Siemens and Microsoft will converge two different digital-twin programming languages as a “unified standard” in order to simplify and scale IoT projects. They are working with the W3C standards organization to make Microsoft’s open-source Digital Twin Definition Language (DTDL) compatible with the W3C’s emerging Thing Description standard, which is already being pushed by Siemens. They said the effort will facilitate the easier exchange of digital twin data and models.
Collaboration with the W3C working group will “propel the convergence effort, bringing about a unified standard to unlock commercial potential being held back by IoT fragmentation,” they stated. Microsoft’s DTDL enables digital-twinning of the physical objects, processes, and systems with Azure services. The W3C Thing Description standard provides an interoperable representation of device interfaces and their incorporation of standard industry ontologies.
Standardizing digital twin languages is important for easier communication and integration between different digital twin systems and platforms. Siemens already supports the W3C’s Thing Description standard in building management, power distribution, and smart grids projects. “Extending this interoperability strategy to Microsoft Azure will bring about substantial benefits to customers,” it said in a statement.
It continued: “By unifying both languages, customers are offered consistent modeling experiences, mitigating fragmentation in an evolving IoT landscape. With customers typically deploying a mix of vendors in their infrastructure leading to lock-in and high integration efforts, this convergence will allow for simpler system integration and interoperability.” The initial stages of convergence have revealed “many conceptual similarities” between the two, apparently.
Thomas Kiessling, chief technology officer in the Smart Infrastructure business at Siemens, said: “We see the convergence of two very similar Digital Twin languages like the DTDL and the W3C Thing Description as an essential move that will enable customers to describe the physical world in a way that is agnostic to specific IoT platforms. This strategic alliance underscores our commitment to fostering collaboration and embracing openness.”
Erich Barnstedt, chief architect standards, consortia and industrial IoT in the Azure Edge and Platform team at Microsoft, said: “Ever since we invented the Digital Twin Definition Language and open-sourced its specification and reference implementations, we planned to standardize it through a consortium like the W3C. Therefore, merging DTDL with W3C Thing Description, in close partnership with Siemens, is the natural next step in our journey to democratize digital twins in the industry.”
