Another team takes the field in race to standardize IoT

Within six years, the number of connected devices that are NOT smartphones, tablets or PCs will skyrocket to 26 billion, according to Gartner. The means that the Internet of Things will include more than three times as many devices as the traditional mobile ecosystem. But how will these devices communicate with one another? Companies that want to cash in on connectivity know they need to make sure their hardware and software can communicates with that of their partners, and even their competitors.
In a race to create standards for communication between connected devices, some of the biggest names in technology are forming alliances to develop IoT interoperability standards. The latest launch comes from Intel, Samsung, Broadcom, Dell, Atmel and Wind River and is called the Open Interconnect Consortium. The consortium will support iOS, Android, Windows, Linux and Tizen applications.
The OIC is not the only Internet of Things alliance for Intel. Earlier this year, the chip giant was one of five companies to announce the formation of the non-profit Industrial Internet Consortium. The group said at the time that it would focus on new industry use cases and test beds, best practices, reference architectures and standards requirements. Founding members of the IIC are Intel, Cisco, IBM, GE, and AT&T – the only wireless carrier so far to announce participation in an IoT standards group.
One name noticeably absent from both lists of cooperating companies is that of Qualcomm, the current leader in cellular connectivity chipsets. Qualcomm is spearheading its own IoT consortium, called the AllSeen Alliance. The AllSeen Alliance is focused on the Linux operating system, and on connectivity solutions for home appliances and consumer electronics. Its roster includes names like Sears Brand Management Corporation, LG Electronics, Panasonic and Sharp. Cisco, a founding member of the IIC, is also part of the AllSeen Alliance.
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Image source: Broadcom