Samsung, Intel and Broadcom are among the companies working on new open source standards for the Internet of Things in a smart office or home, after founding a new consortium to improve interoperability in the sector.
The Open Interconnect Consortium is planning to define a “common communications framework” to connect and manage information across all types of device, operating system and service provider. Other members of the consortium include Atmel, Dell and Wind River.
Each of the companies in the consortium will provide software and engineering resources as they develop a protocol specification, open source implementation and a certification programme in a bid to accelerate the rolling out of IoT products.
The consortium added its specification will span a range of existing and emerging wireless standards and will be compatible across numerous operating systems.
The OIC will work with a number of vertical industries to ensure they can design products and services that can exchange information amid the likes of changing conditions, power and bandwidth or even offline.
The consortium’s first open source code project will target the smart office and home, allowing people to control and receive notifications from appliances or enterprise devices on smartphones, tablets or PCs. Future projects will span the automotive, healthcare and industrial industries.
Doug Fisher, Intel Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the Software and Services Group, said: “The rise and ultimate success of the Internet of Things depends on the ability for devices and systems to securely and reliably interconnect and share information. This requires common frameworks, based on truly open, industry standards. Our goal in founding this new consortium is to solve the challenge of interoperable connectivity for the Internet of Things without tying the ecosystem to one company’s solution.”
Barry Mainz, President of Wind River, added: “The nascent Internet of Things opportunity requires a robust ecosystem and defined set of standards to realize its full potential. With connectivity requirements evolving at a rapid pace, and an increasing need to ensure device interoperability, the formation of the Open Interconnect Consortium to outline a common communications framework is a logical step in the right direction.”
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