SensorUp launched Monday its initial Internet of Things (IoT) platform built on Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) SensorThings API to give global IoT developers access to its OGC/ISO standards-based IoT Platform. IoT companies and developers will now be able to accelerate the creation of standards-compliant IoT products and services.
Using a standards-based IoT Platform also helps IoT users avoid vendor lock-in. Companies and developers can now create IoT applications, or connect IoT devices, without worrying that the platform they have connected to will become obsolete, or be “bricked” shortly thereafter. Due to this, choosing a platform based on open standards supports longer product lifecycles.
“When proprietary, black-box platforms are used, there is a very real possibility that the platform will be discontinued, at which point developers and vendors would have to re-start, often from scratch,”said Dr. Steve Liang, editor of the OGC SensorThings API standard specification. “This wastes time and resources that most companies would rather spend elsewhere.”
The OGC is an international not for profit organization committed to making quality open standards for the global geospatial community. These standards are made through a consensus process; freely available for anyone to use to improve sharing of the world’s geospatial data; and are used in a variety of domains including environment, defense, health, agriculture, meteorology and sustainable development. Members also come together from different spheres including government, commercial organizations, NGOs, academic and research organizations.
Standards-compliance is critical in IoT, as it makes it possible to exchange data between disparate sensors, so that when the need arises, the data being reported by completely different sensing systems can be combined. This has real-world implications ranging from useful — such as the ability to connect fitness band to calorie intake app to life supporting, such as when it enables adjacent municipalities to share near real-time sensor information while collaborating to manage a disaster.
