computing, is the growing trend of embedding computational capability (generally in the form of microprocessors) into everyday objects to make them effectively communicate and perform useful tasks in a way that minimizes the end user's need to interact with computers as computers. Pervasive computing devices are network-connected and constantly available.

Unlike desktop computing, pervasive computing can occur with any device, at any time, in any place and in any data format across any network and can hand tasks from one computer to another as, for example, a user moves from his car to his office. Pervasive computing devices have evolved to include:

laptops;
notebooks;
smartphones;
tablets;
wearable devices;
and sensors (for example, on fleet management and pipeline components, lighting systems, appliances).

Often considered the successor to mobile computing, ubiquitous computing generally involves wireless communication and networking technologies, mobile devices, embedded systems, wearable computers, radio frequency ID (RFID) tags, middleware and software agents. Internet capabilities, voice recognition and artificial intelligence (AI) are often also included.