Evrythng: The company that wants to bring…everything online

People have been promising us The Internet of Things for some time now (the term dates back all the way to 1999). But so far we don’t seem to have moved much further than TVs and domestic appliances. A UK and Switzerland-based company called Evrythng wants to change all that and take the Internet of Things to well…everything.

The term essentially refers uniquely identifiable objects (things) and their virtual representations in an internet-like structure.

As its name suggests, Evrythng has pretty grandiose ambitions. Its raison d’etre is written boldly across the front page of the site: “Because everything can be digitally connected”.

The company claims its service is a sort of “Facebook for things — individual things with unique online profiles, like we all have, to update, share and add to”.

In what seems to be its Swiss side coming out, Evrythng says it wants to “organise the world’s objects with an Active Digital Identity (ADI) for every thing”.

It can do this, it says, because its “engine for Active Digital Identities provides technology, tools and services to create ADI profiles for products and other types of objects. We help manufacturers and developers create brilliant new services, apps and experiences that connect things with people”.

It does this through a series of API’s that it claims will help developers by “directly creating and operating an Active Digital Identity profile for each product or other object type”.

Having everything connected to the internet sounds good and well, but exactly what benefit are you getting from it?

According to Evrythng:

Your Nikon D90 might, with your permission, suggest times and place to get the best photos: “19th November looks like a clear night with a full moon — go to the foot of Tate Britain at 7.15 for the perfect night shot of St. Paul’s Cathedral.”

Maybe you’re not into photos and prefer to while away the hours on your guitar:

Perhaps your sunburst Gibson Custom ES-330L (not just that type of guitar, but yours specifically) could let you specify the band you’d like to form and then connect you with other musicians near you who are at the same level of ability and play the other instruments in that band’s line-up.

The company is pushing its product heavily toward the people who make the things it wants to bring online.

“Manufacturers and brand owners or retailers who want to create an online presence for the products they make and sell, can now augment them with inspiring new digital services and content which creates individual connections between each product and each customer,” it says.

So far Evrythng is only open in a closed beta version for the developer community.

Being able to Google your shoes in the morning sounds cool. You’ve just gotta hope Evrythng doesn’t let advertisers know where they are and what condition they’re in while you’re trying to sip a cocktail on a deserted beach somewhere.