Inter-Device Standardization Vital for Future-Proofing the IoT, Says UPnP Forum

LAS VEGAS, NV--(Marketwired - Jan 7, 2015) - As the IoT (Internet of Things) proliferates, inter-device standardization and harmonization of the growing number of vertical segments is paramount in order to deliver total interconnectivity and limitless functionality between devices, warns global networking standards group, UPnP Forum. This message comes out of this week's CES, which is placing a major focus on the IoT and connectivity for new devices. 

Historically, devices and connectivity were provided by single vendors, and supported little or no interoperability with products and services from other vendors. This led to fragmentation in the industry. The lack of compatibility incapacitated network flexibility and functionality, and when coupled with the absence of standardization, ultimately limited consumer choice in a rapidly emerging market.

"All of the major IoT opportunities have been driven from a vertical market perspective. However, as more and more connected devices join the ecosystem, the industry needs to focus on providing safe, reliable interoperable access to services and information regardless of the vertical segment or vendor," says Scott Lofgren, President of UPnP Forum. "To become truly successful, the IoT requires an open means for allowing devices to find one another and communicate -- without multi-vendor interoperability, things might simply come to a grinding halt at any time."

UPnP Forum's new UPnP+ certification level addresses the vertical challenge by using new and existing UPnP Device Control Protocols (DCPs) and UPnP Cloud architecture to provide features focused on delivering new technical capabilities for enhanced functionality and increased customer satisfaction. The vendor-neutral standard creates new values and opportunities for manufacturers, developers and integrators, leveraging UPnP DCPs to take them into the Cloud and bridge the IoT.

"Our next-generation UPnP+ standard takes a step beyond consumer media devices and is focused on delivering new technical capabilities to enhance functionality and provide a more sophisticated, intuitive and deeper user experience across different platforms. It addresses tomorrow's connectivity requirements to remove existing boundaries and enables full device and network compatibility, enabling the IoT to reach its full potential," added Lofgren.

UPnP+ supports the implementation of web browser controls for a wide range of functions, ensuring future connectivity and making new services possible, in areas such as health and fitness, energy management, sensor management, security and sustainability. Incorporating IPv6 capabilities for the discovery of Cloud services and new grouping/paring capabilities, UPnP+ includes a host on enhancements to deliver improved interoperability baselines.

If you plan to attend CES and would like to speak with UPnP Forum, then please contact Dana Hare at [e-mail] or Russell Cafferty at [e-mail] or call [phone]. For further information about UPnP Forum please visit www.upnp.org/, follow on Twitter @UPnP Forum or join the Forum's Facebook community.

About UPnP Forum
UPnP Forum, established in 1999, is a global alliance of more than 1,000 industry-leading organizations working to enable device-to-device interoperability and facilitate easier and better home networking. The Forum promotes the adoption of uniform technical device interconnectivity standards and certifies devices conforming to these standards. UPnP Forum is an impartial group enabling member companies to participate and develop extensions to the UPnP Device Architecture, which defines how to use the Internet Protocol (IP) to communicate between devices, and Device Control Protocols (DCPs), which are services between devices. Members of UPnP Forum include market leaders in computing, printing and networking, consumer electronics, home appliances, automation, control and security, and mobile products.