should be collected from heterogeneous
charging management software, weather websites, telematics devices (OBD and tracker
unit) for live EV modelling and battery modelling data, as well as route and terrain data
from mapping packages such as Google Maps. The issues and lessons learned can
provide guidance to other researchers to avoid similar data integration pitfalls. Prac-
titioners can use the platform for designing EV systems, thereby reducing development
costs and supporting the creation of innovative services in the IoT and EV domain. The
limitations of this study were that it could not evaluate big data methods as the size of
the data was still manageable with traditional data analytical techniques. Another
limitation was that a full evaluation of the Data Integration Platform remains to be
completed.
Future work will report on the results of automating driving behavior analysis to
predict energy consumption based on driver style, as well as to make driver identifi-
cation automatic. The evaluation of RDR estimation accuracy will also be investigated
using the proposed platform. Lastly, user experience and user interface techniques will
be evaluated based on the usefulness and helpfulness of information presented to
drivers to plan trips more effectively.
Acknowledgements. The financial assistance of the National Research Foundation (NRF) and
the Telkom Centre of Excellence (CoE) towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions
expressed, and conclusions arrived at, are those of the author and are not necessarily to be
attributed to the NRF or Telkom.
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Working with IoT – A Case Study Detailing
Workplace Digitalization Through IoT System
Adoption
Viktor Mähler(&) and Ulrika Holmström Westergren(&)
Department of Informatics, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden

{viktor.mahler,ulrika.westergren}@umu.se
Abstract. As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to grow in scope it is

bound to pervade an increasing number of firms. To that end it becomes
important to understand the challenges and opportunities associated with
introducing IoT in the workplace. By studying IoT implementation and usage
from the perspective of three different stakeholders cooperating around the same
IoT system, we explore how the introduction of IoT in the workplace presents
unique opportunities and challenges for both management and individual
workers. We conclude that the identified opportunities expressed by the different
stakeholders were increased productivity, the ability to monitor performance,
and improved customer relations. Challenges encountered were increased stress
among some workers and forming a shared understanding of the IoT system’s
capabilities amongst different stakeholders.
Keywords: Internet of Things Digitalization Building maintenance
1 Introduction
The digital transformation of the workplace is an ongoing process for firms that are
striving to stay relevant within today’s business environment. Moving towards a digital
profile is to some extent inevitable, as information technology (IT) pervades all types of
branches and sectors. Thus, the real question lies within how this transformation is
imagined and implemented both from a management perspective as well as by indi-
vidual workers. Previous research has highlighted the need for a processual and con-
textual understanding of the role of IT within the workplace [18] in order to capture, for
example, the situated use of IT [17, 28], IT value [13, 15], IT usage and communities of
practice [7], and effects on demands for skilled labor [2]. However, as IT is constantly
evolving, there is need for more research that takes into account the new solutions and
offerings that are currently on the market, impacting workplaces in new ways.
This paper targets the Internet of Things (IoT) as an emerging technological
paradigm. Current estimates say that in 2020 there will be 20 billion connected
products globally, and numbers are expected to rise. Naturally a large number of these
products and solutions will be implemented within workplace environments, where the

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15651-0_15
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Working with IoT – A Case Study Detailing Workplace Digitalization 179
capture, transmission and analysis of contextual data will be used to increase efficiency,
transparency and effectiveness [8]. As we are only in the first stages of the IoT, most of
the research so far has focused on technological, architectural and infrastructural
requirements in order to set up a functioning IoT-network [31]. Although there is an
emerging stream of research that focuses on organizational impacts of IoT, for example
IoT business models and on IoT ecosystems [20, 21, 25, 26], there are few empirical
studies about how the introduction of IoT in the workplace will affect organizational
strategy, worker conditions, and possibilities for value creation [33].
In this study we follow the digitalization of building maintenance in the form of an
IoT system designed for efficient cleaning services and ask the question: What are the
challenges and opportunities associated with introducing IoT in the workplace? By
studying IoT implementation and usage from the perspective of three different stake-
holders: the building/operations management of the firm, the IoT system provider, and
the cleaning services provider, we aim to show how the introduction of IoT in the
workplace has implications on professional life. By conducting interviews with key
personnel, reviewing existing research and analyzing our case through the Techno-
logical Frames framework [19], we capture people’s understanding of the IoT, thereby
contributing to the discourse on IT in organizations in general and IoT in the workplace
in particular. We conclude that the identified opportunities expressed by the different
stakeholders were increased productivity, the ability to monitor performance, and
improved customer relations. Challenges encountered were increased stress among
some workers and forming a shared understanding of the IoT system’s capabilities
amongst different stakeholders.
The paper proceeds as follows: In the next section we give an overview of related
research regarding the digital workplace and the IoT. In Sect. 3 we introduce our
theoretical framework, followed by methodology and results in Sects. 4 and 5. We end
the paper with a discussion of the results and conclusions and provide suggestions for
further research.
2 Related Research
2.1 The Digital Workplace
Ever since technology was first introduced in the workplace in the 1950s, scholars have
attempted to understand and explain the social and organizational consequences of
information technology [11, 23, 24, 30]. Earlier research shows, for example, how IT
has been linked to worker productivity, by reducing the cost of information exchange
and providing access to knowledge needed for project multitasking [1]. In addition, it
has been shown that employees’ adoption of IT is strongly influenced by co-workers’
attitudes, pinning social factors as one of the most important adoption factors, along
with training and management support [7], and the involvement of affected parties
within an organization to facilitate a successful implementation of IT [4]. Furthermore,
it has made possible the extensive electronic monitoring of employees, adding layers of
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180 V. Mähler and U. H. Westergren
legal, ethical and privacy aspects to the mix [16]. As IT has evolved and continues to
pervade professional life, the concept of the digital workplace has emerged in infor-
mation systems research, denoting a context where workers are exposed to a multitude
of digital tools that allow for both collaboration and mobility, but also require a certain
compliance and may lead to undesirable outcomes in terms of stress and overload [12].
In order to become a digital workplace, the organization must actively engage in a
process of digitalization. As devices and networks start to be able to communicate and
process information amongst one another they achieve convergence, which – when
reaching a certain point – will allow for the social infrastructures to converge and
change to fit the technology. This may change the way the business itself operates,
combining several different aspects to achieve a new way of working, and providing a
pervasive system that garners support and increases likelihood of being used [29, 34].
A current example of the entanglement of digital technology and organizational
infrastructure is seen in the organizational adoption of IoT, which imposes new
opportunities and challenges for the digital workplace.
2.2 The Internet of Things

The IoT denotes a technological paradigm where physical and digital systems melt
together to form cyber-physical systems [3]. The common theme is a non-separable
combination of physical hardware and digital software along with sensors, data storage
and remote connectivity. The ongoing and rapid expansion of an affordable IT-
infrastructure together with new technological developments driving miniaturization of
components, has driven the costs of hardware ever downward [5], virtually removing
the threshold for adding connectivity to everyday consumer products. In addition, there
has been an ongoing strive for platforms and application programming interfaces to
permit interoperability, which is crucial if IoT systems are going to be able to
scale [27].
The IoT has so far mostly been studied from a technological, architectural and
infrastructural perspective and less is known about the organizational implications of
IoT [31, 33]. However, as the IoT is expected to grow in scope, many firms are seeing
opportunities for value creation through the capture and analysis of data. For some
firms this means moving from selling products to selling services, for others the IoT
can provide new markets where already existing services are enhanced by the provision
of contextual data. For yet others, the IoT offers new opportunities to apply existing
skill sets, for example in data analysis or interface design [26]. In addition, the IoT is
expected to be developed by ecosystems of firms, where one firm might deliver the
technology, another the implementation context, and a third provide the services based
on the captured data [20, 25]. Such a collaborative environment presumes overlapping
ambitions and mutual goals, but different stakeholders might have divergent perspec-
tives on both value creation and organizational implications of IoT implementation.
Furthermore, the IoT offers unprecedented access to data about products, processes
and people. Data that is generated and captured can be analyzed to distinguish employee
work patterns as well as customer behaviors and organizations. Firms therefore need to
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make strategic choices about data management [20] as well as strive to create a balance
between trust, security and privacy concerns [6]. In sum, in order to explore the
implications of introducing the IoT in the workplace, one must consider not only the IoT
system and its service offerings, but also the perspectives of the ecosystem stakeholders
and their respective notions of IoT value production and capture.
3 Theoretical Framework
In order to capture and understand the perspectives of different IoT ecosystem stake-
holders we use the Technological Frames framework developed by Orlikowski and
Gash [19]. The concept or technological frames is that there exists underlying
assumptions, interpretations, and expectations of a system; technological frames – and
these frames might widely differ between different groups in an organization; such as
those in a managerial position, workers and technicians. Technological frames may
have a powerful effect on the adoption of new technology as they will strongly
influence the choices that are made; in regards to the design and the use of the tech-
nologies when presented to workers [19].
If the expectations and the assumptions made by the various groups are running
along similar lines then congruence is achieved – meaning that the view of the system
is shared in its intended functionality. If the viewpoints, on the other hand, are in-
congruent, it means that the frames do not match between the groups – for example a
manager expecting a system to deliver something entirely different than what the
workers are expecting. The end result of frame incongruence had been observed as the
eventual cancelation of the project in which it was identified, and that it can have severe
negative impacts where it is prevalent [9, 19].
The Technological Frames framework contains three main concepts; Nature of
technology, representing the understanding of the functionality and potential of tech-
nology. Technology Strategy, meaning the view of what technology might add to the
organization and the reason for its implementation. And Technology-in-use; being the
everyday use of the technology and the consequences deriving from its usage [19]. By
using this framework, we are able to highlight different views and perspectives and
detect both congruent and incongruent frames in regards to IoT adoption.
4 Research Methodology
We chose to perform a qualitative case study [10, 32] in order to gain an insight into the
personal thoughts and reasons presented by key personnel amongst the three stake-
holders, being the cleaning service provider, the building manager and the system
provider. The main method of data collection was through semi-structured interviews
[14], where the rationale behind the IoT system implementation, viewpoints, challenges
and positive effects were discussed at length in order to create an understanding for both
the technology and the technological frames present within the three stakeholder groups.
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By examining key actors’ taken-for-granted notions of technology, we were able to

draw insights into the development, usage and implications of introducing IoT within
the workplace.
4.1 Research Context

The three actors related to this are – BuildingCo, a sporting facility owning a large
building complex featuring recreational activities, with roughly 4000 visitors every
week, CleanCo, a large organization offering cleaning services; where this is one of
their contracts (with an assigned cleaning crew), and a SystemCo; delivering both the
IoT system and cleaning products (with the IoT system being our primary focus).
BuildingCo had moved towards implementing a new system when the old cleaning
company that had been working for them was fired due to complaints and inadequate
performance output. BuildingCo, together with the new cleaning provider, CleanCo,
aimed to provide a better service and through that reduce complaints. Along came
SystemCo, offering BuildingCo a chance to install their brand new IoT system.
The IoT system was a complete service purchased from SystemCo; which already
sold the cleaning products used by BuildingCo; such as paper towels, toilet paper, soap
and various other supplies. In installing this IoT system, the soap- and paper dispensers
were outfitted with sensors measuring the volume dispensed by the containers, as well
as visitor counters, counting the number of people that frequented critical areas; such as
toilets and shower facilities.
Data that is gathered through the various sensors is wirelessly transmitted to wall-
mounted receivers placed throughout the building. These receivers have a vastly larger
bandwidth and processing power than individual sensors. The receivers then transmit
the aforementioned data to a cloud based service where statistics are measured and
organized in a graphical user interface accessible to the building/operations manager
for BuildingCo, team-leaders of CleanCo, and SystemCo themselves.
BuildingCo has been using this system for roughly one and a half years, allowing
for it to become a daily aspect of their organization, relying upon it for the cleaning
being performed, but also serving as a pilot organization for SystemCo.
4.2 Data Collection

The data was collected using snowball sampling where the building manager was first
approached. Said manager then referred us to other key actors responsible for the IoT
system itself and actors both on the service-side and the operational-side of the orga-
nization. The snowball sampling is recommended when dealing with small populations
featuring specific characteristics; which in this case was high-level access to the IoT
system [22]. From this sampling a total of 14 interviews were performed, featuring
personnel from CleanCo, the building manager responsible for the purchase and system
as well as personnel from SystemCo. The average interview lasted 50 min with a
maximum of 170 min. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed (Table 1).
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Table 1. A table detailing the interview respondents, their roles and the number of interviews
performed with each of the respondents.
Actor role Person Role of respondent No. of interviews
CleanCo P01 Team-leader, system manager 2
P02 Team-leader, system manager 1
P03 Team-leader 1
P04 Cleaner 1
P05 Cleaner 1
P06 Cleaner 1
BuildingCo B01 Building-/operations manager 2
SystemCo S01 Customer relations/product owner 2
S02 Sales representative 2
S03 Technical manager 1
4.3 Data Analysis

Data was analyzed through the Technological Frames framework [19] and the analysis
was performed in two different stages. First, we read through all interviews pertaining
to a specific stakeholder firm and coded the data into the three theoretical categories of
nature of technology, technology strategy, and technology in use. We have included
some sample sentences and their applied codes (see Table 2) to illustrate our coding
process. In the second stage, we performed a cross-case analysis searching for both
common themes and opposing viewpoints between the different stakeholders. At this
point we also looked for congruent and incongruent frames within and between firm
groups. The results are presented in the next section. All firm names have been
anonymized to protect privacy.
Table 2. Examples of sample sentences and their respective coding.

Sample sentence Respondent Coded as
“[…] Now we can see that if it is supposed to give S01 Nature of technology
[value] to a customer we have to deliver the big “What IoT is and does”
picture, you can’t just provide them with a small part
– because then we would only have a tiny target
audience, and then we would be finished.”
“I would… If I were to guess, I’d say that everything P02 Technology Strategy
boils down to statistics, but in the end it all becomes “What IoT adds”
an economic issue, being able to see how many
visitors, being able to see how much paper and such
that is used, in order to make it more effective, and to
maximize the income.”
“You can see whether it [the statistics] changes; goes B01 Technology-in-use “How
up or goes down, and then you can compare them IoT will be used”
and see ‘Well now the critical time has increased, and
why has it done that?’. If I see that the critical time is
7 – that won’t tell me anything, but if it used to be 7
and goes to 14, then it tells me something.”
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5 Results
The results section is structured according to the three theoretical concepts and the three
stakeholders, discussing the Nature of technology, Technology strategy and Technol-
ogy-in-use from the point of view of the different actors. The main findings are then
summarized in Table 3. However, we start out with a description of the IoT system and
its actual implementation and use.
5.1 An IoT System for Efficient Cleaning Services

System as Used by CleanCo Cleaners. The IoT sensors were connected to an
application, that the cleaners accessed via a tablet attached to their respective cleaning
carts. A green marker indicated a recently filled dispenser or cleaned area; a yellow
marker (only used by the dispensers) indicated a need for refill (e.g. a soap-, toilet
paper- or paper towel-dispenser having less than half of its contents left); and a red
marker that the dispenser was empty or that an area has reached its maximum amount
of visits (with an upper limit of 20 selected by the building/operations manager). The
area or dispenser corresponding with the sensor moves up on the cleaners’ “to-do”-list
depending on the status, with red sensors at the top of the list, then yellow and lastly
green. The cleaners were expected to address the red and/or yellow markers as they
showed up, thus being flexible enough in their work to, when needed, deviate from a
pre-set cleaning plan that they would otherwise adhere to.
System as Used by CleanCo Team-Leaders. The team-leaders of the cleaning crew
had some added accessibility, for example the ability to add new cleaning-plans
detailing how the cleaners should work when not responding to sensors, and to edit
existing ones. The system also featured the ability for team-leaders to send out mes-
sages to the cleaners, showing up on their tablets and potentially alerting them to
certain situations such as broken windows or leaking pipes that would otherwise not be
covered by the sensors placed throughout the facility. Team-leaders could also access
statistics regarding specific sensors, for example; how long a certain sensor had been
red during a particular time-span; or how many visitors there had been in particular
zones during certain times. This allowed them to adjust cleaning plans or perform
quality assurance on the various areas within the building itself.
System as Used by BuildingCo. The building manager used the statistics provided
through the system to monitor overall productiveness, see trends, and identify potential
bottlenecks with a significantly higher visitor count or higher usage of supplies. The
system and its produced statistics could also serve as a measurement for procurements
when it comes to supplies or even as a baseline for labor, should the management
choose to hire another company to handle the cleaning service. In this sense the system
allowed for both quality assurance, increased negotiating power and also a way to more
effectively and accurately monitor the cleaners in their work, and with what speed and
detail that various tasks were completed.
System as Used by SystemCo. While SystemCo was less interested in the day-to-day
operations, the IoT system and the statistics that it provided, gave an increased
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understanding of the customer’s business and made it possible to tailor sales and other
services based on the customer data, for example being able to predict when certain
supplies were running out and (hypothetically) pricing the supplies according to the
demand for them by the customer. The implementation also facilitated a relationship
between the SystemCo and BuildingCo, as continuous coordination benefits both
parties – where the building/operations manager receives reports, support and updates
that are being produced by SystemCo. Forming a close relationship with the customers
can potentially dissuade them from switching to another system provider.
5.2 Nature of Technology

Nature of technology refers to stakeholders’ understanding of the IoT system, its
functionality, and its possibilities.
CleanCo. When asked about the system itself, it was generally well received by both
cleaners and team-leaders (who themselves also did operational work to some extent).
The task of cleaning could be split into “need-based” and “frequency-based” cleaning,
where the “need-based” cleaning was relying solely on the sensor data, in that cleaning
would be performed according to whether system prompts were red or yellow, and the
“frequency-based” cleaning was simply following a pre-determined schedule. One of
the respondents, who had previously worked frequency-based at a larger building
complex, stated that a system such as this would eliminate the uncertainty of whether or
not an area had been cleaned comparing it to their previous workplace;
“We did not know exactly at which times anybody had been in there [cleaning]. Then you might
run over there when somebody had already been there.”
This viewpoint was shared amongst the other respondents, detailing similar stories
of previous uncertainty regarding their cleaning schedules. When asked if they were
worried about the possibilities of having their work monitored, neither of the respon-
dents reported that this was anything that they were personally worried about. Overall
the cleaners themselves held the system in high regard both before and after the
implementation process itself.
Building Co. The rationale for adopting the IoT system and digitalizing the cleaning
process was mainly due to the fact that a lot of complaints had arisen from customers
using the facilities when a previous company provided the cleaning services, with the
building/operations manager stating that;
“We had a lack of quality, so now we have the same amount of cleaners but we have a
significantly better result. That was not the case one and a half, or two, years ago. Back then we
had a lot of [complaints]… and most of the complaints were regarding the cleaning”.
As the previous cleaning service was replaced, SystemCo (that was only the supplier
of cleaning products at that point) approached the building manager and sold their
concept of a digitalized cleaning solution. In the wake of the complaints, that had arisen
with the previous cleaning company; being able to monitor the cleaning process and
getting an overarching view of the facilities proved to be one of the main motivators for
the management team and allowing the procurement of the IoT system, adding an
additional level of value, being able to have actual statistics of the work being performed.
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SystemCo. When asked about the system, much of the reasoning behind the devel-
opment was that it would add simplicity for the cleaners themselves. This reasoning
was expanded, stating that the addition of the system would give cleaners more free-
dom, streamlining their work and creating additional value through the aforementioned
aspects. Another factor in regards to value creation was that cleaners would feel that
someone invested in them by adding technology to enhance their work, something
which, according to SystemCo, often gets overlooked or kept at a minimum in most
cases in regards to maintenance workers. This would, it was argued, also lead to an
increased sense of professional pride amongst the cleaners. One of the system providers
argued that;
“Well the cleaners think it’s a bit fun that their work is seen, […] All of a sudden they get a
tablet and you look at their work – it gives people another status”.
The possibilities for SystemCo themselves were that when moving in on, or
approaching, new customers, the strategic benefits of the IoT system could be argued,
and that aspect seemed to be, although stated more implicitly, a larger and more
important factor than the cleaners’ wellbeing. The added benefits, argued to potential
customers, would hence be the ability to have a better view of the cleaning process, and
an increased quality assurance.
5.3 Technology Strategy

Technology strategy refers to stakeholders’ views on what IoT might add to their
organization and what the reason is for technology adoption.
CleanCo. The strategic value that the cleaners, and the team-leaders in particular,
expressed regarding the system was primarily the ability to centralize the schedules that
went out to the various cleaning crews. For instance, in regards to the cleaning of
specific areas that required certain chemicals or cleaning agents, the mixtures and
compositions could be delivered directly to the cleaners doing their rounds. On the
operational level the strategic value was that the system would decrease the amount of
check-ups required within different areas, primarily toilets, where the cleaners would
not have to open up all the dispensers in order to check the status of toilet paper, paper
towels or soap.
This decrease in workload was perceived to be valuable, and from a quality
standpoint it would also allow for the cleaners to attend to more areas, creating a better
environment in general. When it came to the ability to plan; team-leaders felt that
scheduling within the application did not provide them with any benefits, or as one of
team-leaders described the hypothetical scheduling for individuals;
“[…] If there are a lot of users it would require extensive administration from us, and since
we’re in-house that would make it very inflexible.”
Because of this, the managing of schedules and planning of individual cleaners was
still done outside of the system, using a whiteboard with corresponding times for each
of the cleaners.
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BuildingCo. For the building/operations manager the primary strategic value was
described as the ability to use the statistics provided by the system to monitor the
cleaning procedure, gauge differences in time and/or quality, as well as to use the
system to get a baseline for future procurements of products, and eventually if hiring a
new cleaning company – to be used as a comparison, with the manager stating that;
“[It’s] on the level that I evaluate if they do a good job, or… we want as little critical time as
possible, so I can look at it when I’m going to discuss with their managers, and then we might
have others looking at the details in the system”.
In the wake of the complaints that were received with the previous company, much
of the arguments for the strategic values revolved around the ability to, in a sense,
“control” how the work was being performed, and to deal with it accordingly, and was
discussed to roughly the same extent as the quality assurance.
SystemCo. The strategy expressed towards the customers and the cleaners was that the
system would increase cleaners’ sense of control regarding their work. The digital-
ization would make running and checking dispensers less of a problem, thus allowing
for better planning and use of time. From a SystemCo point of view, the IoT system
was a part in helping them transform their business strategy and make the move from
product to service provision.
“[…] We have become a bit more than only a sanitations product provider. From being a
provider, to becoming more like someone that’s support… or help… you support [the cus-
tomer] in a different way – you get a much closer relationship.”
A major reason for moving in that direction was that there could only be so much
innovation that could be done with the dispensers themselves analogously, and the
products being sold would still have to be at a low price range to make sure that customers
would not turn to any competitors. In order to maintain the customer base and attract new
customers, the IoT solution was adopted and the dispensers were outfitted with general
sensors that could fit within a multitude of dispensers, regardless of their shape.
5.4 Technology-in-Use
CleanCo. While the cleaners were all positive toward the system and stated that it did
help them with their day-to-day tasks, one of the team leaders mentioned that they had
one of the cleaners approach them and say that the system was leading to a significant
increase in stress, and to some extent make them doubt in their ability to do their job.
This aspect was to some extent dismissed and it was argued by the team leader that the
cleaner in question did not have a “proper mindset” – meaning that the cleaners simply
shouldn’t let themselves get stressed out from the system, but instead embrace it as a
tool, and seeing the “critical-time” more as a guideline than an actual requirement to
instantly attend to. One of the team-leaders described it as;
“I’ve had one cleaner telling me that ‘I’m bad since I take it too easy, leaving too many areas
red, while [another cleaner] manages those cleaning areas off [not red]’, and at the same time
the cleaner is telling me that they are working too hard and don’t know how long they can hold
out before something, like, breaks – and that they need more help.”
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Very little, if any, blame was given to the system itself, but rather it was somewhat
shifted towards the cleaner, where the same team leader as above, was asked about the
stress-aspect as a design flaw they stated that;
“There’s a number of design flaws, however I wouldn’t say that the stress aspect is a flaw in the
system, instead it has… it’s the human factor”.
A similar aspect of “not having the proper mindset” was also expressed in a group
meeting that featured both the SystemCo and CleanCo, where the SystemCo seemed to
agree that if someone was being stressed by the system it was a question of that
person’s “mindset”. The team leader said that cleaners would occasionally ignore some
of the ‘critical time’, when sensors turned red, and continue working in their own pace
– whereas the cleaner that was feeling stressed said that they would run to every area as
soon as the sensors turned red.
Further it was also described by another team leader that it was important for them
to make sure that the cleaners continuously used the system, as some of the cleaners
had been doing their job for so long that they would clean from “muscle memory”
rather than the indications from the system itself. The team leader argued that if the
cleaners were not continuously exposed to the system, some of them would stop using
it and revert back to their old habits and ways of working.
BuildingCo. One of the statistical views that the building/operations manager men-
tioned as their favorite ones was the ‘total critical time’, detailing the time within a
user-defined time frame that the sensors showed as being ‘red’.
As previously described, the IoT system was used by BuildingCo in order to make
economic predictions, and as a baseline for price negotiations.
Regarding scheduling it was decided that the cleaners would still work the same
hours with the system – mainly using the added time that was saved to be used within
their frequency-based cleaning plan in order to maximize productivity. An initial fear
that was noted by the building/operations manager was that;
“What we were afraid of was that there’d be some kind of ‘Big brother is watching you’ and
those types of things, but it’s not… […] no one that I’ve heard from has said that there…was…
problems, rather it was just cool that they got some new technical [things].”
From the managerial viewpoint there were no problems related to the surveillance
aspect. Neither was it mentioned anything about the cleaner experiencing problems
from the system, however it is possible that it had not been relayed to the
building/operations manager from the team-leaders of the cleaners. However, overall,
the building/operations manager expressed much positivity of the system itself and saw
it as a useful tool.
SystemCo. During one of the interviews, two of the system providers described
similar stories that many of the customers that had received the system were pleased
with it, but that in some instances had been very weary of it initially such as;
“[…] We worked in a place where we got comments such as ‘I’ve worked here for twenty years,
don’t come here and tell my how to clean, I don’t want an… an app that tells me how to
clean’”.
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Respondent S01 also stressed the importance of getting both the cleaning personnel
and the maintenance manager on board, in order to successfully market a system such
as this – primarily because it could entail a large cost and that they needed employees
in the organization ready to sell in the idea to the executive manager, stating that;
“What I’ve learned about the implementation is that you have to push this a lot – they have to
be willing to change, and the operations managers have to… you don’t just implement a system
and hope that it solves itself, you have to work with the system”.
Respondent S03 did note that there had been instances where they had attempted to
market the system internationally, sometimes having unions evaluating their products
before they could be installed. However, claims that some cleaners became stressed by
the system were largely brushed off, and it was argued that the cleaner potentially was
“thinking wrong” or simply did not have the correct “mindset”.
Table 3 provides a summary of our findings grouped according to the three theo-
retical constructs and the views expressed by the three stakeholders. These findings are
then discussed in the next section where we show how the stakeholders’ technological
frames influenced their perceptions of both opportunities and challenges with intro-
ducing IoT in the workplace.
Table 3. Summary of main findings

Benefits Theoretical construct
from Nature of technology Technology strategy Technology-in-use
system
Stakeholder’s Stakeholder’s views on what IoT Stakeholder’s views on how IoT
understanding of IoT, its might add to their organization will be used within the
functionality, and its and what the reason is for organization, and what
possibilities technology adoption consequences this will bring
CleanCo • Viewed by a majority of • Useful tool in cleaning, less • Team-leaders state that some
the team-leaders as a silver useful for planning cleaners are too stressed
bullet solution • A way to statistically keep track because of the system
• Most personnel believe it is of work trying to make the • If the cleaners aren’t exposed
as an improvement over the business more effective to the system or “forced” to use
previous (analogue) method it, its usage will diminish
of working
BuildingCo • Using the data generated • Using statistics as a means to • Being able to monitor
to create further value for leverage better contracts with cleaning results in real time
their own business both cleaners and system and identify outliers
• Seen as a way to get an provider • Having cleaners work more
overview of the cleaning • Noticing discrepancies in the pro-actively instead of
process performance of the cleaners reactively
themselves • Changes in prizing from
system provider
SystemCo • Helping businesses with • Giving cleaners increased • Important to get cleaners (and
statistical analysis and control over their work and possibly the union) to
recommendations to duties embrace the system
cleaning solutions • Positioning themselves towards • Having team-leaders of the
• Value creation for cleaners a more service-oriented business cleaners “sell” the system to
through the addition of the model the management
technology • Creating means for co-operation • If workers feel stressed out,
with customers and cleaners they have to adjust their way of
thinking
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6 Discussion
For CleanCo and BuildingCo, the implementation of the IoT system started out as what
could be characterized as a digitization of operative maintenance work [29]. This was
accomplished by moving the previously analogue schedules, cleaning-zone informa-
tion and messaging in to the IoT system itself. The transmitted sensor data gave the
cleaners the opportunity to directly interact with each area, receive real-time infor-
mation about which action was required and then act upon the given information. This
information, combined with data generated from the cleaners’ average response time
could then be accessed by the building/operations manager, providing them with a
statistical overviews on e.g. how long it had taken a maintenance worker to clean a
certain area, or what the average response time was from the moment that a sensor
turned red to when it had been attended to (becoming green). This functionality brought
on a form of digital convergence and a symbiotic relationship between technologies
and organizational processes, described by [3, 34] as pervasive, meaning that previ-
ously physical objects, such as the installed soap dispensers or paper towel dispensers
in our case, are incorporated with digital technology.
The IoT system had further changed the way that the building maintenance was
being done, where frequency-based maintenance (following a predetermined schedule)
in some instances had been completely dropped in favor for a need-based maintenance;
a reliance on the IoT system - while also generating less complaints regarding the
cleaning when doing so. The cleaners continuous usage further rendered the digital
technology to become what is described by [29] as ‘infrastructural technology’, where
a, comparatively, analogue workplace moves in to the digital sphere and moves
towards becoming a digital workplace, through the introduction of IoT driving
digitalization.
One identified challenge with this type of IoT system is the aspect of monitoring,
where this IoT system to some extent, arguably, was being used to monitor the process
of cleaning, as described by the building manager – even if the cleaners did not express
that they felt surveilled. While the user data became anonymized in the application;
tying specific times to specific cleaners was something that could be done with rela-
tively little effort, making the IoT system risk being used in a manner that previous
research [16] labeled as ‘active real-time intrusion’ and ‘highly intrusive’.
SystemCo stated that the opportunities provided by the IoT system functioned
primarily to assist cleaners in their daily routines, so that they could work areas faster
and with greater precision. However, it was also stated that the value created for
SystemCo was the formation of new relationships with customers and the ability to
strengthen the relationships with existing customers. This goes in line with previous
research [20, 25], showcasing how connected and smart products allows for the for-
mation of closer relationships between companies and their customer.
SystemCo further noted that a challenge in order to facilitate a successful imple-
mentation was that the team-leaders needed to be able to ‘sell’ the system to the
management as a necessity, and also the willingness to work with the system from all
participants by involving them and providing them with adequate resources in order to
avoid problems, something previous research [4, 7] shows as being of importance.
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While the team-leaders for CleanCo had a shared vision about the system
decreasing the time it took for the cleaners to attend to connected dispensers, it was
evident that some of the cleaners themselves did not experience a simplification of their
work, but rather the challenge of an increase in stress. This stress aspect that was not
addressed to any major extent by either CleanCo or the SystemCo, and possibly not
even known by the operations manager at BuildingCo. This points towards the same
frame incongruence as described in the Theoretical Framework section [19] – where
different individuals or groups of individuals do not share an understanding of what can
be expected of the technology.
Should said frame incongruence persist or increase to the point where the cleaners’
understanding and expectations proceed to differ significantly from BuildingCo, Sys-
temCo or even the team-leaders, we argue that it has the potential to severely impact all
of the aforementioned challenges and opportunities, as well as hampering a continued
successful implementation of IoT within their workplace.
7 Conclusions and Suggestions for Future Research
In this study we set out to explore the question; What are the challenges and oppor-
tunities associated with introducing IoT in the workplace? Through our interviews with
the stakeholders in the case of CleanCo, BuildingCo and SystemCo we have identified
several opportunities as well as challenges present to each stakeholder.
One of the opportunities as described by BuildingCo was that the IoT system,
allowed them much greater ability to monitor work, and receive detailed performance
reports in regards to the cleaning – which could be used in negotiations and as baselines
for future hires and identifying outliers in terms of cleaning output.
CleanCo experienced a faster workflow, and a way for the cleaners to work in a
more pro-active manner; knowing which areas that needed attention. But the system
was also a challenge for some of the cleaners, where they had described an increased
level of stress and doubts in regards to their own performance – something that seemed
largely brushed off by SystemCo and team-leaders, running the risk of problems arising
further down the line.
The opportunity expressed by SystemCo was to form new connections with cus-
tomers – and a much longer lasting relationship with the ones using the system. But in
order to sell the system to new customers, and retain old ones, the challenge described
was to get the cleaners on board with the IoT system, desiring to use it and to have
them continue doing so throughout the implementation and use of the system.
In order to best meet these opportunities and challenges we argue that it is pivotal
for each stakeholder to establish congruent views on what IoT can deliver, how value
will be created, and for whom. Incongruent views among the stakeholders can, if not
properly addressed, have a detrimental effect on both challenges and opportunities
within the implementation and usage.
Through this study we have been able to showcase an empirical example of both
challenges and opportunities related to the implementation of an IoT system in a
workplace context. We argue that future research should delve deeper into the aspects
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of increased stress amongst users of similar systems and whether or not IoT-
implementations in other successful or failed ventures was preluded by including all the
actors to a similar extent in the value creation process.
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Opportunities for the Internet of Things
in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Domain
Paula Kotzé1,2(&) and Louis Coetzee1

1
CSIR Meraka Institute, Pretoria, South Africa
2
Department of Informatics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Abstract. This paper analyses the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)
context in South Africa and presents views regarding the possible use of the
Internet of Things (IoT) for WASH in South Africa. The views were informed
by an analysis of literature related to the WASH domain nationally and inter-
nationally. Example case studies of the use of IoT in the WASH sector in
developing countries, and where possible Africa, provided further background.
As a triangulation exercise, a survey amongst various stakeholders in the WASH
domain was conducted. To contextualise the WASH sector in South Africa,
value chains were derived. To identity the opportunities for IoT, the findings of
the study were combined with insights acquired on the IoT domain in general,
both from literature and our experience and learnings.
Keywords: WASH Internet of Things Water Sanitation Hygiene

Value chains
1 Introduction
The human rights to water, sanitation and hygiene, collectively known as WASH, are
guaranteed under international law as components of the right to an adequate standard
of living guaranteed in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights [1], as well as in many other human rights treaties. Moreover, water, sanitation
and hygiene are inextricably linked to a range of other human rights, including the
rights to life, health, education and housing [1–5]. Reporting on progress with the
United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals, UNICEF states that [6]:
• More than 660 million people in 2015 lacked access to safe drinking water sources
within a convenient distance from their habitation, 319 million of which lived in
Sub-Saharan Africa. A total of 159 million people was dependent on surface water,
of which 102 million lived in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Adequate sanitation facilities, for human excreta disposal in, or close to, peoples’
habitation, were not available to 2.4 billion people in 2015, 695 million of which
lived in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In South Africa, and many other developing countries, a large number of people still do
not have an acceptable toilet and cannot easily access safe water to drink or wash their
hands. This leaves significant proportions of young children and vulnerable individuals

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15651-0_16
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Opportunities for the Internet of Things in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Domain 195
to die of preventable WASH related diseases such as diarrhoea, intestinal nematode

infections, lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, schistosomiasis and malaria [7]. This could
also contribute to malnutrition and poor school attendance, which could result in
cognitive impairment and reduced learning outcomes [8, 9]. It is argued that
improvements related to drinking water, sanitation, hygiene, and water resource
management could result in the reduction of almost 10% of the total burden of disease
worldwide. Access to adequate WASH services is therefore an important mechanism to
address risks associated with the burden of disease of any country.
The use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) has been posited
as one way to address the burden of disease and improving quality of life for those most
at risk. One of the new developments in ICT, the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT), allows for
the integration of digital and the physical worlds, resulting in the creation of new
services that can be deployed for positive impact. In the context of WASH innovative
IoT work, including technology development and applications, is being done in relation
to WASH services in both the developed and developing world. However, it is
unknown to what extent (and if at all) IoT approaches to providing WASH services
have been pursued in South Africa.
Following a study conducted for the Water Research Commission of South Africa
(WRC) [10], this paper analyses the WASH context in South Africa and presents views
regarding the possible use of IoT for WASH services in South Africa. A literature
review combined with inputs from a survey was used to collect data for the study.
Section 2 provides background to the WASH domain and IoT in general. Section 3
provides an overview of the findings of our study on the use of IoT in WASH in South
Africa. Section 4 contextualises the WASH sector in South Africa using value chains.
Section 5 identities benefits and future scenarios for the use of IoT in the WASH
sector. Section 6 concludes the paper.
2 Background
2.1 What Is WASH

WASH is the collective term for the associated concepts of safe drinking water, safe
sanitation and hygiene [2]. According to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Pro-
gramme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP) [11]:
• Drinking water services refers to the accessibility, availability and quality of the
main source used by households for drinking, cooking, personal hygiene and other
domestic uses.
• Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through the prevention of
human contact with waste as well as the treatment and disposal of waste. Sanitation
services refer to management of excreta from the facilities used by individuals,
through emptying and transport of excreta for treatment and eventual discharge or
reuse. Sanitation can also refer to the maintenance of hygienic conditions through
services such as wastewater disposal and garbage collection.
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196 P. Kotzé and L. Coetzee
• Hygiene refers to the conditions and practices that help maintain health and prevent
spread of disease, including handwashing, menstrual hygiene management and food
hygiene.
Due to their interdependent nature, these three core issues are grouped together to
represent a growing sector, called WASH for short. While each issue can be considered
a separate field of work, each of them is dependent on the presence of the other. For
example, without clean water, basic hygiene practices are not possible, without toilets,
water sources become contaminated, etc. [2]. This paper addresses the WASH concept
as defined by the JMP [11], but limiting the hygiene aspect to handwashing.
2.2 Global WASH Context

The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development [12], comprising 17 Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets addressing social, economic and envi-
ronmental aspects of development, seeks to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure
prosperity for all. Concerning WASH services, Goals 6, 1.4, 3.9 and 4a [12, 13] apply.
In the context of this paper SDGs 6.1 and 6.2 are specifically relevant:
• SDG 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable
drinking water for all.
• SDG 6.2: By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene
for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and
girls and those in vulnerable situations.
The UN also identified a number of cross-cutting criteria for good practices in the
WASH sector [3]: non-discrimination, participation, accountability, impact and
sustainability.
JMP [11] is the custodian of global data on WASH and has derived a normative
interpretation for SDG 6.1 and 6.2. JMP also compiled associated service ladders to
benchmark and compare service levels across countries and to facilitate enhanced
global monitoring of WASH as specified in the SDGs [13]. The JMP ladder for
household drinking water services consists of five rungs and also classifies the water
resources into four classes [11, 13], as presented in Table 1. Drinking water ladders
also exist for schools [13, 14] and healthcare facilities [13]. The JMP service ladder for
sanitation for households is presented in Table 2. A service ladder for sanitation in
schools also exist [13–15].
The full benefits of improvements in access to sanitation and drinking water cannot
be realised without good hygiene. Although there is a distinction between sanitation and
hygiene, the two topics are often covered together in literature. Handwashing with soap
is considered the main focus for hygiene as it serves as a primary barrier to remove
faecal matter from contact with stools and a secondary barrier to prevent pathogens to
get into food and fluids consumed by people, allowing pathogens to spread to new hosts
[16]. JMP’s service ladder for handwashing in households is presented Table 3.
Handwashing facilities can consist of a sink with tap water, or other devices that contain,
transport or regulate the flow of water [13], for example buckets with taps, tippy-taps
[17] and portable basins. JMP also has a handwashing ladder for schools [14].
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Table 1. Water service levels and resources [11, 13, 18–21]

Service Service criteria Resource Resource Resource example
level class
Safely Accessible: on Improved Sources, which by Piped water,
managed premises nature of their design boreholes or tube
service Available: when and construction wells, protected dug
needed have the potential to wells or springs,
Quality: free from deliver safe water packaged water
faecal and chemical
contamination
Affordable
Basic Improved source Improved
service does not meet any
one of above
normative criteria
A round trip to
collect
water 30 min,
including queuing
time
Limited Round trip for water Improved
service collection >30 min,
including queueing
time
Unimproved Unimproved Collected from Unprotected dug
source wells or springs
No service Surface Collected directly Surface water, e.g.
water from an unprotected lake, river, stream,
resource pond, canals,
irrigation ditches
Table 2. JMP service ladder for sanitation in households [13, 15]

Service level Definition
Safely managed Use of an improved sanitation facility which is not shared with other
households and where excreta are safely disposed in situ or
transported and treated off-site
Basic Use of improved facilities which are not shared with other households
Limited Use of improved facilities shared between two or more households
Unimproved Use of pit latrines without a slab or platform, hanging latrines and
bucket latrines
Open defecation/no No toilets or latrines. Disposal of human faeces in fields, forest,
service bushes, open bodies of water, beaches or other open spaces or with
solid waste
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Table 3. JMP service ladder for handwashing in households [14, 15]

Service level Definition
Advanced Handwashing facilities available at critical times and accessible to all
Basic Hand washing facility with soap and water in the household
Limited Handwashing facility without soap or water
No facility No handwashing facility
2.3 What Is IoT

Multiple definitions for the Internet of Things have been proposed in the past [22]. For
the purposes of this document, we define IoT as “an ecosystem that integrates the
physical and digital via the Internet with associated computing services. Data is
ingested from the physical and digital world for sense making, thus enabling the
execution of contextual commands” [10: p. 50]. Figure 1 presents the generic IoT
process chain. Observations are acquired via a variety of sensors and communicated via
the Internet to backend systems (typically cloud infrastructure). A variety of services
operate on the data observations. Through the services, value is introduced to society
and the environment. Important to note is the bi-directional nature of the process chain.
Outputs from services are fed into the processing engines, with those outputs feeding
back into the physical world through actuation.
Fig. 1. IoT process chain [10]
IoT is maturing rapidly in the developed world. Many research initiatives at scale
have been pursued and commercial solutions are becoming available. There is also an
abundance of skilled resources and technologies available. This is not the case in South
Africa and the rest of Africa, where the uptake is still in its early stages. This does
create a challenge, as it is often believed that the required impact can be obtained by
importing a ‘canned’ solution. Coetzee et al. [23] have shown that canned solutions are
not an optimal approach. The drivers quite often differ, thus impacting on the context in
which a service needs to be developed.
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3 Study to Determine the Status of IoT Use in WASH
The study flowed from a project conducted for the Water Research Commission of
South Africa [10]. A literature review combined with inputs from a survey was used to
analyse the WASH context in South Africa and present views regarding the possible
use of IoT for WASH services in South Africa.
The goal of the literature review was to determine the normative standards appli-
cable to the WASH sector, the WASH context in South Africa and the use, or possible
use, of IoT in the WASH sector in South Africa. The review therefore focused on the
criteria for WASH related services as set out by the United Nations General Assembly
[12] (see Sect. 2.2), WASH value chains and role players, existing IoT technologies,
trends and implementations, and existing case studies in IoT or similar domains. In the
absence of case studies specific to South Africa, examples from other African countries
were included.
The survey amongst stakeholders active in the technical, research, industry and
policy domain related to WASH services, aimed to determine the current perception of
the WASH sector and the use of IoT in service delivery in the WASH. The survey
consisted of open-ended questions addressing the following topics: the WASH and IoT
concepts, use of IoT in public sector service delivery (including WASH), what a
successful IoT deployment in the public sector means, barriers to the deployment of
IoT in the WASH sector, areas in the water/sanitation/hygiene sector service delivery
that can benefit from the use of IoT, and any existing or planned South African
examples of the use of IoT in the WASH sector or sub-sectors. Online questionnaires
were distributed to 47 stakeholders. Only seven responses to the questionnaire were
received, resulting in a response rate of 16%. The inputs received were collated,
analysed and integrated with those from the literature review.
3.1 WASH Context in South Africa

The literature review found that there is no integrated WASH sector or initiatives in
South Africa. Responsibility for WASH services on government level are spread over
various national and provincial departments, with overlapping mandates. Internation-
ally, several large bodies, companies and NGOs are active in the WASH sector, some
with a focus on the use of ICT. Some of the most prominent of these are the European
Commission (e.g. ICT4Water Cluster [24]) and the ITU (e.g. Biggs et al. [25]).
Multinationals (e.g. Google [26]), academia (for example, Oxford University [27]) and
several NGOs (for example, the Toilet Board Coalition [28]) have a footprint through
research, innovation and roll-out initiatives.
From the responses to the survey it appears as if the WASH concept is still not well
established. Although three respondents acknowledged the interrelatedness of water,
sanitation and hygiene, the remainder only highlighted the water aspect and the
management and use of water. Concern was expressed that sanitation and hygiene
should not be only a water issue or covered entirely by addressing the availability and
quality of water.
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3.2 IoT in WASH in South Africa

The literature review found that although IoT are increasingly applied to numerous
domains in the context of WASH, overall it is mostly limited to billing purposes and
smart water resources management (using smart meters) in the improved water domain
in urban areas [24, 29–31]. This also applies to South Africa [32–34] and the rest of
Africa [35–37]. There are, however, some examples of other uses of IoT for in-situ
monitoring and information collection for rural and developing country contexts.
Examples include sensors used by Charity: Water [38] to capture the location, deter-
mine the state of wells and if the wells need to be fixed, and accelerometers used in
water lever hand pumps to measure utilisation and status of the pumps at specific water
points [39]. Other examples are the Akvo [40] applications in Liberia and the Mwater
application in Tanzania to measure and communicate the water quality of a water point
[36], both which can be used across the water value chain. An example in the
basic/limited sanitation domain include the use of sensors to indicate the presence of
‘solid waste’ in waterless toilets in informal settlements in Kenya [28, 41].
Examples of IoT use in the WASH domain obtained from the stakeholder survey
were limited to water and referred to smart metering and automated meter reading (i.e.
safely managed water). The cross-disciplinary nature of the WASH domain, alongside
a lack of IoT knowledge by ordinary people and technical IoT expertise, were listed as
barriers to the deployment of IoT in the WASH domain. The issue of appropriate
sensors for the harsh environment of the WASH domain, which is mostly submerged or
underground and exposed to pollution, was highlighted. Opportunities identified for
IoT in the improved water sector included measuring the quality and volume of
available/used water for smart (hand) pumps, as well as water quality and equitable
distribution of rural water supplies. For the sanitation section, the controlled use of
chemicals and natural filtering and rehabilitation, was noted as alternative to water.
These examples by no means address the full potential of IoT in the WASH sector
in (South) Africa. Most of the available technologies and publications are associated
with water resource management, and in most of the cases billing. Sanitation and
hygiene have not featured prominently in literature or the stakeholder survey. It is fair
assumption that this is most likely due to demanding challenges related to in-situ
sensing and communication. For instance, it is challenging to build an able robust
sensor that can be installed in the field to accurately measure water quality. This
contrasts with a relatively low-tech traditional water consumption meter that is rela-
tively easier to install and maintain.
Overall, the inputs received from the stakeholders concurred with the findings of
our literature review. However, a key outcome from both was that it is necessary to
understand the context in which WASH services are supplied to determine the role that
IoT can play in improving such services.
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4 Value Chains for WASH
As a first step we therefore had to map the WASH context in South Africa using the
UN and JMP criteria as guidelines. The concept of physical service value chains is one
way to depict such context and is used as an example in this paper to depict the WASH
context in South Africa. A value chain in the WASH context represents a set of
activities or processes that must be performed to deliver coherent WASH services.
From the literature review it was found that, in general, the value chains for WASH
services in South Africa are similar to the value chains for WASH services in the rest of
Africa. The value chains for South Africa would therefore also be applicable to the rest
of Africa and most of the developing world beyond Africa.
4.1 Water Value Chain

Several value chains for ‘formal’ or improved water and sanitation services in South
Africa were found during our literature review. In general ‘formal’ water services is a
nonstop sequential delivery process from source-to-tap and from tap-to-source [42, 43].
It involves natural water resources, treatment works (processing), distribution infras-
tructure and effective operation to deliver potable (drinkable) water and safe sanitation.
Rainfall runoff flows into rivers and is captured and stored in dams. Water from dams
and other sources, such as groundwater, is purified and treated, and piped to reservoirs
for distribution to customers (domestic, business and industrial users). Once the water
is consumed, grey water (wastewater from washing, laundry etc.) and sewerage are
collected and passed through a network of sewers to a treatment works. The wastewater
is purified and treated, after which it is released back into rivers or dams, again
becoming a water resource [42, 43]. This formal water and sanitation sector perspective
does, however, not provide the complete picture of the water and sanitation sector is
South Africa and Africa. As a start, it excludes the ‘non-formal’ water sources and
sanitation services, as it applies to most of the rural domestic inhabitants. It also
excludes the agriculture sector not dependent on the ‘formal’ water supply. Agriculture
is the largest user of water globally [30]. In 2015, agriculture in South Africa used 62%
of the available water in the country [42]. Water use in agriculture, as a specific focus,
is, however not addressed in this paper. It was therefore necessary to augment the
existing value chains to represent the complete picture.
Although statistics vary between region and metropolitan areas, the main sources of
drinking water in South Africa, according to the 2016 General Household Survey
(GHS) [44] and categorised using the JMP ladder, are:
• Safely managed water (piped water on premises): Approximately 46.4% of
households had access to piped water in their dwellings in 2016 and 26.8%
accessed piped water on site.
• Basic improved water (piped water not on premises): A further 13.3% of house-
holds relied on water from communal taps and 2.4% relied on water from neigh-
bours’ taps (called RDP standard in the GHS, provided that the distance to the water
source is less than 200 m).
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P. Kotzé and L. Coetzee
Fig. 2. Value chain for drinking water in South Africa
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• Unimproved water resources: An estimated 3.7% of households in 2016 still had to

fetch water from rivers, streams, stagnant water pools, dams, wells and springs
(down from 9.5% in 2002).
Based on analysis of literature on the sources and value chains for drinking water in
South Africa and Africa, is a schematic presentation of the sources of water and the
diversity of water distribution in South Africa, also applicable to other African coun-
tries (see for example [45]). Unlike cities in the United Kingdom, Europe, North
America and other industrial nations in the north, where there is often a single source of
water serving all residential and most industrial customers, in Africa (urban and rural)
there can be a wide variety of water suppliers. Water can be obtained from household
wells, neighbours’ wells, springs, storing rainwater, water carriers, hand carters, carters
using animal traction (unimproved water), standpipes, boreholes with manual pumps
(basic/limited water), or even individual connections to the ‘formal’ city or town water
networks (improved water) [42, 45].
4.2 Sanitation Value Chain

Once the water is used/consumed, the sanitation process kicks in. The sanitation value
chain is fragmented, characterised by a wide range of stakeholders, businesses, from
sole traders to multinationals, the majority responding to limited segments of the chain.
Only a few companies/organisations have developed a business model that runs almost
entirely across the value chain with the majority concentrating their core activities at
either end of the value chain [46]. No specified value chain for sanitation for South
Africa could be found in literature, but the general value chain for sanitation is also
applicable to South Africa. The general sanitation value chain includes six phases [47,
48]: capture of sludge, containment of sludge, emptying of sludge, transport of sludge,
collection and treatment of sludge, and safe reuse or disposal of treated sanitation
waste.
According to the 2016 GHS [44], the majority of households in the City of
Johannesburg (95.5%) and Nelson Mandela Bay (92.8%) had access to improved
sanitation facilities, while households in the City of Tshwane (82.9%) and eThekwini
(83.0%) were the least likely to have access to improved sanitation. Nationally, the
percentage of households without sanitation, or who used bucket toilets decreased from
12.3% to 4.2% between 2002 and 2016. Despite the improved access to sanitation
facilities in South Africa, the 2016 GHS [44] indicated that many households continue
to be without any proper sanitation facilities.
Derived based on an analysis of literature regarding the supply sanitation practices
in South Africa and Africa, Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of how the overall
sanitation market works in South Africa, which is also applicable to other African
countries (see for example [45]). Inhabitants adopt one of several basic solutions to the
problem of disposing of human waste at the household level. The choice often depends
on the physical conditions and on how much money they can spend on construction
and periodic cleaning of the sanitation solution/facility. Solutions range from a simple
pit or ditch, lined or unlined, with or without a platform slab (unimproved sanitation),
to a toilet with provision for flushing to a soak pit for the waste water (basic/limited
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P. Kotzé and L. Coetzee
Fig. 3. Sanitation value chain for South Africa
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sanitation), or, at the high end of the market, a two-stage lined septic tank and a piped
sewerage system (improved/safely managed sanitation).
4.3 Hygiene
No value chain specifically for hygiene could be found in literature. There are, how-
ever, guidelines on when to wash hands and how to wash hands. In general hands
should, for example, be washed [49, 50]: before, during, and after preparing food,
before eating food or feeding children, before and after caring for an infected or ‘at
risk’ person, after using the toilet, after changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has
used the toilet, after touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste, after handling
pet food or pet treats, after handling money (or using an ATM), etc.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [51] (CDC) recommends a five
step process for washing hands when soap and water is available: wet, lather, scrub,
rinse and dry. If soap and water are not available, CDC recommends the use an alcohol-
based hand sanitiser that contains at least 60% alcohol, although it is said not to be as
effective as handwashing when hands are visibly dirty or greasy and cannot eliminate
all types of germs and harmful chemicals. If no soap is available or affordable, ash or
mud can be used as abrasive, before rinsing [52]. Another alternative in Africa is the
use of Moringa oleifera powder [53].
5 Future Scenarios for IoT in WASH
Section 3 presented insights as acquired from numerous reports, publications and a

survey on the use of IoT in the WASH context in South Africa. The solutions are
patchy, i.e. often only focussing on one aspect within WASH and therefore not utilising
the full value cycle of IoT. This section presents a broader view of what IoT can
possibly bring to the WASH sector and what should be in place to increase the
probability of success. The view is based on our collective learnings from literature and
our experience in the WASH and IoT domain.
IoT as ecosystem enables a complete value chain, from data acquisition, processing
and finally actuation with the community in the loop at all time (see Fig. 1). IoT is
multidisciplinary, spanning competences ranging from device and sensor manufac-
turing, up to analytics and visualization techniques. However, IoT and its successful
utilization span more than just technology. In driving towards a scaled IoT deployment,
we therefore argue that the following aspects need to be in place to increase the chances
for success in the WASH domain:
• Buy-in from the community.
• Policies for community privacy and security.
• Partnerships linked to research and the local community, vendors. and the various
governing structures (e.g. the local water board).
• An established accountable ecosystem that spans technology and community.
An IoT enabled WASH environment that is operating at scale provides access to large
quantities of data observations, with opportunities for in areas of big-data and analytics.
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The true value of IoT is, however, only manifested when intelligent decisions are being
made with the acquired data, resulting in appropriate actions. Furthermore, IoT is
entirely dependent on addressing the ‘real’ challenge which only becomes possible if
the community is part of the IoT lifecycle. For a broad IoT deployment, these data
observations should ideally be from multiple sensor types (e.g. hand pump utilisation,
water quality and flow in the pipe, sanitation pit level, etc.). In such a scaled IoT
deployment, the following general benefits can be obtained:
• Better data: Data is associated with the WASH context being directly observed (e.g.
water quality). Sensor data can be supplemented through community contributions/
surveys. With better data, ‘evidence-based decisions’ become possible.
• Better working infrastructure: IoT that enables access to the status of the WASH
deployment (e.g. all devices are operational) becomes possible and thus empowers
maintenance crews to effectively and rapidly service the infrastructure. Increased
access to operational parameters of the devices can realise predictive maintenance.
• The context of a WASH environment will increasingly become better understood:
IoT creates an opportunity for the introduction of key performance indicators that
will provide insights into the operational efficiencies in WASH environments.
• Community involvement throughout the lifecycle of the WASH deployment:
Having the community involved is critical and ensures that the ‘real’ problem is
solved and not the one that appears to be the most attractive (e.g. flashy). Localised
business models can be realised, e.g. an empowered local community member can
be informed of required maintenance, which would allow for faster turn-around
times.
Viewing IoT in relation to the United Nation’s crosscutting criteria for WASH [3],
several opportunities and benefits can be identified:
• Non-discrimination: Monitoring use through sensors and mobile-based technologies
may assist in detecting/reporting denied or restricted access to sanitation facilities
and/or water resources.
• Participation: Using mobile-based technologies linked to sensors, communities can
contribute to improving their own WASH context.
• Accountability: Armed with the data from the community based IoT solutions,
entities responsible for maintenance and planning can make evidence-based
decisions.
• Impact: Valid and justifiable choices have a higher probability for impact.
• Sustainability: With the inclusion of communities and the ability to solve that
community’s specific challenge, the probability of a sustainable intervention is
higher.
The benefits above applies to the value of IoT in a fairly broad sense. Using the WASH
value chains, as depicted in Figs. 2 and 3, more focused benefits can be identified,
some examples of which are listed below:
• Water quality can be measured continuously through in-situ sensors installed per-
manently or through ‘use-once and discard’ type of sensors. Data related to taste,
colour and odour can be obtained. This allows for early alerting where the water
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quality has dropped outside of the required parameters. This approach works for
piped water, boreholes, tube and dug wells, springs, and packaged or delivered
water. Water treatment plants can be measured before and after the treatment
process.
• Indicators related to water distribution can be obtained near real-time. Pressure
within pipes can be measured at different locations. Pressure differences can indi-
cate a leak, while a high-pressure point can provide alerts related to possible fail-
ures. Smart valves can be used in the distribution system to control the flow of water
(e.g. shut off in case of failure, or if the pressure appears to be too high).
• Water availability can be confirmed through sensors that indicate the water level
(for instance in a dam or borehole). Trends can be extracted, which in turn can guide
the community as well as providers as to the future availability of water.
• Excreta management (sanitation) can be enhanced. Sensors linked to the appropriate
back-end systems can provide insights as to when a pit or sanitation tank has
reached capacity and needs to be emptied. General (solid) waste management can
also be improved with the appropriate sensors and can be enhanced further by
optimising the routing of waste trucks and the dispatch of an appropriate truck.
• Handwashing has been highlighted as one of the most important criteria for both
hygiene and sanitation. IoT can be used to raise awareness of when hands should be
washed. E.g. sensing when a toilet has been flushed, and if the basin has been used
directly after the toilet flushing, after which a general reminder can be communi-
cated to the occupant through smart visual aids when leaving the rest room. Also,
trends from handwashing can be used as indicators of when and if additional
awareness campaigns should be executed.
6 Conclusion
The study found that very limited use is currently made of IoT in the WASH domain in
South Africa (and Africa). Currently the only real use of IoT related technology in
South Africa is in the smart water (safely managed) management domain, primarily in
metropolitan areas, to measure the amount of improved water use and payment
therefor. No use is made of IoT to improve the livelihood and health of the majority of
the South African population, and especially those dependent on basic, limited or
unimproved water resources, basic, limited or unimproved sanitation facilities, or basic
or limited handwashing facilities. This finding was supported by both the literature
review and the inputs received from the stakeholders’ responses to the survey.
Apart from the current focus on ‘urban’ applications of IoT in mainly the water
sector, which is also necessary, there are therefore huge opportunities to investigate the
use and benefits of IoT in WASH as an integrated and interlinked domain. Vast
opportunities also exist for research to determine how IoT technologies can be used to
improve the lives and health of the large proportion of the South African population
dependent on WASH services that cannot be classified as safely managed, improved or
advanced, and to develop suitable technologies to fit such environments.
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This paper was positioned to inform policy makers, improve decision-making and
shape the design, implementation and commission of IoT-enabled WASH services.
Acknowledgement. The work presented in this paper was jointly funded by the Water Research
Commission of South Africa (Grant K5/2779//3), the Meraka Institute of the Council for Sci-
entific and Industrial Research, and the National Research Foundation of South Africa (Grant
115456). The authors specifically wish to acknowledge the support and guidance of Dr Non-
hlanhla Kalebaila, WRC Research Manager: Drinking Water Treatment and Quality, during the
execution of the project.
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www.dbooks.org
Internet of Things: The Present Status,
Future Impacts and Challenges
in Nigerian Agriculture
Funmilayo O. Bamigboye1(&) and Emmanuel O. Ademola2

1
AfeBabalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
2
Trademark Owner of Power-Age (Management Consulting) Chairman,
P-ACC, 2 Edenbridge Close, Orpington, Kent BR5 3SL, UK
[email protected]
Abstract. The present study considered the current state of internet of things in
Nigeria, future prospects and challenges to the usage of the technology in
Nigerian Agriculture. In Nigeria, IoT has been used to dispense feed and water
to chicks, virtual fences for monitoring farmlands and forest trees, cashless sales
and purchases of farm produce and input, monitoring and management of staff
performances on the farm and e-wallet for input, loan and information acces-
sibility on agricultural issues. However, there is room for improvement in the
area of security for the animals (animal tracking), weather forecasting and real-
time soil monitoring, livestock and crop health surveillance. Challenges faced in
the usage of IoT in Nigeria are inadequate/lack of capital, skilled manpower,
facilities. In conclusion, IoT has great potentials to move Nigerian agriculture to
an enviable position.
Keywords: IoT Nigerian agriculture Prospects of IoT Status of IoT
1 Introduction
Internet of Things (IoT) is a recent technology that is gaining widespread awareness

and acceptance in several fields due to its practical relevance in everyday life
improvement. IoT has found its utility in transportation, environmental monitoring and
forecasting, home and office appliances, agriculture, health, security and energy con-
servation (Bamigboye and Ademola 2016). In Nigeria, agriculture serves as one of the
main resources for income generation for individuals, private and public organisations.
However, agriculture in Nigeria as an enterprise and food security outlets for her
populace is still backward in the use of IoT. Internet of Things has the potential to
improve, enhance and absolutely change the face of Nigerian agriculture to a world-
class standard.
Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical objects, devices, vehicles,
buildings and other items which are embedded with electronics, software, sensors and
network connectivity which enables these objects to collect and exchange data (GSI
2015). The Internet of Things allows objects to be sensed and controlled remotely

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15651-0_17
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212 F. O. Bamigboye and E. O. Ademola
across existing network infrastructure, creating opportunities for more direct integration
between the physical world and computer-based systems, and resulting in improved
efficiency, accuracy and economic benefit. IoT is any object which is capable of
identifying, connecting and communicating with other objects (Santucci 2011; LOPEZ
Research Series 2013; Reddy 2014).
Agriculture is a profit-driven oriented business; hence, factors that influence the
profitability of a farm are of great paramount and interest to the farmer. IoT can be
made relevant if it can address the general needs of a locality, be made available and
affordable, easy to use and packaged in the local/indigenous languages. With intensi-
fication of crop/livestock production systems and increased market demand of animal
based products, the importance of information is growing in many developing countries
(Morton and Matthewman 1996). Hence, there is need for continual exchange of
information and data, decoding and interpretation as well as actions taken to achieve
desired success.
(Sasidhar and Sharma 2006) have emphasised that the use of Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) has potential to change the economy of livestock,
agriculture, and rural artisans in India. (Tiwari et al. 2010) argued that the livestock
sector should come up with need based, location specific and local language contents in
the form of computer software and other electronic material in regards to livestock
disease control, dairy herd management, livestock production and for marketing of
livestock and livestock produce. ICT based information delivery to livestock sector can
significantly improve the quality of decision-making in livestock farming system. In
this process of structural change and potential growth in high value products (Gulati
et al. 2007), ICT based livestock advisory services for knowledge dissemination to the
farming communities for better and informed decision-making at the farm level, have
become essential.
Nigeria has witnessed a great deal of set-back due to corruption at all levels in every
sector; agriculture inclusive. IoT in form of E-wallet was employed to address agri-
cultural inputs and services corruption. Most times, subsidized inputs do not get to the
practicing farmers but are rather lost in transit to the rich and influential few that repack
and sell at exorbitant prices.
2 Present Status of Internet of Things in Nigerian Agriculture
In Nigeria, the Internet of Things is just becoming popular in all facets of life. How-
ever, its usage in agriculture is still backward. Mostly, IoT usage in agriculture is
believed to be only profitable to large-scale farmers. But very few farmers in Nigeria
practiced large-scale farming. Hence, most farmers have not seen the need for its usage
on their farms.
2.1 Mobile Feed and Water Dispensing System

Feeding of poultry birds is a major task that is time-consuming and labour-demanding.
Its efficiency also can determine the profitability of a poultry farm. In Nigeria, feed
dispensing methods working based on IoT were developed by researchers. In
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Internet of Things: The Present Status, Future Impacts and Challenges 213
(Arulogun et al. 2010) a mobile intelligent poultry feed dispensing system was
developed. The system was able to move, detect and avoid obstructions and dispense
solid feed to poultry birds. However, (Olaniyi et al. 2014) designed a mobile intelligent
poultry feed and water dispensing system; using fuzzy logic control technique.
This unit was responsible for dispensing solid feed to the poultry birds. It comprises
of a solid feed trough, a 12 V DC motor connected to a conveyor and a feeder. The
solid feed trough is expected to be filled with the appropriate solid feed to be
administered to the birds. A feed sensing unit which comprises of a light dependent
resistor checks the feed level and in turn determines if there is a need to dispense the
feed or not. The microcontroller will then send a signal through the PID controller to
the DC motor which will enable it to rotate. The rotation of the DC motor will in turn
rotate the conveyor which will result in the dispensing of the solid feed to the feeder.
The poultry birds feed from the feeder after feed is dispensed to the feeder for the pre-
defined time determined by the microcontroller. A relay circuit is connected between
the microcontroller and the DC motor so as to enable proper functionality of the system
(Olaniyi et al. 2016).
2.2 Virtual Fences

The use of virtual fences to monitor the perimeters of large farmlands and plantations is
of tremendous advantage. The most obvious is in terms of cost savings when compared
to building high brick fences and employing security personnel to patrol the entire
perimeter. With virtual fences, relatively cheap modules can be installed and the entire
perimeter monitored remotely (Ajayi and Olaifa 2016).
The Nigerian Satellite Company Limited, has successfully designed, implemented,
tested and deployed an RFID-based Staff Attendance and Access Control System
(RFID-SAACS). RFID-SAACS is a vital tool for staff management, administration,
and monitoring that impacts staff’s attitude to work, as time theft by staff is completely
eliminated. The logged data can also serve as a means of staff monthly appraisal, while
an additional utilisation of the RFID-SAACS system includes integration into the
payroll system to facilitate precise salary computation and payment based upon vetting
of employees’ overall performance (N.C.S.L. 2015). This is used in some automated
farms in Nigeria.
Also, the use of point-of-sale (PoS) terminals for the purchase of farm produce to
achieve cashless transactions is now common in Nigeria. A PoS terminal is an electronic
device that is used for verifying and processing credit/debit card transactions, which
transmits data over a standard telephone line or an Internet connection. The Nigeria
Interbank Settlement Services (NIBSS) had observed in its recent report that PoS is the
most popular non-cash payment channel, preferred among the non-cash payment
options by 93.6% of merchants and 35.8% of consumer usage. It described the usage of
card and PoS as fair, with an average of three to four out of every 10 customers
requesting to pay for transactions by card/PoS (Adeoye 2015). Electronic payment
through PoS terminals has risen by 191% to N241 billion in 2014 (Komolafe 2014).
Furthermore, as part of an ambitious strategy to transform agriculture, the Growth
Enhancement Support (GES) initiative, introduced in 2012, farmers’ cellphones as
electronic wallets – distributing vouchers amounting to a 50% subsidy for purchase of
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fertilizer. Ministry officials say the phones could eventually be used for multiple
purposes, from communicating weather and climate information to accessing market
data. Experiences in other African countries showed that such uses can deliver higher
prices to farmers. Records also show that 1.2 million farmers received their subsidized
fertilizer and seeds through cellphone vouchers in 2013, resulting in the addition of 8.1
million metric tons to Nigeria’s domestic food supply. As a result, Nigeria reduced its
food imports by over 40% by 2013, moving the country closer to self-sufficiency in
agriculture (Hultman 2015).
3 Future Prospects of IoT in Nigerian Agriculture
Effective tracking of nomadic cattle-grazing and movements enabled by smart tracking

devices would greatly minimize the number of community clashes between nomadic
herdsmen and the settled rural farming communities. This would go a long way to help
settle the persisting conflict and communal disputes, tensions, which most often
degenerate into communal wars between the people (Ume and Haruna 2018). Indis-
criminate killings and destruction of properties in the recent time by Fulani cattle
herders can be tracked and curbed. Animal theft can be drastically reduced to the
minimum.
Since rural communities are sparsely populated, transportation of farm products can
be a problem. IoT technologies can empower the transporters by providing them with
information of farmers who require transport. Therefore transporters do not need to
wait until they have a full truck load of farm products to start off, they can leave any
time provided they are aware that there are farmers waiting for transport ahead
(Bamigboye and Ademola 2016).
Furthermore, farm workers can receive real-time notifications from farm machinery
equipped with wireless sensors as issues arise. The ability to perform preventative
maintenance and repair issues immediately could lead to tremendous cost savings in
decreasing down time and protecting valuable assets (Farrell 2015). The health of farm
animals such as cattle or chicken can be monitored to detect potential signs of disease.
This can be linked to a central system which can trigger relevant advice to be sent to
farmers, and contribute towards analytics that can be used to identify any outbreaks or
trends (Farrell 2015).
Through the use of Near-Field Communications (NFC), the farmers and buyers can
benefit from paperless transactions and this helps minimize on theft and fraud. Simi-
larly this is beneficial to rural farmers who have no access to banks within a reasonable
distance to deposit cash from purchases or withdraw cash to buy farming inputs. The
use of livestock or crop smart health cards which store information related to affected
livestock or crops can be beneficial to both the veterinary or agriculture officer and the
farmers in Nigeria. This can lead to efficient and effective diagnosis and prescription of
medicine since the officer has access to all the historic information of the affected
livestock or crop. If satellite transmission is made available in the deep rural area, this
has the potential to create jobs for local businesses who could offer low-cost solutions,
access and wireless network services cheaper to the communities. Satellite transmission
can also enable farmers in rural areas obtain information on markets for their products
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and prices, government services that they can access, and their rights. The system can
also connect to government departments and local and international markets. With the
introduction of the mobile internet and low-cost sensors, farmers could interact directly
with consumers and cutting off middlemen who usually exploit them. This is beneficial
to farmers because they can make better profits on their products (Haas et al. 2011).
4 Challenges of IoT in Nigerian Agriculture
Inadequate Skill Manpower

The biggest challenge faced in the usage of IoT solutions in Nigeria is inadequate
skilled manpower. Most farmers are found in the rural areas and are mostly unskilled
and uninformed in terms of IoT. Adult literacy should be intensified to bring to lime-
light the usage and usefulness of IoT to rural farmers in Nigeria. Also, training of
farmers’ children to integrate the household into IoT application usage will further
enhance continuity.
Inadequate Facilities
Internet of Things requires a lot of equipment; software and hardware for proper
functioning. Without power supply, continual usage of IoT is impaired. However, in
the rural area where agriculture is most pronounced and prominent in Nigeria, constant
supply of electricity is not guaranteed. Hence, efforts should be made towards the
provision of stable and constant power supply. This may be generated from solar,
biogas or water which can be obtained even at the rural level.
Insufficient Start-Up Capital
The initial cost of setting up an IoT compliant farm can prove to be a barrier to many
small-scale farmers. The cost of importing some of the existing IoT-sensors is still
relatively high. Inadequate/lack of access to source of internet has created a great
setback for farmers to afford IoT. However, the cost of purchasing mobile data for
continuous monitoring and storage either to cloud or remote centres for analysis is also
expensive. However, in recent times, Nigerian Communications commission (NCC) is
making efforts to improve data rates and supply in Nigeria. The Government also
should support the farmers to make internet available even in the remote villages where
they are mostly found.
Meager Sponsorships from Corporate Organizations
Most support goes to entertainment- music and comedy rather than education, agri-
cultural research and innovation in Nigeria.
Lack of Collaboration Among Tech Hubs
At present in Nigeria, technology hubs operate solo. As a result of this, innovations
developed in one technology hub rarely diffuse to the rest of the country. This is
slowing down innovation adoption and circulation in Nigeria. Co-operation and unity
should be encouraged among tech hubs.
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5 Conclusion
Internet of Things in Nigeria is still at the formative stage. However, future prospects
were identified. Nevertheless, the sustainability of IoT in the country is being faced
with some challenges.
References
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int/report/nigeria/cell-phones-farmers-cut-corruption-deliver-services
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IoTutor: How Cognitive Computing
Can Be Applied to Internet of Things
Education
Suejb Memeti1 , Sabri Pllana1(B) , Mexhid Ferati2 , Arianit Kurti1,3 ,

and Ilir Jusufi1
1
Department of Computer Science and Media Technology, Linnaeus University,
Växjö, Sweden
{suejb.memeti,sabri.pllana,arianit.kurti,ilir.jusufi}@lnu.se
2
Department of Informatics, Linnaeus University, Växjö, Sweden
[email protected]
3
RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Norrköping, Sweden
[email protected]
Abstract. We present IoTutor that is a cognitive computing solution

for education of students in the IoT domain. We implement the IoTutor
as a platform-independent web-based application that is able to interact
with users via text or speech using natural language. We train the IoTu-
tor with selected scientific publications relevant to the IoT education.
To investigate users’ experience with the IoTutor, we ask a group of stu-
dents taking an IoT master level course at the Linnaeus University to use
the IoTutor for a period of two weeks. We ask students to express their
opinions with respect to the attractiveness, perspicuity, efficiency, stim-
ulation, and novelty of the IoTutor. The evaluation results show a trend
that students express an overall positive attitude towards the IoTutor
with majority of the aspects rated higher than the neutral value.
Keywords: Internet of Things (IoT) · Education ·

Cognitive computing · IBM Watson
1 Introduction
Internet of Things (IoT) [17] pertains to networked interactive physical objects
(such as, personal devices, connected cars, industrial machines, or household
goods) with sensing, processing, communication, and acting capabilities. Evo-
lution of the Internet from a network of computers to the network of things
creates opportunities for new services and applications in society [12,21,24] and
industry [6,9]. According to Gartner [14], it is expected that by the year 2020
there will be about 20 billion IoT devices worldwide and it is expected that more
This research has received funding from the Swedish Knowledge Foundation under
Grants No. 20150088 and No. 20150259.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15651-0_18
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IoTutor 219
than 65% of companies will use IoT solutions. Therefore, adequate education of
the future workforce is a precondition for success in the increasingly relevant
domain of IoT.
When searching for information about a topic, search engines usually return
more results than we can study. For instance, currently Google returns about 35
million results, when we search for Internet of Things. Therefore, it is important
to have a system that returns succinct information from relevant literature based
on a question expressed in natural language.
A cognitive computing [8,19,23] system, such as the IBM Watson [20], relates
a text passage (that is a question) with another text passage (that is an antici-
pated corresponding answer) by using machine learning. Predicting the probable
answer involves determining the major features of the question by generating
hypothesis and evaluation of possible answers considering the context, and iter-
ative learning from each instance of interaction with the cognitive system. The
IBM Watson [13] has been successfully used in many domains [22], such as, the
life sciences research [10] or health-care [5]. Goel et al. [15] argue that the IBM
Watson has the potential to be used as an educational tool.
In this paper, we propose to use cognitive computing for education of stu-
dents in the IoT domain. We describe the design and implementation of IoTutor
that we use for empirical evaluation of our approach. We have implemented the
IoTutor as a platform-independent web-based application using a collection of
the IBM Watson cloud services including the discovery service, text-to-speech
and speech-to-text services. We trained the IoTutor with selected scientific pub-
lications and course books relevant to the IoT education. To investigate users’
experience with the IoTutor, we asked a group of students taking an IoT master
level course at the Linnaeus University in Sweden to use the IoTutor for a period
of two weeks. One of the course assignments was to develop a literature review
for the course project. To complete the assignment, they were instructed and
encouraged to use IoTutor beside Google Scholar and other digital libraries. Via
a user experience questionnaire participants were asked to express their opin-
ions with respect to the attractiveness, perspicuity, efficiency, stimulation, and
novelty of the IoTutor. The results show a trend that participants expressed an
overall positive attitude towards the tool. The majority of aspects were rated
higher than the neutral value, while the rest were slightly lower than the neutral
value. We observed that for some questions IoTutor showed sub-optimal answers,
which may be a consequence of using a relatively small number of training ques-
tions and papers.
Major contributions of this paper include,
1. a development of IoTutor, which is a cognitive computing tool able to interact
with users through text and voice using natural language,
2. a training of IoTutor for education of students in the IoT domain,
3. an evaluation of IoTutor with the help of a group of students at Linnaeus
University.
The rest of the paper is organized as follows. In Sect. 2 we discuss the related
work. Section 3 describes the design and implementation of IoTutor. In Sect. 4
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220 S. Memeti et al.
we first demonstrate the use of IoTutor, and thereafter we discuss the results
of the user experience questionnaire. We conclude our paper and provide future
research directions in Sect. 5.
2 Related Work
In this section we first provide examples of related work and thereafter we con-
trast the work presented in this paper with the related work.
Goel et al. [15] used different Watson services to develop six diverse appli-
cations that aim at understanding the functionality and capabilities of Watson
and enhancing the human-computer co-creativity. By developing these diverse
applications the authors argue that Watson has potential to be used in different
domains, and has large range of opportunities to be used as an educational tool.
Achilleas et al. [4] propose to use social networks and media for increasing
motivation of students for STEM education and careers. They developed a social
media aware platform and evaluated it in the context of a pan-European contest
in STEM disciplines. More than 700 pre-university students participated in the
contest and via a user-experience questionnaire they had the opportunity to
express their opinion. Results of the questionnaire suggest that the contest using
social media had positive influence on learning and motivation of participants.
Chen et al. [10] investigate the use of IBM Watson for accelerating the life sci-
ences research. The authors trained Watson using large amounts of data includ-
ing pharmacological data, genomics data, patents, and literature in life sciences.
Watson is able to recognize concepts and their synonyms when they appear as
an image or text in literature. For instance, Watson was able to generate in
real-time relationships between the multiple sclerosis and any gene using data
from more than 26 million MEDLINE abstracts.
Witte et al. [26] uses natural language processing to bring new levels of sup-
port to software developers. A plug-in that is integrated in the Eclipse IDE
is developed, which provides quality analysis of the comments found in source
code and version control commits. The aim of this project is to help software
developers reduce the effort required to analyze their code by extracting use-
ful information that might be valuable to understand the functionality of the
application that is not always obvious by looking at the source code only.
Chozas et al. [11] study the use of cognitive computing for assisting novice
programmers in avoiding the commonly made mistakes in parallel programming
with OpenMP. They use the dialogue service of the IBM Watson for implementa-
tion of their solution that enables a dialog-based interaction with a programmer
in English and Spanish during the process of parallel programming.
Harms [18] proposes an approach that is able to monitor and understand
the programming skill level of the developer and adaptively suggest code exam-
ples that may help to learn new programming concepts found within the sug-
gested examples. The author argues that this approach avoids overwhelming the
memory of novice programmers by considering the previous knowledge of the
programmer and carefully suggesting examples that contain new information.
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IoTutor 221
In contrast to the related work, we use the cognitive computing technology to

develop the IoTutor that assists students to learn about the domain of Internet
of Things.
3 Design and Implementation

In this section, first we describe the design of our solution, thereafter we highlight
implementation details.
3.1 Design
The goal of IoTutor is to provide means for communication (related to the area
of Internet of Things) between the user and the computer through natural lan-
guage in a similar fashion as personal assistants like Apple Siri, Google Now,
and Microsoft Cortana. While these personal assistants are incorporated in the
operating system, and can be used only within a selected operating system, we
aim at developing a web based platform that is independent from the operating
system and device. IoTutor allows users to interact with it, that is ask questions
related to Internet of Things, through a dialog-based interface.
A high-level architecture overview of our system is depicted in Fig. 1. The
main components of the system are the front-end, the back-end, and the Watson
Cloud Services. The user interacts with the front-end. The front-end forwards
requests from the user to the back-end, and returns responses from the back-end
to the user. The back-end is connected to Watson Cloud services, which are used
to extract knowledge from a corpus of data (in this case scientific publications),
and enhance IoTutor with speech capabilities (that is text-to-speech and speech-
to-text).
Fig. 1. A high-level overview of IoTutor architecture. The front-end provides means

for interaction with the user, and the back-end interacts with the IBM Watson cloud
services. The front-end is a web based dialog view that can be accessed with any
internet browser.
Figure 2 depicts the flowchart with the major events of the IoTutor. When
the tool starts, the page is rendered and a welcome message is displayed. Then
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Fig. 2. A flowchart of user interaction with the IoTutor.
depending on how the user wants to interact with IoTutor, that is voice or text,
the following steps are performed. If the user wants to use voice commands,
then the microphone button should be pressed, which will establish a stream
through the back-end between IoTutor and the speech-to-text Watson, and the
recognized words will be displayed in the question box. Unless the user toggles
the microphone from on to off, IoTutor will keep recognizing the voice commands
and display the text on the question box. Otherwise, if the user decides to use
text to ask questions, the question can be typed on the question box. When
the microphone is stopped, or the send button is pressed, the question will be
displayed in the conversation area, and then it will be sent to the back-end.
When the list of relevant answers is retrieved, those will be displayed in the
conversation area. Passages of answers are displayed first, which the user may
click to expand and then the answer will appear in a modal (pop-up) window
with more details. Those details include a link to the full article and an option
to let IoTutor read the full text to the user. Once the button to read the text is
pressed, an audio player will be shown and IoTutor will start reading the text.
If the link to the full article is pressed, the user will be redirected to the full pdf
file. When the close button is clicked, the modal window will be closed, and the
user may either choose to expand another answer, or ask a new question.
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IoTutor 223
1. DATA PREPARATION 2. DATA IMPORT 3. TRAINING 4. USING

3.1 Prepare a minimum of 50 4.1 Retrieve user questions
articles for each venue questions as text or voice
2.2 For each venue, import the 3.2 Query the model using the 4.2 Respond to the user using
based on the venue corresponding articles selected questions text or audio
3.3 For each query, select the

(not) relevant answers
Fig. 3. IoTutor development process. Major steps include data preparation, data
importing, IoTutor training, IoTutor using.
A high-level overview of the development process of IoTutor is depicted in

Fig. 3. There are four main activities, including data preparation, data import,
training of the model, and using the model. In what follows we describe each
activity.
Data Preparation (activity 1): Scientific articles related to Internet of Things
were collected from different electronic databases, including ACM, Spring-er,
IEEE Explore, and Elsevier (activity 1.1). They were classified in respective
folders, where each folder corresponds to an electronic database. The scientific
articles were further classified by the venue, such as a conference, journal, or a
magazine (activity 1.2).
Data Import (activity 2): To be able to split the scientific publications in
subsections, which is useful to correctly identify all relevant sections of the
manuscript, a separate configuration file was created for each database and
venue. For example, a configuration file, named Springer-conference-configura-
tion.json, was used to identify sections of Springer conference scientific articles
(activity 2.1). These configuration files were used to import the data into the
Watson Discovery service. The corresponding configuration files were used to
import the scientific articles collected from each venue of a digital library (activ-
ity 2.2).
Training (activity 3): According to the Watson Discovery Service documenta-
tion [1], a minimum of 49 queries should be used to train the Watson Discovery
service. We used minimal resources and have defined 50 questions to train the
model (activity 3.1). For each question, we have added a natural language query
to the Watson Discovery service for training (activity 3.2). For each question,
Watson suggests a set of answers, which need to be marked as relevant or not-
relevant (activity 3.3). We went through 15 answers for each question and marked
their relevance. Since the training process is a one-time activity, we have used
the Watson Discovery Tooling interface, rather than using the API to implement
the same functionality. In total, we fed Watson with 50 paper and 2 books in
the topics of Internet of Things. The training process took 6–7 h excluding the
time to find the articles and preparing the questions.
Using the Service (activity 4): Once the Discovery service was trained, the
tool was ready to accept various questions related to Internet of Things (activity
4.1). A set of relevant answers are provided by Watson, and displayed to the user
(activity 4.2).
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Fig. 4. An overview of components used to implement our solution.
3.2 Implementation Details

Figure 4 shows an overview of components used to implement our solution. There
are three layers of the architecture, the front-end, the back-end, and the Watson
Cloud Services.
Front-End. The major components of the front-end include the IoTutorSpeech,

IoTutorDiscovery, and index.
The IoTutorSpeech component has three main functions, toggleMic() used to
turn the microphone on and off, listen() used to initiate the process of streaming
data to the corresponding Watson services when the microphone is on, and
speak() will start reading the corresponding answer when the user clicks the
play button.
The IoTutorDiscovery component has four main functions, initConversa-
tion() used to initiate the conversation, which basically says the welcome message
and some instructions on how to use IoTutor. The getMessage() is triggered when
the user asks a question, it displays the question on the conversation area, and
sends it to the corresponding Watson services. The getResponse() is triggered
when the back-end has found a response and it displays it on the conversation
area. The readText() will simply call the speak() function from the IoTutorSpeech
component with the corresponding parameters.
The index component is a simple file which includes the html markup, the
style-sheets, java-scripts, fonts, and icons. It also has an init() function which is
used as a constructor to set the variables. Third party libraries such as bootstrap
and jQuery were used to implement the front-end.
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IoTutor 225
Back-End. The major components of the back-end include the discovery,

speech, and env. Third party NodeJS modules, such as Watson Developer Cloud
SDK, vCapServices and request, were used in our implementation. For design
and security reasons, the front-end communicates with the Watson services
through the back-end. The back-end has the environment file (env.json) that
contains the credentials (such as, username, password, url, workspace, version,
collection id, configuration id, and environment id) for each of the Watson Cloud
services, including discovery, text-to-speech, and speech-to-text.
The discovery component is a simple application program interface (API),
which accepts requests (in this case questions) from the front-end and sends
it to the Watson Cloud Discovery service. The API needs to authenticate first
using the information found in the env.json file. When a response is received
from the Watson Discovery service, the back-end forwards the response to the
front-end. Additionally, the back-end has a database of files that were imported
in the Watson Discovery service, and it can easily map a response to an actual
scientific publication, such that if the user wants to read more, the front-end can
provide a link to the paper.
The speech component is an API, which handles requests and responses for
speech-to-text and text-to-speech services. It can basically establish a stream
that can listen to the user’s microphone and display the recognized text in the
input box of the IoTutor GUI, as well as can generate an audio file corresponding
to a given input text. Similar to the discovery component, it first authenticates
to the text-to-speech or speech-to-text service using the information provided
by the env.json file, and then it can send specific requests to the Watson Cloud
text-to-speech or speech-to-text services.
Watson Cloud Services. Watson provides different cloud services, such as

speech-to-text, text-to-speech, discovery, conversation, and natural language
understanding. To achieve the goals of our paper, we have used only three of
them, discovery, text-to-speech, and speech-to-text.
The discovery service allowed us to extract useful information from various
scientific publications related to Internet of Things, such that when the user
asks a question, we can query the service and retrieve a list of ranked responses
(publications, sections of publications, or a specific sentence or paragraph in such
articles) that are relevant to the question being asked.
The speech-to-text service allowed us to enhance the IoTutor with voice recog-
nition, such that the user may use their microphone to ask questions. This service
will listen to the microphone and as a response will provide a stream of recog-
nized text.
The text-to-speech service allowed us to enhance the IoTutor with the possi-
bility to read the provided answers for users. This service accepts a text input
and provides an audio file which can be played on demand by the user. The com-
bination of the speech-to-text and text-to-speech services enabled us to provide
an interaction between the user and IoTutor, similar to personal assistants like
Apple’s Siri [7] or Google’s Now [16].
www.dbooks.org
Environmental Details. To implement our application, we have used HTML5,

CSS, and JS in front-end, whereas NodeJS [2] is used in the back-end. Among
others, in the back-end we used the Watson Node SDK [3] to access the IBM
Watson Developer Cloud services. The application was deployed on an Ubuntu
v14.04 server with Apache v2.4 and node v6.11 installed. For the voice commands
to work on the front-end, which requires data to be encrypted, we enabled the
Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) on our server (Table 1).
Table 1. Key software components of IoTutor server
Software component Version

Operating System Ubuntu 14.04 x64
Web Server Apache 2.4
Runtime Platform NodeJS 6.11
Libraries and Packages Watson Node SDK 2.4, Unirest 0.51, Bootstrap 3.3.7
4 Evaluation
In this section, we first demonstrate the functionality of IoTutor and how users
can interact with IoTutor to ask questions related to Internet of Things. There-
after, we describe the evaluation method and results of our evaluation.
4.1 Demonstration
Figure 5 shows the graphical user interface of IoTutor and demonstrates a use
case scenario when a user asks an IoT related question, and IoTutor provides
a list of relevant answers. When IoTutor is loaded, the welcome message is dis-
played (see Fig. 5a) and waits for the user to either press the microphone button
and talk, or type a question on the question box. The question will appear in
the conversation area together with the list of relevant answers. IoTutor pro-
vides up to 10 relevant answers, out of which the first two will appear first, and
the rest can be accessed using the navigation links. To help users quickly find a
desired answer, the list of answers shows only excerpts of the full answer, which
can be displayed when the user clicks the View Document button.
The Expanded answer view is depicted in Fig. 5b, and it contains information
related to the scientific publication that contains the answer, including article
title, authors, and publication year, as well as a link to the full article. The text
shown in this view provides the complete information, which sometimes was
lengthy, and to help the user focus on the most important parts, we highlight
the passages in a light blue color. Instead of reading the text, the user may
choose to let IoTutor read the text. In that case, an audio player will be shown
containing the controls to play, pause, or move forward and backwards through
the audio stream.
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IoTutor 227
(a) The conversation area view, including the greeting message, questions, list of an-
swers, question box, and microphone toggle button.
(b) The expanded answer view, including the article information (title, authors, year),
the text-to-speech functionality, and expanded answer.
Fig. 5. Demonstration of a case where the user: (1) asks a question and IoTutor
shows a list of answers (a); and (2) clicks the View Document button to expand the
answer (b).
4.2 Evaluation Method and Results
To understand users’ interaction and experience with the IoTutor, we conducted

an evaluation of the tool. The IoTutor was initially presented to participants and
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Table 2. The user experience questionnaire for the evaluation of IoTutor.
Aspect Id Question
Attractiveness a1 What is your overall impression of our interactive Internet
of Things Assistant (IoTutor)?
a2 How useful do you find the possibility to ask questions
using voice?
a3 How useful do you find the feature that allows IoTutor to
read the answers for you?
a4 How useful do you find the functionality of IoTutor that
returns research articles as answers to some of the
questions?
Perspicuity p1 How intuitive and easy to understand is the GUI
(Graphical User Interface) of IoTutor?
p2 How difficult is to get familiar with IoTutor?
p3 How easy it is to use IoTutor?
Efficiency e1 How efficient is IoTutor to help you find answers for
questions related to Internet of Things?
e2 How quickly did IoTutor find the answers?
Stimulation s1 How valuable is to use IoTutor for the assignment?
s2 How exciting is to use IoTutor for the assignment?
s3 How interesting is to use IoTutor for the assignment?
s4 How much does IoTutor motivate you to learn about the
Internet of Things?
Novelty n1 Dull/creative
n2 Conventional/inventive
n3 Usual/leading edge
n4 Conservative/innovative
then they were given two weeks period to explore it. Most of the participants were
students taking an Internet of Things master level course at Linnaeus University.
One of the course assignments was to develop a literature review for the course
project. To complete the assignment, they were instructed and encouraged to
use IoTutor beside Google Scholar and other scientific libraries. After they had
used IoTutor, participants were instructed to answer questions (see Table 2) of a
User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ), which was adopted from [25]. The ques-
tionnaire measured six dimensions: attractiveness (four questions), perspicuity
(three questions), efficiency (two questions), stimulation (four questions), and
novelty (four questions). Questions were represented in a five-scale semantic
differentials, where 1 indicates the most negative answer, 5 indicates the most
positive answer, and 3 indicates a neutral answer. Ten participants consented
and answered the questionnaire.
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IoTutor 229
The results of the UEQ show a trend that participants expressed an overall
positive attitude towards the tool. Most of the aspects/dimensions (12 out of 17)
were rated higher than the neutral value, while the rest were slightly lower than
the neutral value (see Fig. 6). However, the highest average rating was 3.8, which
is an indication that although positive, these results are still not convincing.
When looking cumulatively at each of the five aspects/dimensions, all rat-
ings appear over the neutral value (see Fig. 7). Considering that the aspects of
perspicuity and efficiency measure the usability of the tool, and the aspects of
simulation and novelty measure the user experience, the indication is that both
show similar ratings. Slightly higher ratings were shown for perspicuity and nov-
elty, which is an indication that participants had no difficulty to familiarize
themselves with using the tool, and participants had recognized the innovative-
ness and creativeness of the tool.
Fig. 6. The average and standard deviation for each of the answers in the user expe-
rience questionnaire.
Besides the UEQ results, we had an opportunity to briefly discuss the tool
with two participants after they have used the tool and provided their UEQ
answers. One major concern expressed was that the tool provided keyword-
based answers, which was not expected considering that the interface tool was
accepting natural questions. Participants’ expectation was that an interface that
is based on Watson should provide more natural and comprehensive answers.
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Indeed, such interface behavior was also noted by the researchers. Because this
seemed inappropriate, we did contact IBM and inquire whether the service was
working correctly or if training process and resources fed to Watson were with
omission. Their reply confirmed that the procedure we followed was correct. It
remains to speculate that perhaps in order to get better results, Watson should
be trained with more content and more questions than what we had provided
(described in activity 3).
Fig. 7. Cumulative averages and standard deviation for each aspect of UEQ.
Two other usability issues were revealed in our discussion. One was consider-
ing the voice-based input. Apparently, when users used that feature, once they
stopped talking, the question was submitted, without offering the opportunity
to edit the text beforehand. Considering that sometimes there were comprehen-
sion issues and the text displayed by the interface was different from what the
participant had uttered, being able to edit the question was necessary. The other
issue was the interface feature to read out loud the excerpts from the paper pro-
vided as an answer. This feature was actually possible only when participants
expanded the initial answer and viewed an extended excerpt from the source
paper. Participants expected that the interface would read even the initial brief
answer provided. This was an interface omission to clearly communicate when
that feature is availability.
5 Conclusions and Future Work

With above 20 billion IoT devices expected to be used in the near future, ade-
quate education of skilled work-force is a priority. Considering the recent success
of cognitive computing solutions in health or financial domains, and the increas-
ing volume of IoT literature in various formats, we have proposed in this paper
the application of cognitive computing to IoT education.
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IoTutor 231
We have described the design and implementation of IoTutor, which is a

platform-independent web-based application that enables dialog-based interac-
tion with users that want to learn about IoT. The interaction in text or speech
form is done using natural language. We have investigated the usefulness of
IoTutor by asking a group of students at the Linnaeus University to use the
IoTutor for a period of two weeks. Participants have expressed their opinions
with respect to the attractiveness, perspicuity, efficiency, stimulation, and nov-
elty of the IoTutor. The majority of aspects were rated higher than the neutral
value, while the rest were slightly lower than the neutral value.
We have observed that using a relatively small number of training questions
and papers may result with sub-optimal answers from IoTutor. Our intention
with this study was to see the quality of answers that IoTutor would provide
with minimal training resources. In the future, we plan to use a larger digital
library of scientific publications during the training process of IoTutor to measure
its impact in the increase of the quality of the answers provided by the tool.
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IoTutor 233
made.
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Author Index
Aalst, Wil M. P. van der 3 Kröger, Jacob 147

Ademola, Emmanuel O. 211 Kurti, Arianit 218
Alves, Rita 121
Mähler, Viktor 178
Bamigboye, Funmilayo O. 211 Maruoka, Tomohiro 133
Botelho, José 121 Memeti, Suejb 218
Nunes, Mário 121

Carlén, Niclas 105
Casaca, Augusto 121
Pllana, Sabri 218
Coetzee, Louis 194
Póvoa, Pedro 121
de Roche, Moira 21
Reis, Ricardo 76
Ferati, Mexhid 218
Forsman, August 105 Sandberg, Johan 105
Fujita, Masahiro 133 Scholtz, Brenda 89, 160
Smuts, Martin 160
Gharehbaghi, Amir Masoud 133 Strous, Leon 28, 50
Svensson, Jesper 105
Johnson, Roger G. 11
Jusufi, Ilir 218 Van Belle, Jean-Paul 89
Velsberg, Ott 59
Kapeso, Mando 89
Klauw, Kees van der 37 Wesson, Janet 160
Kotzé, Paula 194 Westergren, Ulrika Holmström 178
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IFIP AICT 548

First IFIP International Cross-Domain Conference, IFIPIoT 2018

Kai Rannenberg, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany

IFIP is a non-proﬁt-making organization, run almost solely by 2500 volunteers. It

More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/6102

ISSN 1868-4238 ISSN 1868-422X (electronic)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019934341

emerging question was discussed: Should Artiﬁcial Intelligence be more regulated?

February 2019 Leon Strous

Information Processing in an Increasingly Connected World:

IFIP WCC 2018 Steering Committee

General Program Co-chairs

General Organizing Chairs

Internet of Things: Information Processing

IFIPIoT Program Committee

Members (* are also member of the IFIP Domain Committee IoT)

Konstantinos Royal Holloway University of London, UK

WCC 2018 Plenary Contributions: Keynote, Special Sessions

Responsible Data Science in a Dynamic World: The Four Essential

Professionalism and Frameworks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Should Artificial Intelligence Be More Regulated? Panel Discussion . . . . . . . 28

IFIPIoT 2018 Invited Papers: Keynote, Panel Discussion

The Internet of Things is Hardly About Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

IoT: Do We Have a Choice? Draft IFIP Position Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

IFIPIoT 2018 Refereed Papers

The Outcomes of the Implementation of Internet of Things:

Strategies for Reducing Power Consumption and Increasing

An Internet of Things (IoT) Model for Optimising Downtime Management:

IoT Enabled Process Innovation: Exploring Sensor-Based Digital Service

An Internet of Things Based Platform for Real-Time Management

A New Reconfigurable Architecture with Applications to IoT

Unexpected Inferences from Sensor Data: A Hidden Privacy Threat

Issues in Implementing a Data Integration Platform for Electric Vehicles

Working with IoT – A Case Study Detailing Workplace Digitalization

Opportunities for the Internet of Things in the Water, Sanitation

Internet of Things: The Present Status, Future Impacts and Challenges

IoTutor: How Cognitive Computing Can Be Applied to Internet

Author Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

Wil M. P. van der Aalst(B)

Abstract. Data science is changing our world in many diﬀerent ways.

Keywords: Data science · Responsible data science · Process mining ·

infrastructure analysis effect

o big data infrastructures o statistics o ethics & privacy

2 The “Water” of Data Science

cheaper faster more compact

3 The “Fire” of Data Science

– Data science without guesswork - How to answer questions with a guaranteed

4 The “Wind” of Data Science

5 The “Earth” of Data Science

Fig. 3. The “water”, “ﬁre”, “wind”, and “earth” of data science.

School of Computer Science, Birkbeck University of London,

Keywords: Enigma Code breaking World War II Marian Rejevski

In 1945 General Dwight D Eisenhower (Allied Supreme Commander Europe) wrote to

Fig. 1. Three wheel Enigma machine

alternative explanation, such as espionage or allied technological advances, for sig-

3 Poland and Germany

Fig. 2. Marian Rejevski, Jerzy Rozycki, Henryk Zygalski

4 Sharing with Britain and France

5 After the Polish Invasion

6 Celebration at WCC 2018