Facebook is trying to tap into the Internet of Things with a new software development kit, according to an article by Ben Popper on The Verge. The SDK is for Parse, a cloud computing company that Facebook purchased in 2013 and is now used by Facebook app developers.
It appears that what Facebook is essentially trying to do is to connect Facebook, via Parse, to the many smart devices emerging as part of the Internet of Things. So, for example, a connected smart home system could automatically send alerts on Facebook to the home owner to let them know when their garage door has been opened, or when the temperature has dropped below a certain level, and so on. Popper notes that Apple and Google are also trying to get in on this game, the former with its HomeKit and the latter with a platform developed around Nest, a connected home company that Google acquired last year.
The Internet of Things is widely expected to be a major force in the tech world of the coming year, digitally connecting a range of everyday devices. It’s no surprise, then, that Facebook is trying to get in on the action, nor is that the case with respect to its rivals. But given the privacy concerns associated with the Internet of Things, and Facebook’s notoriety with respect to privacy intrusions, explorations at the frontier via Parse could lead to some interesting results.
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