There has been much talk and speculation around the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) for some time now. In fact, over a year ago, OpenStand highlighted an industry white paper that projected that the Internet of Things (IoT) will bring billions of new devices to the Internet inside of ten years. We’ve been seeing a rapid increase in IoT devices from smart cars to smart cities, and the use of IoT in healthcare.

One area in particular is the growth of IoT enabled homes, also called “smart homes” or  “connected homes.” Connected homes are a major market opportunity as consumers further recognize its benefits — such as increased security and controlling energy costs. It is also tempting for many to have a home that will learn to change and alter the home environment based on the owner’s preferences.

However, as we discussed in this blog before, interoperability among the IoT devices within the home are crucial to the success of the smart home. In a recent IoT Business News article, there was a focus on the opportunity communications service providers (CSPs) have to lead the smart home marketplace. Only with adopting open standards can “risks be minimized and CSPs start to build their presence in people’s front rooms as the central control system for the connected home. There will only be a handful of standards that make it and the front-runners are already becoming clear. So CSPs should bet strategic and think long term, but not be too cautious if they are to strike while the iron’s hot.”

Regardless of who wins the race to own the smart home market, the need for open standards is front and center. The multiple IoT devices of a connected home must be able to work together seamlessly and without any unnecessary security risks. The article encourages CSPs to open their Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to third parties and “form ecosystem relationships with other service providers, symbiotic relationships can develop that will enable ‘services within a service’ to be offered; for example, a virtual assistant that can order your favorite pizza simply by hearing a voice command; a call out to your regular local plumber in the case of water leaks in the home, or a mapping app that offers taxi booking services through their platform.”

Using open standards that follow the Modern Paradigm for Standards  can help ensure the development of the highest quality, market-driven standards by the largest possible audience. And when it comes to our homes, that’s exactly what we want.

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