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Mobile technology has been implemented in the supply chain of many businesses today - in warehouses and in retail stores, for instance. But it's not entirely a new phenomenon, as many of these organizations have utilized mobile technologies for a number of years, via tracking through RFID, for example, or with some sort of handheld unit tracking things like onsite orders and deliveries.

Arguably then, it's not simply the mobile hardware itself that is changing the supply chain, but it's the ability to integrate information from these mobile devices with other aspects of business analytics - and to do so in real time.

As the Internet of Things slowly becomes a commercial reality, led by industries such as food and logistics, the underlying technologies (RFID, sensors, QR codes and more) become less important than what is done with the data. As Bo Begole, Principal Scientist and Manager of Ubiquitous Computing at PARC, put it to me recently: "the algorithms are more interesting now than the sensors."

Begole's group at PARC (Palo Alto Research Center, a subsidiary of Xerox) puts more emphasis nowadays on technologies such as predictive analytics, context engines and "Behavioral Ware". It's much more about the software, than the sensors.

The Internet of Things, when objects in the real world are connected to the Internet, is adding a whole lot more data to the Web. The fascinating question is how that data will be used, by existing businesses and new startups yet to emerge. Take the food industry for example. With sensors, QR codes and RFID tags on food shipments, suppliers will be able to monitor and optimize the delivery of food from the place of production to its place of consumption. It's an open invitation for disruptive food businesses to utilize that data for competitive advantage.

Of course, consumers stand to gain too. Data from the food supply chain will enable consumers to more easily judge food quality.

The term "deadhead" didn't always refer to a peace-loving, tree-hugging, hippie. In the transportation and shipping industry, "deadhead", actually referred to the inefficient waste of fuel that consisted of an empty jet or 18-wheeler making the return trip from its delivery.

Not only are deadheads bad for business, but they're bad for the environment, and technology is working to wipe deadheads out completely. New services, like Austin-based uShip, are working to match carriers and customers in ways that are good for the environment.

When we think of how technology has revolutionized business, we tend to think first of examples that exist primarily online: Web-based CRM, online storefronts, search advertising and the like. But much of what businesses do in the offline world is being turned on its head - and made much more efficient - by digital technology.

One prominent example is supply chain management (SCM), which is the process by which businesses acquire physical materials and resources, assemble them and deliver them to customers.

Last month we began a series of posts about "new logistics" with an overview of how companies can leverage Web-based tools for international marketing. These days, with the power of the Web and related technologies, logistics encompasses so much more than just moving widgets from point to A to point B. The new logistics provides sustainability and efficiency, and international marketing is just one part of this revolution.

Over the next several weeks, we will be showcasing many of the other ways the Web is untangling logistical nightmares for companies large and small. Here's a look at what to expect as we explore the rapidly evolving global choreography of goods and information.

While the logistics of moving goods and information around the globe is rapidly changing, marketing to international audiences, for the most part, is little different from marketing domestically. Abe Burmeister, co-founder of apparel company Outlier Tailored says, "We don't really make any distinction between local and international. It's all the World Wide Web and we sell all over the world. " Starting with a comprehensive marketing plan and solid tools is the first step, but globally minded business people will want to add a few extra tools to their toolboxes. Here are a few resources to get you started.