The term 'Internet of Things' was first coined in 1999 by Kevin Ashton. By 2010, the number of smartphones and tablets connected to the Internet reached 12.5 billion, marking the birth and popularization of the Internet of Things between 2008-2009. IT experts and stakeholders believe that the Internet of Things will ultimately benefit the world by reducing energy consumption by up to 40% and enabling revenue growth opportunities for companies like Intel and Cisco. Cisco IBSG predicts there will be 25 billion devices connected to the internet by 2015 and 50 billion by 2020.