The Internet of Things is set to get a big boost with the recent announcement of a merger between Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF) which sponsors the IoTivity open source project, and AllSeen Alliance provider of the AllJoyn open source IoT framework. Both bigwigs would now exist under the sole OCF name and bye-laws in working towards creating solutions that would enable devices, phones, computers and sensors communicate with one another regardless of manufacturer, operating system, chipset or physical transport.
This new merger will make for smooth operations between connected devices running under both group’s platforms, thus opening up the full operating potential of IoT and it is an indication that there are better days ahead in the drive towards achieving a connected ecosystem. Both parties would now work hand-in-hand with each other on future projects emanating from either party.
Both organizations boast of heavyweight in terms of backers, so as expected the new board of directors features names from a wide array of leading companies like AB Electrolux, Arçelik A.S., ARRIS International plc, CableLabs, Canon, Inc., Cisco Systems, Inc., GE Digital, Haier, Intel, LG Electronics, Inc., Microsoft, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, and Technicolor SA.
The merger would enable both companies to be able to make IoT a more seamless, secure experience for everyone involved, from developers to end users. devices running either IoT solutions would now be inter-operable and would be compactable with the unified IoT standard that the industry has been clamoring for.
The new OCF will now sponsor both the IoTivity and AllJoyn open source projects at The Linux Foundation as the companies look to leverage the strength of each organization. Both projects will collaborate to support future versions of the OCF specification in a single IoTivity implementation that combines the best of both technologies into a unified solution. Current devices running on either AllJoyn or IoTivity solutions will be interoperable and backward-compatible. Companies already developing IoT solutions based on either technology can proceed with the confidence that their products will be compatible with the unified IoT standard that the industry has been asking for.
