Intel and Cisco are two of the first companies you think of when discussing the Internet of Things -and with good reason. Both companies are at the forefront of bringing the power of connectivity to unsuspecting places. I had the good fortune of standing on stage today at the Intel Developer Forum with my friend Doug Davis, VP & GM of Intel's Internet of Things (IoT) Group, to talk about how our companies are working together.

The possibilities for an IoT world are practically endless; and so Cisco and Intel are joining forces to focus on a number of areas where IoT can make an immediate impact. Let's look at energy management -a hot-button issue as energy costs rise and corporations are trying to to reduce their environmental footprints. Consumers, communities and businesses are all starting to realize that energy awareness makes sense from both an economical and environmental standpoint. Cisco research shows that smart buildings are poised to generate$100B by reducing energy consumption through the integration of HVAC and other systems which will lower operating costs.

Using Intel architecture and Cisco Energywise and IP Network, we are creating solutions that get to the root of the problem -identifying where energy is being used excessively. The integration of our technologies allows for both IP and non-IP appliances to be exposed to greater analytics and control. It also introduces the opportunity for discrete sensors to be added to the items, granting even greater levels of visibility and control of building systems. These efforts will enable building operators to achieve their green, sustainability and cost saving objectives while maintaining a safe, secure, and comfortable environment for occupants/tenants.

This is just a small example of what Cisco and Intel can achieve by identifying (and then delivering a solution) where IoT can make a big impact. We are currently joining forces to focus our efforts on networking, API management, and security to help us scale IoT solutions into multiple segments. However, we realize that Cisco and Intel can't do this without the help of the developer community. By opening up APIs and providing development tools, developers can create use cases for our technology that creates new use cases previously unexplored. true driving force for the Internet of Things will come directly from the developers who create solutions they will actually use, and doing so on a platform that lets them share their solutions with others.

To that end, Cisco DevNet is a new and growing developer community that offers the tools and resources for them to integrate their software with Cisco infrastructure. Developers can tap the DevNet ecosystem and use the tools and community to create innovative network-aware applications. The DevNet portal features more than 100 fully documented APIs, with more being added each week. We hope DevNet provides a space where the Internet of Things can grow, and where true value can be discovered.

Cisco and Intel are tackling the challenge of creating, testing and validating the most relevant use cases for the Internet of Things across multiple verticals, and we are documenting and sharing the best practices coming from practical experiences in the field to broadly to promote the development of the market. It is an incredibly exciting time for the Internet of Things -Cisco and Intel are standing on the edge of true innovation, ready to take the plunge.

Click here to watch my session with Doug.