Abstract: A gateway device is disclosed for use in an internet-of-things environment. The gateway device comprises a sensor interface for interfacing with a plurality of sensors. A first memory unit is provided for storing sensed data received from the sensors. A second memory unit is provided for storing template data associated with the sensors which is generated by the sensor interface. A processing module is configured for generating encoded messages associated with the respective sensors containing the sensed data and the template data. A communication module is operable for communicating the encoded messages to a central server for decoding.