# Pervasive computing: what it is and how it works
> Pervasive computing builds processing and connectivity into everyday objects and environments so technology is available anywhere, anytime.
URL: https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/internet/pervasive-computing.html

# Pervasive computing

Pervasive computing, also called ubiquitous computing, is a model in which processing power and connectivity are built into everyday objects and environments, so that technology is available to people anywhere and at any time

What it means, how it is used and where it comes up, with its related concepts.

[The whole glossary](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary)

## What it is and how it works

The idea goes back to the “ubiquitous computing” vision set out by Mark Weiser in the late 1980s: instead of the desktop computer, computing spread across many devices that fade into the background. Sensors, wireless connectivity, geolocation and low-power microprocessors have made it possible.

It is closely related to the Internet of Things and ambient intelligence, but they are not the same: the Internet of Things describes the network of connected objects, ambient intelligence focuses on environments that respond to people, and pervasive computing is the overarching framework. A watch that tracks physical activity or a thermostat that learns routines are everyday examples.

Also known as

Ubiquitous computing, Ubicomp

Topics

[Technology and data](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/category/tecnologia-y-datos)

## Related concepts

- [IoT](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/internet/iot.html)
- [Ambient intelligence](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/internet/environmental-intelligence.html)
- [Wearable](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/internet/wearable.html)