Peace talks in the war on the ecosystem? Technology giants and iot companies are setting a new standard for how connected gadgets communicate with each other.
Online gadgets should speak the same language. This is the basic principle of a new collaboration around the smart home that includes several giants in the market. From tech companies such as Amazon, Apple, Google and Samsung to Swedish Ikea and industrial giant Schneider Electric.
Under the leadership of the organization Zigbee Alliance, they participate in the Connected Home Over IP working group, as the name suggests, it is about finding a standard for communication over Internet protocols (IP).
The basic idea is to make it easier for developers and manufacturers to build units that work equally well no matter what ecosystem for smart homes they connect to. It should also be easier to build support for several different voice assistants, such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri. The project also includes setting a standard for secure communication between devices.
For consumers, the collaboration can ensure that the gadgets they buy actually work together. Today, most manufacturers develop their own solutions, which can sometimes cause compatibility problems.