Out-Law News 2 min. read

Open standards and industry collaboration needed for 'internet of things' to succeed, says Samsung head


Connected devices must be able to communicate with each other regardless of manufacturer if the growing 'internet of things' (IoT) is to be a success, according to the president of electronics maker Samsung.

BK Yoon called for cross-industry "openness and collaboration" at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. As part of Samsung's own commitment to open hardware, he said that the firm would provide $100 million to support the developer community in 2015 and would ensure that all of its own devices were IoT-enabled within the next five years.

"The internet of things has the potential to transform our society, economy and how we live our lives," he said. "It is our job to pull together - as an industry, and across different sectors - to make true on the promise of the internet of things."

"I know in my heart that neither one single company nor one industry alone can deliver the benefits of the internet of things. To create this IoT universe, we have to see the potential of the internet of things across all kinds of industries. Only if we work together can we improve people's lives," he said.

IoT is a term used to loosely describe the increasing interconnection of devices and the associated rise in the creation and flow of data between those machines. One example is the development of 'smart meters' that can give homeowners real-time information about their energy use, but the concept can also be applied to devices in the workplace, industry or healthcare that can be controlled by or share data with smartphones, tablets or PCs.

However, widespread uptake of IoT devices has been hindered by the number of different firms operating in the marketplace and the lack of common standards, meaning that devices manufactured by one firm cannot easily communicate with another. Connecting devices to unsecured routers or networks could also create security problems and give rise to data protection concerns.

Technology expert Iain Monaghan of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said that it was "essential" for the future of the IoT that connected devices could communicate with each other "reliably and securely". However, he said that it was too early to tell how the market would evolve.

"Standards can ensure that the communication is effective and also that it is restricted to essential information and cannot leak," he said. "It is too soon to say whether we will end up with a universally adopted series of standards or a number of competing ecosystems with their own standards; as with iOS, Android and others."

Last year, Samsung became one of the founder members of a new industry consortium set up to improve interoperability and connectivity requirements for IoT devices. Member companies have committed to providing software and engineering resources to the Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC) project, which hopes to develop a certification programme for 'smart' devices for use in connected homes and offices as one of its first priorities.

Samsung purchased SmartThings, an IoT company that connects devices through an open system, in August 2014. Yoon said that all of Samsung's televisions would be IoT devices by 2017, with the rest of its products due to follow within five years. This year, the company will also develop more "advanced and precise" sensors and chips for a wide range of devices, especially pieces of wearable technology and mobile devices, he said.

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