Creating an IoT or Internet of Things project could be daunting. From the design of a prototype, to creating code, to launching the product and eventually deploying it worldwide, how can one ensure that the project gets off the drawing board and into the market? With millions of devices estimated to hit the market in the years to come, proprietary, closed systems could render interoperability hard. Building various elements and components of a system to work together when they’re not designed to do so may need a considerable investment of effort and time, increasing the time to deployment and the overall expense. One way that the problem could be mitigated is via open source technologies that enable connected devices to communicate with one another.
There are several commonalities between IoT solutions across the various apps: The need for communication between devices, wireless connections, and back-end systems are just some examples. That is why developers of the Internet of Things today use open source technology. Approximately 91 percent of developers use an open source technology to get their projects done. Open source in IoT doesn't just ascertain the figure but also sheds light on several methodologies and tools as well that would help developers go for open source, data, and open hardware. The open source in the Internet of Things offers developer program managers with insights that are backed by objective data about the use of open source technology by developers of IoT and helps them manage the use of open source in projects.
The following are some of the reasons why open source is the key to IoT development.
Open standards and collaboration pave the way
The establishment and implementation of industry standards could help people move towards bigger interoperability. Collaborative and thoughtful standards boost choice and flexibility, where developers could use devices from various vendors to create a solution that meets their certain requirements. As a result, they could be more innovative and more cost-efficient in creating solutions as well. Another complementary approach to developing standards is the release of specifications and designs developed by industry ecosystem players in the open source community as interface standards and open hardware for others to adopt. This approach is becoming more popular, with open hardware references designs and interfaces standards more readily available with key industry players that coordinate to support them.
Bigger Ecosystem support
Solutions that are open source ascertain a future-proof investment and longevity, so tools and resources are available and enhanced continuously for years to come. It does not only protect the investment and time made in the stage of development of a solution but also offers simplicity which helps in accelerating innovation and time to market. On a software side, utilizing a widely supported open source software app frameworks as well as development environments could be very helpful. Open source solutions provide a wider development community to ensure that one would be able to find development resources in the years to come.
Speeds up developing IoT with open hardware
As mentioned earlier, open platforms enable developers with limited wireless, hardware or low-level software expertise to develop apps in days instead of months. If properly executed, leveraging open source platforms and hardware which communicate with one another could dramatically reduce the time and effort to get prototypes from paper into production by making certain that different sensors and connectors automatically work together without the need for additional coding. With industrial-grade specs, the next-generation platforms allow fast prototyping as well as rapid industrialization of IoT apps as well, since they could go straight from prototype to production.
Working across several platforms and vendors, the door is opened for new possibilities with IoT business ventures and third-party partnerships. It lays the foundation for a new generation of connected apps that could be independently developed from devices where they would run. The wider base of developers who work with the code could lead to bigger scrutiny, which often could result in a solution that is more secure. Furthermore, it also enables the Internet of Things application developers to tailor the code to meet specific security requirements.
Nobody could envision each and every possible app for IoT technology. However, committing to an open source standards-based strategy would help drive IoT innovation as well as bring apps to market easily, faster and ensure longevity. Standards make certain of technology interoperability while open source projects ensure that hardware and software components that could be reused as product and services platforms continuously evolve. Without it, innovation within the Internet of Things environment would continue to be stunted.