RS Components, the trading brand of Electrocomponents (global distributor for engineers), has launched an Internet of Things (IoT) themed area via its online DesignSpark community, providing software design tools and resources ideal for rapid prototyping and product development. Hosted under Design Centres (www.designspark.com), the IoT page includes the latest blogs and a series of articles written by partners, DesignSpark community members and leading industry experts, acting as a knowledge base to aid engineers designing IoT-enabled applications. “By 2020, it has been predicted that there could be as many as 26 billion devices connected to the Internet, each with its own unique ID – said Pete Wood, DesignSpark community manager at RS Components -. Together these connected devices create the Internet of Things (IoT), allowing us to control and monitor remote devices via the Internet. As a community that has been at the forefront of providing updated information on the latest industry trends, the IoT Design Centre at DesignSpark aims to set the wheels in motion for discussions around best practice and recommendations for products suitable for use in IoT applications”.