As the IoT (Internet of Things) proliferates, inter-device standardization and harmonization of the growing number of vertical segments is paramount in order to deliver total interconnectivity and limitless functionality between devices, warns global networking standards group, UPnP Forum. This message comes out of this week's CES, which is placing a major focus on the IoT and connectivity for new devices.
Historically, devices and connectivity were provided by single vendors, and supported little or no interoperability with products and services from other vendors. This led to fragmentation in the industry. The lack of compatibility incapacitated network flexibility and functionality, and when coupled with the absence of standardization, ultimately limited consumer choice in a rapidly emerging market.
"All of the major IoT opportunities have been driven from a vertical market perspective. However, as more and more connected devices join the ecosystem, the industry needs to focus on providing safe, reliable interoperable access to services and information regardless of the vertical segment or vendor," says Scott Lofgren, President of UPnP Forum. "To become truly successful, the IoT requires an open means for allowing devices to find one another and communicate – without multi-vendor interoperability, things might simply come to a grinding halt at any time."
UPnP Forum's new UPnP+ certification level addresses the vertical challenge by using new and existing UPnP Device Control Protocols (DCPs) and UPnP Cloud architecture to provide features focused on delivering new technical capabilities for enhanced functionality and increased customer satisfaction. The vendor-neutral standard creates new values and opportunities for manufacturers, developers and integrators, leveraging UPnP DCPs to take them into the Cloud and bridge the IoT.
"Our next-generation UPnP+ standard takes a step beyond consumer media devices and is focused on delivering new technical capabilities to enhance functionality and provide a more sophisticated, intuitive and deeper user experience across different platforms. It addresses tomorrow's connectivity requirements to remove existing boundaries and enables full device and network compatibility, enabling the IoT to reach its full potential," added Lofgren.
UPnP+ supports the implementation of web browser controls for a wide range of functions, ensuring future connectivity and making new services possible, in areas such as health and fitness, energy management, sensor management, security and sustainability. Incorporating IPv6 capabilities for the discovery of Cloud services and new grouping/paring capabilities, UPnP+ includes a host on enhancements to deliver improved interoperability baselines.
www.upnp.org
