Telefonica has launched ‘Thinking Things’, an Internet of Things (IoT) product that the operator says users can set up in their home or office – connecting almost any device to the internet – without needing any programming knowledge or having to install additional infrastructure.

Thinking Things is a set of low-cost modular devices fitted with different sensors which connect to the cloud. The first pack, with a starting price of €90, allows users to remotely control and manage the temperature, lighting and humidity of their home or office.

Telefonica said a slew of additional modules, such as presence, pressure, humidity and temperature sensors – as well as impact meters, audio and LED notification modules, and timers – can also be added.

The modules, claimed Telefonica, are pieced together by simply fitting them on top of each other like pieces of Lego. The device then automatically connects with the Thinking Things software platform in the cloud and starts to monitor all the defined parameters and execute pre-programmed commands.

“This is a major step in Telefónica’s journey into the Internet of Things,” said Francisco Jariego, Telefónica R&D Director of Industrial Internet of Things. “Our aim is for Thinking Things Open to become an open ecosystem in which any object or device can be connected to the internet.”

Thinking Things uses open hardware developed in collaboration with Arduino (an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software) and 2G connectivity available in Europe, the US and Latin America.

And as Thinking Things uses 2G to connect, the Spanish giant says it can run in any country with a GSM network since they have an embedded Telefonica SIM (which works worldwide through roaming agreements). Sensors are purchased online.

The IoT product also provides an API that allows developers to create their own IoT solutions (via apps or online) and increases the possibilities of the modules.