One of the groups working to standardize technologies for the Internet of Things (IoT) just got a little bigger. Make that 27 member companies bigger.
The Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC), whose founding members include Intel, Cisco Systems and Samsung, said it added 27 new members, bringing its total to 32.
The OIC says it's working to define the connectivity requirements to improve interoperability between the billions of devices making up the IoT. But as PCWorld points out, it's not the only game in town.
The Open Interconnect Consortium, which launched in July, is competing with the AllSeen Alliance, which uses an open-source implementation of Qualcomm's (NASDAQ:QCOM) AllJoyn framework to connect devices to one another regardless of their underlying proprietary technology or communications protocols. The AllSeen Alliance now totals 71 members, up from 24 members upon its formation in December 2013.
Meanwhile, Samsung also teamed up with Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) Nest Labs, ARM Holdings and others to create a mesh wireless standard for the IoT market called Thread.
These groups' efforts may be competitive in some areas and complementary in others, but it's not yet clear exactly how that will line up, PCWorld noted.
Some have argued that a single point of contact helps get industry players on the same page and having myriad groups developing separate frameworks does not help the cause. Others say it's normal for various industry efforts to coexist at this stage of the game. Eventually, however, some industry leaders say the groups will need to work together if the IoT ecosystem is to thrive.
For more:
- see this PCWorld story
- see this press release
Related articles:
AT&T exec: IoT standards groups need to work together
Microsoft joins Qualcomm in AllSeen Alliance's Internet of Things push
Using Qualcomm's AllJoyn, AllSeen Alliance launches to create standard for Internet of Things
Qualcomm targets home appliance makers for AllJoyn growth