3 Winning Companies You Didn't Know Were in the Internet of Things

Make no mistake, the Internet of Things is kind of a big deal. The Internet of Things is not really one industry, but rather the ability of devices and machines to communicate with each other over an internet network.

This new technology should pave the way for increased speed, automation, and data collection for all enterprises and consumers in the years ahead. It's an exciting technology and opportunity. It's estimated that by 2020, there will be 50 billion connected devices and the market will be worth over $7.1 trillion.

While many investors looking to ride this technological wave are focused on the semiconductor companies that will make such communications possible, chip stocks are not the only plays on this trend. Here are three companies -- two you likely know, and one you probably don't -- that are making significant investments in the Internet of Things.

Source: Fool.com