Photos: Sensor telemetry

"A light sensor can tell you if a door's been opened," which is useful to stop theft or when handling light sensitive materials, according to Hasson. "You can also have weight sensors to see if the carriage has been unloaded. Once it has you can bill people earlier, and see an immediate return on cash."

Accenture used satellite communications with a chemical company client with a network of cars, using solar powered communications devices and temperature probes.