There is a simple answer to the question of what makes applications smart. For instance, in the context of smart metering, smart street lighting, smart city, or smart grid in general. It’s the connectivity, the possibility to interchange data between various entities in a wider spread system, that makes the system ‘smart’
The motivation to invest in such kinds of applications is very often the opportunity to reduce cost. In the case of smart metering, only the possibility to read out meters remotely or detect fraud is securing a very fast ROI.
There are many technologies and standards today that are used for the abovementioned applications. Looking from the perspective of product manufacturers, a well-thought-through system architecture can make the difference with regard to time to market, system efficiency and cost reduction. And this is where flexible connectivity solutions come into the game.