Ubiquitous computing market and companies in Finland

This report tries to clarify the concept of ubiquitous computing (UBI) and to examine it in the context of the Finnish economy. Defining UBI resulted in three different viewpoints: smart environments, embedded environments, and the internet of things. The criteria found from the literature and that interviewees were most satisfied with were: The user need not be aware of the computer inside the device; devices are networked; the system allows every object to connect to every other object, and it influences everyday life. The most important industries in Finland, according to interviews, are: UBI technology (such as sensors, GPS, RFID, and NFC), appliances (such as heart rate monitors and mobile phones), UBI services (such as tailored location-based services or sensoring), automation (such as process automation, real estate automation, or home automation), and traffic or logistics. Future research could study other than technical aspects of UBI, such as user experiences of UBI services or networks of UBI companies in Finland.