A growing number of internet-enabled devices can be hooked up to a network to communicate with other web-enabled gadgets and services.

These include devices such as home electricity systems, which are connected to the internet via 'smart meters' to build a map of energy use, according to the Telegraph.

"That figure might actually be a conservative estimate," said Jim Morrish, principal analyst at Analysys Mason, and author of the report.
"Taking in to account the uncertainties inherent in forecasting new technologies 10 years out, we believe that a realistic number of devices may be 44 billion, and six billion a realistic minimum.

"That’s a worldwide average of between 0.8 and 5.8 internet-enabled devices for each person alive in 2020.”

Experts believe the smartphone will be the main 'portal' to such web enabled devices, aggregating and filtering information from a range of web-enabled devices owned by the user, and offering management and control functions.

For instance, setting the time for a 'smart cooker' to start cooking the evening meal, or granting remote entry to a house to allow a postman to leave a parcel on the porch.